Does it make sense to call Jesus your personal Lord and Saviour?

[fisherman_carl]

If Jesus is the Lord and Savior of everyone, not just you, can you claim him as your personal Lord and Savior? Consider this analogy. If you employed a chef to come into your home and make your meals you could claim him as your personal chef. But, if you went to a restaurant you could not claim the chef to be your personal chef because he is everyone’s chef. Similarly if you bought your own car then you can claim it as your own personal car. But if you share a group use car you could not claim it as your own personal car.

Now, if you want to say he is personal because he is very approachable then you could just say he is personable.

But, if you want to say he is personal because you feel it should not be public knowledge that he is your Lord and Saviour, its just too intimate to share with others, then you must realize that he is everyone’s Lord and Saviour. And Jesus said not to hide your laptop under a bushel.

So, we can make a more politically correct prayer. please pray after me. I accept Jesus into my heart as my public, but personable, Lord and Savior.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

If Jesus is the Lord and Savior of everyone, not just you, can you claim him as your personal Lord and Savior? Consider this analogy. If you employed a chef to come into your home and make your meals you could claim him as your personal chef. But, if you went to a restaurant you could not claim the chef to be your personal chef because he is everyone’s chef. Similarly if you bought your own car then you can claim it as your own personal car. But if you share a group use car you could not claim it as your own personal car.

Now, if you want to say he is personal because he is very approachable then you could just say he is personable.

But, if you want to say he is personal because you feel it should not be public knowledge that he is your Lord and Saviour, its just too intimate to share with others, then you must realize that he is everyone’s Lord and Saviour. And Jesus said not to hide your laptop under a bushel.

So, we can make a more politically correct prayer. please pray after me. I accept Jesus into my heart as my public, but personable, Lord and Savior.

I believe that the term personal still applies because even though Christ came to save everyone; even if you alone were the only person to achieve salvation, He still would have gone to the cross for you.

Christ is infinite, so he can be equally personal and intimate with every individual who will exist in all of history. His personal intimacy with me does not take away from his ability to be personally intimate with you, or anyone else.

 

[Todd977]

St Elizabeth had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (Luke 1:43)

St Mary Magdalene had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (John 20:13)

St Thomas had no problem referring to Jesus as “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

St Paul had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

Though, I must admit, the expressions “the Lord” and “our Lord” and “the Savior” and “our Savior” were used of Jesus more often the “my Lord.”

 

[fisherman_carl]

I believe that the term personal still applies because even though Christ came to save everyone; even if you alone were the only person to achieve salvation, He still would have gone to the cross for you.

Christ is infinite, so he can be equally personal and intimate with every individual who will exist in all of history. His personal intimacy with me does not take away from his ability to be personally intimate with you, or anyone else.

Let’s see if your analogy holds when applied elsewhere. Many customers eat at the restaurant. However, if I was the only customer in the world then I can say it is my personal restaurant. Therefore, I can say it is my personal restaurant despite the fact that others eat there.

 

[fisherman_carl]

St Elizabeth had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (Luke 1:43)

St Mary Magdalene had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (John 20:13)

St Thomas had no problem referring to Jesus as “My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)

St Paul had no problem referring to Jesus as “my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8)

Though, I must admit, the expressions “the Lord” and “our Lord” and “the Savior” and “our Savior” were used of Jesus more often the “my Lord.”

He’s my Lord. He’s your Lord. He’s our Lord. But, the word personal has an exclusive sense. That’s his personal car implies the car is his and no one else’s. I don’t see the word personal in any of the Scriptures you gave.

 

[jaimeleglise]

Where in the Bible does it say to accept Jesus as your personal Savior?

 

[TimothyH]

Having a personal relationship with Christ and having a Lord who you submit to in a very personal way as a disciple would to his Rabbi is not a joke.

Jesus is a person, a human just like you and I. The word personal means exactly that - one on one as a human person. Our Pope happens to be Jesuit. Jesuits spirituality sees Christ as a human person, someone whom you can sit with and talk to as one talks to a friend.

You all can joke about it if you want but God dwells inside you - you personally. He knows you personally, and you should get to know God in the person of Jesus personally. Having a savior who is very close, someone with whom we are in an exclusive relationship is not a joke.

-Tim-

 

[Adonia]

I receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist every time I attend Mass and you can’t get more personal than that.

 

[Adonia]

Where in the Bible does it say to accept Jesus as your personal Savior?

I don’t think it says that anywhere, it is just what evangelicals have been saying for a long time and that is where I think it all started. It’s like if you don’t say it, or believe as they do, you really do not have the correct relationship with Christ.

 

[fisherman_carl]

Having a personal relationship with Christ and having a Lord who you submit to in a very personal way as a disciple would to his Rabbi is not a joke.

Jesus is a person, a human just like you and I. The word personal means exactly that - one on one as a human person. Our Pope happens to be Jesuit. Jesuits spirituality sees Christ as a human person, someone whom you can sit with and talk to as one talks to a friend.

You all can joke about it if you want but God dwells inside you - you personally. He knows you personally, and you should get to know God in the person of Jesus personally. Having a savior who is very close, someone with whom we are in an exclusive relationship is not a joke.

-Tim-

Don’t take it so personal.

You can use personal if you want. I won’t personally mind. I understand how people use it. But it can sound funny to say if you think about it.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Let’s see if your analogy holds when applied elsewhere. Many customers eat at the restaurant. However, if I was the only customer in the world then I can say it is my personal restaurant. Therefore, I can say it is my personal restaurant despite the fact that others eat there.

Your analogy is off. Even if you are the only person eating in a restaurant at a given time, you are consuming something from them, which results in them having less of that thing. They cannot serve another person the food they just served you, because you are eating it. Applying this analogy to Jesus, it would be like saying that the food you are eating is the same food the person next to you is eating, and the same food that guy from three weeks ago was eating… not the same type of food; the exact same food period.

Also, applying the term personal to an non-living entity gives it a different meaning and connotation than applying it to a person. A restaurant cannot be a “personal” restaurant; but Christ can be your personal Lord and Savior.

 

[fisherman_carl]

d.

You all can joke about it if you want but God dwells inside you - you personally. He knows you personally, and you should get to know God in the person of Jesus personally. Having a savior who is very close, someone with whom we are in an exclusive relationship is not a joke.

-Tim-

Joking? Who is laughing? Everyone is taking this way too seriously. I appear to be the only one who has a sense of humour.

 

[fisherman_carl]

Your analogy is off. Even if you are the only person eating in a restaurant at a given time, you are consuming something from them, which results in them having less of that thing. They cannot serve another person the food they just served you, because you are eating it. Applying this analogy to Jesus, it would be like saying that the food you are eating is the same food the person next to you is eating, and the same food that guy from three weeks ago was eating… not the same type of food; the exact same food period.

Also, applying the term personal to an non-living entity gives it a different meaning and connotation than applying it to a person. A restaurant cannot be a “personal” restaurant; but Christ can be your personal Lord and Savior.

Simple Definition of personal

: belonging or relating to a particular person

: made or designed to be used by one person

Full Definition of personal

1
:  of, relating to, or affecting a particular person :  private, individual <personal ambition> <personal financial gain>

2
a :  done in person without the intervention of another; also :  proceeding from a single person b :  carried on between individuals directly <a personal interview>

3
:  relating to the person or body

4
:  relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner <a personal insult>

5
a :  being rational and self-conscious <personal, responsive government is still possible — John Fischer> b :  having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction <a personal devil>

6
:  of, relating to, or constituting personal property <a personal estate>

7
:  denoting grammatical person

8
:  intended for private use or use by one person <a personal stereo>

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal

 

[Vic_Taltrees_UK]

Most protestants and most Catholics have dumbed the whole thing down which is why we have to fall back on the drollery of the thing.

Believers will be judged one by one, which is where we have the individuality of the thing.

Judged on what? On whether we made the priority in our lives to build up the initiative and discretion of others for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Some said “Lord Lord” but Jesus said he didn’t know them. They weren’t saying “Lord Lord Lord” which means making His kingdom (not understood in a trivial way) the underlying focus of our dealings with others.

That often doesn’t mean “witnessing” in the “conventional” sense though. We all are called to pray the Lord of the Harvest to send workers into the harvest and to do our daily tasks with as much integrity as we can, and to believe the deep down meanings of the Scriptures and not the dumbed-down meanings. We’ve got to mix where we’ll hear better things, if we can. If we can’t, that may be the fault of those who deprived us of the opportunity.

 

[fisherman_carl]

Your analogy is off. Even if you are the only person eating in a restaurant at a given time, you are consuming something from them, which results in them having less of that thing. They cannot serve another person the food they just served you, because you are eating it. Applying this analogy to Jesus, it would be like saying that the food you are eating is the same food the person next to you is eating, and the same food that guy from three weeks ago was eating… not the same type of food; the exact same food period.

Also, applying the term personal to an non-living entity gives it a different meaning and connotation than applying it to a person. A restaurant cannot be a “personal” restaurant; but Christ can be your personal Lord and Savior.

Usually we don’t use the word personal for other types of close relationships. For example, you don’t hear people say she is my personal wife. Or, he is my personal husband. Or that man is my personal father. Not that you could not, but it would be redundant. We certainly don’t use it for public figures. Like saying he is my personal president of the country. The only time we tend to use it is when we want to connote exclusivity of something general. For instance, personal chef, personal trainer, personal friend, personal property, etc.

I am not saying you should not use it in its proper context. Just not to say it in an exclusive context. Since he is the public Lord and Saviour. Not for exclusive use only.

Just curious. From the definition above which one describes how you are using the word personal in this context?

 

[Belshazzar]

The idea of Jesus being our personal Lord and Savior is incompatible with Catholic teaching for the following reason…

We (Catholics, that is), see the Church as the Body of Christ, with Christ at the Head while the rest of the members have other functions of This Body, and our prayers, sacrifices, etc. are what nurtures the Church. It provides food and nourishment to the Body. This nourishment goes out to the parts which most needs it, be it sins committed against the Church or other members of the Body not performing the necessary functions for which they were created. This is why Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians…

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His Body, which is he Church.” Col. 1:24.

Prayer and whatever else we offer up to the Lord, such as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy or fasting, can be likened to food or even medicine, which goes to the parts which have most need of it. In fact, we are to put our own worldly and personal concerns as least of all, giving God priority of our prayers and sacrifice. We are to have faith that God will hear our prayers and provide our own needs, since He knows them better than we ourselves. Without this perspective of the Body of Christ, it’s easy to see how we can perceive Christ as working exclusively for us and our own needs. I find myself reminded of the words of our Holy Father yesterday: “Don’t be so selfish!”

 

[fisherman_carl]

The idea of Jesus being our personal Lord and Savior is incompatible with Catholic teaching for the following reason…

We (Catholics, that is), see the Church as the Body of Christ, with Christ at the Head while the rest of the members have other functions of This Body, and our prayers, sacrifices, etc. are what nurtures the Church. It provides food and nourishment to the Body. This nourishment goes out to the parts which most needs it, be it sins committed against the Church or other members of the Body not performing the necessary functions for which they were created. This is why Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians…

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His Body, which is he Church.” Col. 1:24.

Prayer and whatever else we offer up to the Lord, such as the corporal and spiritual works of mercy or fasting, can be likened to food or even medicine, which goes to the parts which have most need of it. In fact, we are to put our own worldly and personal concerns as least of all, giving God priority of our prayers and sacrifice. We are to have faith that God will hear our prayers and provide our own needs, since He knows them better than we ourselves. Without this perspective of the Body of Christ, it’s easy to see how we can perceive Christ as working exclusively for us and our own needs. I find myself reminded of the words of our Holy Father yesterday: “Don’t be so selfish!”

I think there is a personal aspect to our Catholic faith as well. But, you are right in that it’s not just Jesus and me only. We are part of the Body of Christ. I guess that’s part of what I have been saying all along. Jesus isn’t my exclusive Lord and Savior. He is everyone’s. As Catholics one thing that may distinguish us from some other groups is that we believe that Jesus Redeemed everyone on the Cross, not just those who are Christians. So, he is really everyone’s Savior. And, in the Catholic life we experience that relationship with Christ not only personally, like in private prayer, but also through the Church, like in the Sacraments, which almost always involve a group of at least 2 people, usually more. In the early Church Confession used to take place in front of the whole church. I liked your comment about the Pope.

Also, what you say about the Body being affected as a whole through prayer, etc. is really true, and shown in Scripture. In the OT when someone sinned it affected the whole group of Israelites. And, Paul in the NT talks about how one part of the Body can affect the whole group. So, yeah, it’s not just about you and Jesus. We are part of an organism called the Body of Christ, where what we do affects everyone else.