Date: October 1, 2026

Today’s Passage

Luke 6:46 (KJV)- “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Why this Study?

On January 7, 2026, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a federal immigration-enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Video shows Good sitting in an SUV that was partially blocking the roadway as federal officers approached. An officer ordered her to get out of the vehicle. Good briefly reversed and then drove forward while turning to her right. ICE agent Jonathan Ross fired into the vehicle, killing her. The circumstances surrounding the use of deadly force remain disputed and under legal challenge, and this Bible study is not intended to determine whether the shooting itself was legally justified.

What happened afterward, however, led to a conversation with my sister that raised a much larger spiritual question. We disagreed about Good’s actions, personal responsibility, obedience to lawful authority, and what Scripture requires of those who profess to follow Christ. Eventually my sister said something to me that changed the direction of the conversation: If what I was saying about God was true, then she wanted nothing to do with my God.

That statement stayed with me—not because my sister disagreed with me, but because of what the statement means if what I was telling her came from Scripture rather than from me.

My sister professes a belief in Jesus Christ and describes herself as having a special relationship with Him. Yet this raises a question that reaches far beyond one conversation between a brother and sister: Can any of us claim a special relationship with Jesus that allows us to reject what Jesus has actually said? Can we decide which teachings of Scripture we will accept, reject the ones that conflict with the life we want to live, and still confidently call Jesus our Lord?

This study is not about whether we perfectly obey Christ. We do not. We are sinners saved by grace, and apart from Christ we could never make ourselves righteous. Nor is this study about earning salvation by keeping commandments. Salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the transformed life that follows is possible through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The question is something different and much more fundamental: Who gets to define our relationship with Jesus Christ—Jesus, or us? Jesus addressed that question with remarkable directness:

Luke 6:46 (KJV)- “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

There can be a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But there cannot be a personalized Jesus Christ whom we reshape until He agrees with us.

That is why we need this study.

Verse Context

Luke 6:46 does not stand alone. Jesus had just spent much of the chapter teaching His disciples what a life submitted to Him should look like. By the time He asks, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” He has already given His hearers specific instructions. His question therefore confronts the contradiction between calling Him Lord and refusing His authority.

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, show mercy, avoid hypocritical judgment, forgive, and examine themselves before condemning others.

Luke 6:35–36 (KJV)- “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Jesus was not merely describing beliefs His followers should claim. He was teaching them how submission to Him should affect the way they actually live. Immediately before our cornerstone verse, Jesus turns to the condition of the heart.

Luke 6:43–45 (KJV)- “For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

This is important because Jesus is not teaching that outward obedience purchases salvation. He is teaching that fruit reveals something about the tree producing it. What is inside eventually becomes visible outside. Then comes the question at the center of this study: Luke 6:46 (KJV)- “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

The Greek word translated “Lord” is kyrios (κύριος, pronounced KOO-ree-os). It can refer to a master—one possessing authority. Calling Jesus “Lord” therefore carries far more weight than simply saying that we believe He exists. We are acknowledging His authority over us. That makes Jesus’ question piercingly simple: Why acknowledge My authority with your mouth while refusing that authority with your life? Jesus then illustrates exactly what He means.

Luke 6:47–49 (KJV)- “Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

Notice that both men hear. That is critical to understanding the passage. The difference is not that one man had access to Jesus’ words and the other did not. Both heard Him. The difference is what they did after hearing Him. One came to Christ, heard His words, and acted upon them. Jesus describes that man as digging deep and building upon rock. The other heard the same words but did not act upon them. His house may have existed. It may even have looked secure while conditions were favorable. But it had no foundation capable of surviving the storm. This brings us directly to the question behind this study. Christianity cannot be built upon what we would like Jesus to say. We cannot hear His words, reject the portions that conflict with our desires, substitute our own beliefs, and then continue calling Him “Lord” as though nothing has changed. Jesus does not ask His listeners whether they have developed a personal version of His teaching that works for them. He asks: Luke 6:46 (KJV)- “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

Within Luke 6 itself, Jesus has therefore established the principle we need before going any further: calling Jesus “Lord” is not merely a religious label. If He is Lord, then He has authority. And if He has authority, we do not have the authority to rewrite His words whenever they conflict with our own desires.

Broader Context

The question raised in Luke 6 reaches far beyond one verse: Can a person reject what God has revealed, live according to his or her own standards, and still claim a special relationship with Jesus that makes everything acceptable? Scripture does not describe such a relationship. A person may sincerely believe that he or she has a special understanding with Jesus, but sincerity does not determine truth. Jesus has already revealed how those who genuinely love Him respond to His Word.

John 14:21 (KJV)- “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

John addresses the person who claims to know Christ while refusing His authority even more directly.

1 John 2:3–4 (KJV)-“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

These are difficult words, but they are God’s words. Scripture does not give us permission to create exceptions based upon how close to Jesus we personally feel. There is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but Scripture never teaches a personalized Christianity in which every person receives his or her own version of Jesus, morality, salvation, and truth. When we construct a Jesus who agrees with us whenever the Jesus revealed in Scripture does not, we have not changed Jesus; we have changed what we believe about Jesus.

Paul warns about accepting a different Jesus from the One revealed through the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 11:4 (KJV)- “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Quick KJV Word Help: The phrase “ye might well bear with him” does not mean that believers should accept another Jesus. The Greek word translated “bear with” is anechomai (ἀνέχομαι, pronounced ah-NEKH-oh-my), meaning to tolerate, endure, or put up with. Paul is rebuking the Corinthians because they were too willing to tolerate someone preaching “another Jesus,” “another spirit,” or “another gospel.” In modern wording, the thought is: “You are far too willing to put up with this.”

Calling our beliefs “Christian” does not automatically make them Christianity. The question must always be whether what we believe agrees with what God has revealed. Christianity does not give us the authority to construct a different Jesus who approves whatever the biblical Jesus has forbidden.

When We Choose Our Will Over God’s Will, We Are Choosing Sin

The word sin is sometimes treated as though it refers only to exceptionally terrible behavior. Scripture presents something much broader.

1 John 3:4 (KJV)- “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”

When God has spoken and we knowingly choose rebellion instead, we are not merely exercising a different opinion. We are placing our will against His. That principle applies regardless of which particular sin is involved. We cannot turn disobedience into righteousness merely by deciding that we disagree with God’s standard. Scripture identifies sexual immorality, adultery, homosexual conduct, idolatry, theft, greed, drunkenness, abusive speech, and other behaviors as contrary to God’s righteousness.

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 (KJV)- “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

The words “Be not deceived” deserve our attention. Paul warns that human beings can believe something about their spiritual condition that simply is not true. The passage does not allow us to remove a behavior from God’s definition of sin simply because acknowledging it would require us to change the way we are living. Yet the next verse prevents us from turning this passage into hopeless condemnation.

1 Corinthians 6:11 (KJV)- “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Christianity does not teach that certain categories of sinners are beyond Christ’s reach. Christ saves sinners. The difference is not between people who have sinned and people who have never sinned, because every one of us has sinned. The Gospel instead calls sinners to Christ, where there is forgiveness, cleansing, justification, sanctification, and transformation through the work of God.

This is also why repentance matters. Biblical repentance does not say, “God must accept this because this is how I have chosen to live.” Repentance recognizes God’s authority and acknowledges that when God’s judgment of my behavior conflicts with my judgment of my behavior, God is right and I am wrong. Repentance involves a genuine turning toward God rather than demanding that God turn toward our definition of righteousness.

God’s Love Does Not Mean Everyone Goes to Heaven

Another serious misunderstanding arises when God’s love is used to conclude that everyone will eventually enter heaven. The Bible never teaches universal salvation. God’s love is real and immeasurable, but Scripture never presents eternal life as the automatic destination of every human being regardless of his or her response to Christ. Jesus Himself taught that not everyone is traveling toward the same eternal destination.

Matthew 7:13–14 (KJV)- “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

God’s love for humanity is not demonstrated by pretending sin does not matter or by automatically admitting everyone into heaven. God’s love is demonstrated magnificently in what He did for sinners who could never save themselves.

John 3:16–18 (KJV)-  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Those verses contain both God’s extraordinary love and humanity’s necessary response. God loved the world and gave His Son, but Jesus still distinguishes between the person who believes and the person who does not. God’s love therefore cannot legitimately be used to teach that everyone automatically goes to heaven. Salvation is God’s gift, offered through Jesus Christ, but Scripture does not teach salvation apart from Christ.

Saying We Know Jesus Does Not Prove That We Know Jesus

This may be one of the most sobering truths for someone who believes that having affectionate feelings toward Jesus or claiming a special relationship with Him proves that everything is right between that person and God. Jesus warned that people would claim a relationship with Him that He Himself would not recognize.

Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

These people were not standing before Jesus denying that He existed. They called Him “Lord.” They believed they had a relationship with Him and even pointed to religious activities performed in His name. Nevertheless, Jesus said, “I never knew you.” That should cause every person who professes Christianity to examine something more substantial than personal feelings, family tradition, church attendance, religious experiences, or the belief that “Jesus and I have our own understanding.”

There Is Only One Gospel and One Jesus

Christianity is not ours to redesign. Human beings are free to reject Christianity, but rejecting Christianity is very different from rewriting Christianity and continuing to call the result Christianity. If we remove teachings we dislike, redefine sins we want to practice, create our own requirements for salvation, and construct a Jesus who approves those decisions, we have created a religious system of our own. Jesus leaves no room for multiple paths to God based upon individually designed versions of Christianity.

John 14:6 (KJV)- “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

There is no hidden Plan C, D, E, or F. There is Jesus Christ. Therefore, when Scripture contradicts something we believe, we face a decision. We can allow God’s Word to correct our belief, or we can reject God’s Word and preserve our belief. What we cannot honestly do is rewrite God’s Word and then claim that God said something He did not say.

A special relationship with Jesus cannot mean that Jesus changes His definition of truth for us. Biblical Christianity instead calls us to come to Christ as He actually is. The ultimate question is therefore not whether Jesus agrees with the Christianity we have created for ourselves. The question is whether we are willing to surrender what we have created and receive Jesus Christ as He has revealed Himself.

Application

Appreciating God’s Greatness

One of the great mercies of God is that He has not left us guessing about who He is, what sin is, or how we can be reconciled to Him. God has revealed Himself through His Word and ultimately through His Son. We do not have to invent a religion, develop our own definition of righteousness, or wonder whether we have somehow become good enough for heaven.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV)- “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Our salvation begins with what God has done, not with what we have accomplished. Jesus Christ died for sinners, rose again, and offers salvation that none of us could earn. The Holy Spirit then works within the believer, convicting, teaching, correcting, and transforming us. God’s greatness is seen not in His willingness to change His holiness to accommodate our sin, but in His willingness to save us from our sin and begin changing us into what He created us to be.

For the Believer

For the believer, this study requires honest self-examination. We have already acknowledged Jesus as Lord, but there may still be areas where our desires collide with His Word. The question is what we do when that happens.

Galatians 5:16–17 (KJV)- “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

The presence of that struggle does not mean that a believer is unsaved. Scripture tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary to one another. The danger comes when we stop allowing God’s Word to correct us and begin changing our interpretation of God’s Word to protect what our flesh wants.

When Scripture exposes something in our lives as sinful, our response should not be to search for an exception that permits us to continue. We should allow the Holy Spirit to convict us, confess our sin, and turn from it. Christianity does not require us to pretend that we never fail. It requires us to recognize who is Lord when we do.

A Call to Action for the Believer

Ask yourself a difficult question: Is there anything in my life that I know contradicts Scripture but that I have been defending because I do not want to surrender it? Perhaps it concerns sexuality, relationships, money, anger, forgiveness, dishonesty, pride, bitterness, alcohol, treatment of other people, or something entirely different. The particular sin is not the central issue. The issue is whether we will allow God to call it what He says it is.

1 John 1:9 (KJV)- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confession requires honesty. We cannot genuinely confess something to God while simultaneously insisting that God is wrong for calling it sin. When the Holy Spirit exposes rebellion in our lives, we should stop defending it, bring it before God, ask His forgiveness, and surrender that area of our lives to Him.

Believers also have a responsibility toward people we love. Biblical love does not require us to affirm something God has called sin simply because telling the truth may be uncomfortable. Neither does biblical truth give us permission to be cruel. We should speak truth with genuine concern for the person’s soul, remembering that the goal is not to win an argument but to point someone toward Jesus Christ.

For the Unbeliever

Perhaps you believe in Jesus. Perhaps you pray. Perhaps you read parts of the Bible. Perhaps you were raised in church. You may even describe yourself as having a special relationship with Jesus and don’t need any of those things. The truth is none of those things, by themselves, answer the most important question: Have you actually received Jesus Christ as your Saviour and surrendered yourself to Him as Lord? Jesus warned that merely claiming to know Him is not enough.

Matthew 7:21 (KJV)- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

God loves you. But God’s love does not mean that everyone automatically goes to heaven. If that were true, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ would have been unnecessary. We needed a Saviour precisely because sin separated us from God and we could not rescue ourselves.

Romans 10:9–10 (KJV)- “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

You do not need a special arrangement with Jesus. You need Jesus. You do not need to become righteous enough for Him to accept you. You cannot. Come to Him as the sinner you are, repent, believe the Gospel, and receive the salvation He offers. Then allow Him to change you. The question is not whether Jesus will accept the religion we have constructed for ourselves. The question is whether we will finally stop constructing our own religion and come to Him.

Final Encouragement

The world often defines love as accepting someone’s choices without question, even when those choices contradict God’s Word. But Christians do not have the authority to redefine love according to what makes people comfortable. God has already shown us what love is, and genuine biblical love sometimes requires us to speak truths that others do not want to hear. A faithful preacher does not avoid difficult sermons simply because they expose sin. Likewise, a loving Christian should never confuse remaining silent with demonstrating love.

When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that our lives no longer belong to us. He is our Lord, and His Word becomes our authority. Our responsibility is to share His truth faithfully, with compassion and humility, trusting the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and repentance. We cannot control whether others accept or reject that truth, but we can remain faithful to the One who entrusted it to us.

Be encouraged! Speak the truth, demonstrate God’s love, and never be ashamed of His Word. You are serving Jesus Christ, and faithfulness to Him is what matters most.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Your Word and through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You that we do not have to invent our own understanding of salvation or wonder what You require of us. You have given us Your truth, and Your truth does not change according to our feelings, desires, or the opinions of this world.

Father, forgive us when we place our own understanding above Your Word. Search our hearts and reveal those areas where we have resisted Your authority. Through Your Holy Spirit, give us the humility to acknowledge our sins, the courage to repent, and the strength to walk in obedience to You.

Lord, we lift up those who believe they know You but have never truly surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. Open their hearts and minds to Your Word. Remove the spiritual blindness that prevents them from recognizing the truth. Help them understand that Your love is not permission to remain in rebellion but an invitation to receive the salvation made possible through Your Son.

Give us wisdom as we share Your Word, especially with those we love. Keep us from pride, anger, and the desire to win arguments. Let our words be truthful, our motives pure, and our hearts filled with genuine concern for the salvation of others. When our message is rejected, remind us that our responsibility is faithfulness and that only Your Holy Spirit can bring conviction and repentance.

May everything we teach, everything we say, and everything we do bring honor and glory to You.

In the precious name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we pray.

Amen.

Closing

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Shalom Shalom.