There are at least five major lessons we learn from the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8. Here’s the fifth one:
Saving faith is the kind that appoints God as Adonai.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who calls Me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my father in heaven.” In other words: It’s not a matter of someone saying Jesus is Lord, it’s a matter of acting as if Jesus is Lord – by letting Jesus call the shots and have the final say in all the decisions in your life.
So many people want God to get them into heaven but they don’t want God to own them on earth. Such people should have no expectation of going to Heaven for their faith is no different than that of demons. Demons believe in God’s existence but they do not submit themselves to God’s leadership over their lives. As James 3:19 puts it: Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this…” And surely no demon will be in heaven!!
Romans 10:9-10 explains what saving faith looks like: “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” These verses are clear: We are saved by faith, but only by the kind of faith that results in appointing Jesus as Lord (Adonai) of our lives. That is saving faith.
Friends – God created you – we talked about that last week. That makes God the rightful Ruler of your life. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says “… You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” You are not your own. That means that you don’t own you. God owns you for not only did He create you, He purchased you at the cost of His shed blood on the cross. Therefore, we’re to honor God with our bodies. In other words – God has a right to tell every body what they should and should not do because God paid the price for our life and salvation. Ephesians 1:7 says: “God is so rich and kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his son Jesus…” He purchased us with His blood. We are His. He has the right to lead us and direct us. He is the Master. We are the servant.
Paul begins his letter to the church in Rome with “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…” How will you classify yourself today? You’re either a servant of Christ or the captain of your own ship, the master of your own fate. Which will it be for you?