1. Must people believe Jesus to be the LORD God to be save?
Notice above in Romans 10:9-13 that the salvation spoken of is contingent for one thing upon acknowledging Jesus as the LORD God. For in speaking of Lord Paul makes reference to the book of Joel which associates LORD with "the LORD your God". Muslims who accept a "Jesus" as a prophet but not as the LORD God, and "Christians" who accept Jesus as a Lord but not as the LORD God don't meet the qualification for salvation that Paul speaks of. So also Jesus said, "If you do not believe that I am he (or "I AM") you will indeed die in your sins." Was Jesus simply speaking of him being the Messiah or the Son of God or the LORD God, or was it not already understood these were all the same? In speaking of "I am he" the greek is ego eimi, which is simply "I AM". This is the term God called himself in Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" And Jesus said, "I tell you the truth before Abraham was born, I AM!" John 8:58 And for this reason the Jews tried to kill him. Why did they try to stone him to death? "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."John 10:33 And so also he says, "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again."Rev 2:8 But he also says in Isaiah, "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God."Isaiah 44:6
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ... He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ... the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1
2. Is an attitude of obedience to Christ as LORD necessary for one's faith to be qualified as saving faith?
When Jesus said, "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46 What was he saying about the term "lord"? He was saying that it implies that by calling him lord people were expressing their intention of submitting to him. So also notice this correlation between calling someone "lord" and an attitude of submission. "in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord." 1Peter 3:5,6 Calling Jesus Lord is expression one's intention to obey what he says.
Is obedience optional? Can a person verbally or mentally acknowledge Christ as the LORD God, but not go on to obey and yet reckon themselves saved? No! Not according to the Bible. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ... faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that— and shudder. James 2:14-19 It's application oriented faith which qualifies as saving faith. The Jews would say "The LORD our God, the LORD is one". James points out that simply acknowledging that is pointless unless you treat God as LORD in your life by doing what He said. So also it's one thing to say Jesus is LORD, but quite another to treat him as LORD.
Now also there are those who misinterpret the sense in which Paul writes when he speaks of calling on the name of the LORD or acknowledging Jesus as LORD as mere ritual. He is not speaking of an outward ritual. He is speaking of an outward response to an inner faith; a response which should include not only words but actions as well. Thus for example the LORD instituted water baptism as one outward sign of obedience to one's realized faith. So also the whole Christian life is to be lived in submission to Christ as the LORD. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2Cor 5:15
3. Should Jesus be worshipped as God?
Jesus is to be Worshipped
When God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."Heb 1:6
Jesus acknowledged that only "the LORD your God" should be worshipped, and yet he allowed people to worship him. Therefore logically what was he saying about himself? That he was the LORD God and thus was to be worshipped. To unbelievers it is idolatry. But to us it is appropriate as he is our Creator, our Savior, and our LORD God.
