Jesus, as victor over death by resurrection, ascended to His throne in heaven at the right hand of God (Acts 2:30-36). Just prior to this ascension, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18). Jesus is Lord! He is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15).

Entrance into the everlasting kingdom of heaven is supplied by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:11). If Jesus is to be our Savior, He must first be our Lord. Jesus asked, “why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46). Indeed, many call Him Lord and say that they know Him while in reality they do not keep His commandments. “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 Jn. 2:3). Those who claim Jesus is their Lord without operating under His authority (by actually following His commands) are in for a rude awakening. Jesus warned:

“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. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Mt. 7:21-23.)

One of the major problems in our society is a lack of respect for authority. No doubt authority has been abused by wicked men in the past, but that does not warrant abandonment of all authority. Certainly, Jesus has not abused His authority. His authority ought to be respected. Today, many have the concept that they are the exception to the rule. As in the days of the judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Jdgs. 21:25).

Sadly, this thinking has also permeated some circles in the church. Instead of regarding the will of King Jesus revealed in the New Testament as authoritative over our lives, some live how they please as if there is no law by which our King expects us to live. If we want to see Jesus in heaven, a place pure from the defilement of sin (Rev. 21:27), then we must continue the process of rooting sin out of our lives to become more and more holy and pure as Jesus is holy and pure (1 Jn. 3:3). God helps us in our sanctification if we will be sensitive to His word (Acts 20:32).

However, sin is a transgression of God’s word; it is lawlessness—acting as if one is a law unto himself and disregarding the laws and commands of God (1 Jn. 3:4). Children of God do not continue the practice of sin (1 Jn. 3:5). They have been delivered from the bondage of sin (Jn. 8:34-36; Rom. 6:5-19). To go back to the defilements of sin would mean an abandonment of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who set the Christian free in the first place, and would result in a worse end than the beginning (2 Pet. 2:20-22). Do not be duped by religious teaching that promises a false freedom in the form of disregarding the authority Jesus has over our lives; instead of true freedom, this thinking results in the bondage of corruption (2 Pet. 2:19).