Why Do you call me Lord...

"But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.
Luke 6:46-48

I have kind of a strange question:

What if someone does what Jesus says but does not call him Lord? Or, better, exclusively Lord?

Good question brother.

God told Paul that he had many people in Corinth (Acts 18:10) before the Word was preached there or they even knew the name of Christ, knowing only the names of the Roman deities.

Interesting, isnt it?

This question popped in my mind because my wife and I watched "Gandhi” again the other night (excellent and highly recommended).

He was officially Hindu I suppose but he knew Christianity and the teachings of Jesus far better than most Christians and more importantly lived like Jesus told us to live.

Of course we can’t know his true heart and motivations but he certainly believed Jesus was real and honored his teachings.

"Gandhi was dangerously politically incompetent. He ­advised the Jews to adopt nonviolence toward the Nazis, and wrote a letter to ­Hitler starting with the words "My friend”. He also advised the Jews of Palestine to "rely on the goodwill of the Arabs”. Fortunately for their existence, the Jews ignored him.
As well as calling Hitler his friend, Gandhi and Mussolini got on well when they met in December 1931. Gandhi praised Mussolini’s "service to the poor, his opposition to super-urbanization, his efforts to bring about a coordination between Capital and ­Labour, his passionate love for his people.”
Gandhi was outstandingly racist, describing "the raw Kaffir” as someone "whose occupation is hunting and whose sole ambition is to collect a number of cattle to buy a wife, and then pass his life in indolence and ­nakedness,” and saying of white Afrikaaners, "We believe as much in the purity of races as we think they do.”
His views on nakedness and sexual chastity were also belied by his depraved behavior: when he was in his 70s he encouraged his ­17-year-old great-niece, Manu, to be naked during her "nightly cuddles” with him.

From https://thinkingmatters.org.nz/2011/03/gandhi-saint-or-sinner/

Gandhi was just an example.

My question is broader than the example.

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." 1 John 5:19

"And this is eternal life, that they may know thee the only true God, AND Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14

Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

Notice that Jesus said "whoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them". He is talking about someone who has heard the gospel.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John -Acts 18:24-25

And again God told Paul that he had many people in Corinth even though the gospel had not yet been preached there. Those who seek after truth with their whole heart will find Christ, for He is truth.

Nigel I am not disputing about the gospel- but Jesus preached Althea gospel of the Kingdom, which boiled down to basics is "I am the King, now follow me.”

If someone does what Jesus says because they believe what He says, how much doctrine does he need?

I think many Christians today know tons of doctrine but don’t do what Jesus says.

A head full of doctrine without obedience is worse than never knowing one verse of the Bible. For sure there are many people called christian who do not obey Jesus, hence they do not know Him.

My problem is that I see no scriptural evidence for anyone being born again without first hearing the gospel.

God could have been referring to people He was going to save in Corinth in the future.

Todd wrote:

"This question popped in my mind because my wife and I watched "Gandhi” again the other night (excellent and highly recommended).

"He was officially Hindu I suppose but he knew Christianity and the teachings of Jesus far better than most Christians and more importantly lived like Jesus told us to live.

Of course we can’t know his true heart and motivations but he certainly believed Jesus was real and honored his teachings.”

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These are some very important and basic sayings of the Lord Jesus:

The Lord Jesus says,

John 3:5-7 ”“
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

2 Cor. 5:17 ”“
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Gal. 6:15 (NIV) ”“
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

Was Gandhi born again? Was he a new creation in Christ?

The Lord Jesus says,

John 15:4-6 ”“
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”

John 14:20 ”“
"………I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.”

Was Gandhi in Christ and Christ in Him?

Christ HIMSELF is the Rock.

1 Cor. 10:4 ”“
and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

Ps. 18:2 ”“
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Ps. 18:31 ”“
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,

1 Cor. 3:11 ”“
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Was Jesus Christ the one and only foundation in all Gandhi’s life and work?

Like I said Gandhi was just an example- perhaps a poor example.

Maybe he is a GOOD example of someone who "knew Christianity and the teachings of Jesus far better than most Christians and more importantly lived like Jesus told us to live" but the verdict is: "I never knew you"?

In my opinion: there are plenty like Gandhi out there, they can articulate various Christian doctrines and shed some understanding about them, but Gandhi like the rest never knew the grace of God in truth col 1. and bring forth fruit unto God. So, he gets to be thought of as 'knowing the teachings of Jesus better-than some inarticulate Christian...but that Christian who maybe cannot read, cannot expound Christian doctrine is infinitely more knowledgeable than Gandhi or any other pagan who rattle off Christian doctrine but are devoid of the Spirit. If he knew anything of Jesus Christ he would have abandoned Hinduism, repudiated his own wisdom and clung to the word of God.

To so many its a sour thing to hold important pagans in low esteem, the world has approved them but God's word explicitly teaches "If you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins".
It's bad manners, bad decorum, bad Christianity if you believe Gandhi was a pagan moralizer who did nothing to advance the kingdom of God. The difference between Hitler and Gandhi? Simply the way the enemy uses men, some are sweet to the taste some are bitter to all, both of them are equally poisonous and contrary to the truth.

1 John 5:12, "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

A true Christian Has Christ's life within them. I do not see any possibility of a person who does not have Christ living in them pleasing God at all.

In the verse in the OP, Jesus seems pleased with those who do what he says.

There is no such thing as salvation outside of Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught us to keep the commandments of God.

So, atheists, skeptics, blasphemers, drunkards, adulterers, homosexuals who would never claim Christ as their Lord may in fact

feed the poor, care for the sick, be kind to an enemy, cloth the naked, be kind to strangers, love and provide for their families, be married, have children etc etc etc.

Yet, even though they may have done these good deeds are considered by God enemies of God and God's people.

TMK wrote Jesus seems pleased with those who do what he says.

REALLY?

Heb 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

No kidding Vern- if someone doesn’t believe in Jesus why would they do what he says?

Check out James 2.