The Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise…all have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” Romans 3:10–12 NLT
This passage flies in the face of a belief widely held in our world today: that people are basically good. According to Scripture, the reality is that none of us is capable of living a good life on our own. We all fall short. This is a foundational understanding in Christianity, essential to remember and believe.
Let’s recap: Other than Jesus Christ, no human being has done good according to God’s evaluation. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator, every human being was born a slave to sin (see Romans 6:17 NLT).
But as we know, God had a plan to rescue us from this predicament. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to redeem us. Jesus lived a perfect life and gave Himself for the freedom of humankind. He took the judgment of every person who’d already lived, was living, or would live in the future. He shed His royal blood as the payment to liberate us.
Jesus died on the cross and was buried. Since He was without sin, the Spirit of God raised Him from the dead three days later. He is now seated at the right hand of God
Almighty, who has made this decree:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9–10 NKJV
Stop right there. Do you see it?
These verses are familiar to most of us, but there’s something in this passage many have overlooked. It’s a single word: lord. The word lord is the Greek word kurios, which means “master, owner, supreme in authority.” This is significant because people often unconsciously substitute another word in place of this one. Paul states we must confess the Lord Jesus—not the Savior Jesus. Herein lies a fundamental flaw prevalent in the Western church.
Contrary to popular belief, confessing Jesus as merely Savior doesn’t bring freedom or new life. I realize this is a strong statement that cuts against the grain of our accepted appeals to the lost, but it is true to Scripture.
The word savior is found 36 times in the Bible. The word lord occurs over 7,800 times. Where do you think God places the emphasis? Lord declares the position He holds in our lives, whereas Savior describes the work He’s done for us. We cannot partake of the benefit of His work unless we come under His position as Lord and King!
Do you understand the difference between confessing Jesus as Savior and confessing Him as Lord? What does it look like to live under His lordship? How does this truth change the way you think about your faith, and how will it change the way you share your faith with others?
