Many people say they believe in Jesus, but Scripture calls us to trust Him, confess Him as Lord, and follow Him.
Confessing Christ as Lord
"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." — Romans 10:9
To confess Jesus as Lord means trusting Him and submitting our lives to His authority. He is not merely someone we believe in; He is the One we listen to and follow. Jesus asked:
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" — Luke 6:46
He also said:
"My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." — John 10:27
Christ alone is the Shepherd and Savior. Faithful teachers may help us understand Scripture and grow in faith, but no person or group may replace His voice, contradict His word, or demand the loyalty that belongs to Him.
"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved." — Acts 4:12
Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10–11). Therefore, we willingly submit our lives to Him now.
Hearing and Obeying in Love
Submitting to Christ as Lord means more than hearing His words. It means building our lives upon them:
"Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." — Matthew 7:24
Christ's words must become the foundation of how we live.
"If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." — John 8:31–32
We do not obey Christ in order to earn His love or grace. We obey because He first loved us:
"We love, because He first loved us." — 1 John 4:19
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." — John 14:15
When we love Christ, we hear Him, trust Him, obey Him, and follow Him as Lord.
In Section 4, you can explore more deeply what it means to receive Christ as Lord, listen to His voice, obey Him in love, and never allow another voice to replace or contradict Him.