The Lordship of the Lord

                   
                                  (photo source)

Luke 6:46  "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?

James and Paul both echo Jesus' preaching. Paul's emphasis is an echo of Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." James's teaching has the ring of Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."

Paul represents the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; James the end of it. Paul declares that we are saved by faith without the deeds of the law. James declares that we are saved by faith, which shows itself in works. Both James and Paul view good works as the proof of faith—not the path to salvation.

James could not be more explicit. He is confronting the concept of a passive, false "faith," which is devoid of the fruits of salvation. He is not arguing for works in addition to or apart from faith. He is showing why and how, true, living faith always works. He is fighting against dead orthodoxy and its tendency to abuse grace.

The error James assails is faith without works; justification without sanctification; salvation without new life.

Again, James echoes the Master Himself, who insisted on a theology of lordship that involved obedience, not lip-service. Jesus chided the disobedient ones who had attached themselves to Him in name only: "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). Verbal allegiance, He said, will get no one to heaven: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).

~GTY

If you didn’t come to Jesus with the contrite attitude of giving Him everything that you are or ever will be…You never truly came to Him.
If you aren’t ready to humbly confess & forsake your sin… You are not ready to come to Him at all.If you don’t trust Him in faith to run your entire life through His Word… You do not have saving faith.
If you are ashamed of Jesus… He will be ashamed of you before the Father.If your faith doesn’t habitually produce godly fruit… You have dead faith that cannot save. 
If you want salvation your own way with your own stipulations… You do not have biblical salvation; you have religion. 

When you come to the point of faith that trusts Jesus and denies self…

When you are ready to take up your cross daily and follow Jesus… 

When you are willing to sell all to purchase that pearl of great price (Jesus)… 

When you hate your sin and want to worship God…

Then you are ready to be His and He is ready to be yours. 

~Susan Brackley

Luk 14:28  "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 

Luk 14:29  "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 

Luk 14:30  saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness."

1Jo 2:4  Whoever says "I know Him" but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,