The Lord God
163 times in the Bible God uses the phrase, "I am the Lord". God is Lord in that He defines our meaning and purpose and gives us written instructions in the Bible. Furthermore being Lord He also judges us with regards to our compliance to His instructions. And being Lord God there is no one of higher authority. God demands our obedience. Jesus said, "Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" Lk 6:46 To acknowledge one as Lord is to declare one's intention to comply with their instructions. And thus Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Mt 7:21 Those who claim to believe in the Lord, but don't intend to do what He says, don't actually believe in the Lord.
Along these lines many believe in a non-Lord God. They believe in a God who is Creator, but allows them to do whatever they want. He allows them to define their own meaning and purpose in life. And He doesn't speak. The non-Lord God that many believe is an idol. "They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Ps 115:5-8
People are often reluctant to believe in the Lord God because they want to define their own meaning and purpose in life and do whatever they want, free from fear of judgment, and come to Him on their own terms. And authorities often reckon the concept of the Lord God a threat to their own authority. Many such people tend to view the grace of God as a license to sin.
Such is the case not only in the world, but in the church where heresies are developed to make the Lord God into something more palatable to them. But to do so they have to keep their followers ignorant of the Bible, which is the case in much of the history of post-Biblical Christianity. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2Tim 4:3.4
You may believe in "God", but do you believe in the Lord God
The Gospel Series
163 times in the Bible God uses the phrase, "I am the Lord". God is Lord in that He defines our meaning and purpose and gives us written instructions in the Bible. Furthermore being Lord He also judges us with regards to our compliance to His instructions. And being Lord God there is no one of higher authority. God demands our obedience. Jesus said, "Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" Lk 6:46 To acknowledge one as Lord is to declare one's intention to comply with their instructions. And thus Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." Mt 7:21 Those who claim to believe in the Lord, but don't intend to do what He says, don't actually believe in the Lord.
Along these lines many believe in a non-Lord God. They believe in a God who is Creator, but allows them to do whatever they want. He allows them to define their own meaning and purpose in life. And He doesn't speak. The non-Lord God that many believe is an idol. "They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Ps 115:5-8
People are often reluctant to believe in the Lord God because they want to define their own meaning and purpose in life and do whatever they want, free from fear of judgment, and come to Him on their own terms. And authorities often reckon the concept of the Lord God a threat to their own authority. Many such people tend to view the grace of God as a license to sin.
Such is the case not only in the world, but in the church where heresies are developed to make the Lord God into something more palatable to them. But to do so they have to keep their followers ignorant of the Bible, which is the case in much of the history of post-Biblical Christianity. "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." 2Tim 4:3.4
You may believe in "God", but do you believe in the Lord God
The Gospel Series
