7. See chap. 2, n. 21.
The Lordship of Christ
confession of Jesus as God and thus faith in the God-Man that saves from sin (emphasis added).5
In other words, Dr. Ryrie claims those who argue that "Lord" means "sovereign master" divest the call to faith of its significance with regard to the deity of Christ.
But that is a straw argument. It is not necessary to eliminate the concept of deity from the word Lord to understand that it means "master." Ryrie is most certainly correct to say that "Lord" means God. But if anything, that only strengthens the view that absolute rulership is inherent in the word. Certainly when Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28), he was using "Lord" as more than an expression of deity. He was not saying, "My God and my God"; he was affirming that Jesus is both God and Master. What kind of god would He be if He were not sovereign?
Look, for example, at the context of Romans 10:9. Verse 12 uses the phrase "Lord of all" to describe the Savior. It means He is Lord over all, Jews and Gentiles, believers and nonbelievers alike. Any interpretation that attempts to rid the term of its meaning of sovereign dominion makes no sense at all. Reading that truth into verse 9 results in an even stronger statement: "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord [of all] . . . you shall be saved."6
Certainly the word Lord includes the idea of deity in every context where Scripture calls Jesus "Lord" in connection with the gospel message. That Christ is God is a fundamental component of the gospel message. No one who denies the deity of Christ could be saved (cf. 1 John 4:2 – 3). But inherent in the idea of deity is authority, dominion, and the right to command.7 A person living in rebellion against Christ's authority does not acknowledge Him as Lord in any sense (cf. Titus 1:16).
The signature of saving faith is surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. The definitive test of whether a person belongs to Christ is a willingness to bow to His divine authority. In 1 Co rin thi ans 12:3 Paul made it clear that "no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus is accursed'; and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit."
That does not mean it is impossible for unsaved people to utter the words "Jesus is Lord," for obviously they can and do. Jesus Himself pointed out the
5. Charles C. Ryrie, Balancing the Chris tian Life (Chicago: Moody, 1969), 173 – 75. 6. Th is calls into question Darrell Bock's declaration that Romans 10 "provides no clear defi nition of Paul's understanding of the term 'Lord.' " Darrell L. Bock, "Jesus as Lord in Acts and in the Gospel Message," Bibliotheca Sacra 143 (April – June 1986): 147. On the contrary, it is clear from Romans 10:12 that Paul placed no limits on the extent of Christ's authority as Lord.
7. See chap. 2, n. 21.