Who should be addressed as Lord on Judgment Day?

Jesus states in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 7:

21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' 
    will enter the kingdom of heaven, 
    but only he who does the will of my Father 
    who is in heaven.
22  Many will say to me on that day, 
    `Lord, Lord, did we not 
    prophesy in your name, 
    and in your name drive out demons 
    and perform many miracles?'
23  Then I will tell them plainly, 
    `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

"That day" (v.22) is Judgment Day. When everyone will have to give account of his life before the Judge of all.

Jesus proclaims that he will be that Judge.

On that day, everyone will know who is THE LORD. No mistake will be made who shall be addressed this way.[1]

Jesus states that the people will address him as "Lord". And he does not reject it. He does not accuse them of giving him the divine title, but he charges them with disobedience. Those who confess Christ as Lord and even work in his name will also be asked for their obedience.[2] Was their following whole-hearted, a full obedience based on a personal knowledge and relationship with him, or was it religiosity that lives without the direct dependence on Jesus?

Jesus will be the Judge on that day, and only for that reason is it appropriate to call him Lord already today.

But be sure that you do not only profess while lacking full surrender to his Lordship in your life.

The problem is not the address, but the disobedience of those who are not fully surrendered.

Jesus is not the one interrogated by the Judge as depicted in the Qur'an (5:116-118), but he is Himself the Judge before whom everyone will have to give an answer for his life and for the question what you do with his claim to divine status as Lord of the World and Judge of all men.

____________

1. See Philippians 2:5-11
2. For more discussion read the article The Easy Sinful Nature Of Christianity.


Compare Jesus' statement in Mt. 7:21-23 with Muhammad's words in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 584-587.

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