A New King: Acknowledging Christ’s Lordship in Salvation

Introduction

“The moment you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘All Things become new.’” Throughout Scripture, we find 30 distinct transformations that occur at the moment of salvation. This document explores the eighth of these transformations: receiving a new King.

Christ the Universal King

When we accept Christ as Savior, we acknowledge Him as our personal King. While He is already King of all creation, salvation marks the moment when His kingship becomes personal and direct in our lives.

Philippians 2:9-11

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This passage reveals the universal scope of Christ’s lordship. God has exalted Jesus to the highest position of authority as a result of His sacrificial death and resurrection. Eventually, every created being will acknowledge His lordship, willingly or unwillingly.

Lordship and Salvation

Romans 10:9-10

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

This foundational salvation passage makes it clear that acknowledging Jesus as Lord is not optional or secondary to salvation—it is essential. The confession that “Jesus is Lord” is paired with belief in His resurrection as the two components necessary for salvation.

The Misconception of Sequential Lordship

There is a common misconception that a person can accept Jesus as Savior first, and then at some later point make Him Lord. This view suggests a two-tiered Christian experience:

1. Initial salvation through accepting Christ as Savior
2. A subsequent “lordship decision” where Christ becomes the authority in one’s life

However, Scripture does not support this sequential view. The very nature of salvation includes acknowledging Christ’s lordship. When the early Christians proclaimed the gospel, they proclaimed “Jesus is Lord” (Kyrios Iesous)—a direct challenge to the prevailing Roman claim that “Caesar is Lord.” To confess Jesus as Lord was to transfer allegiance from all other authorities to Christ.

Repentance and Lordship

The acknowledgment of Christ’s lordship connects directly to biblical repentance. True repentance is:

• Not merely feeling bad, guilty, or sorrowful
• A change of mind that leads to a change of heart
• Turning away from one thing and toward another

When Jesus began His ministry, He proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). This call to repentance was essentially a call to recognize and submit to a new authority—the kingdom of God with Jesus as King.

The Implications of Christ’s Lordship

When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, we recognize that:

1. He has absolute rule over our lives
2. What He says matters and takes precedence
3. What He commands, we must obey
4. Our proper response to His direction is “Yes, Lord.”
5. We no longer own ourselves—”You are not your own; you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

While we may struggle with emotions or thoughts that resist His lordship, our fundamental posture toward Christ must be one of submission to His authority. The phrase “Jesus is Lord” is not merely a theological statement but a practical acknowledgment that impacts every aspect of our lives.

Entering into Christ’s Lordship

If you have never acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior, you can do so through faith and repentance. This involves:

1. Recognizing your sin and need for a Savior
2. Turning from your ways to God’s ways
3. Believing that Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead
4. Confessing that Jesus is Lord of your life

No one can come to this decision without the Father drawing them, as Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). If you sense God calling you to salvation, you can respond through prayer.

Prayer of Commitment

Dear Father, I come to You and admit I’ve sinned against You. I acknowledge that I need a Savior, that I know I can’t do it on my own. So I choose today to turn to You. I turn away from my sin, come to You, and ask for Your salvation. I ask you to save me from the wrath to come. I ask You to cleanse me with Your blood. I acknowledge that You’re Lord. I confess it with my mouth, and I believe in my heart that You are raised from the dead. So I come to You right now—forgive me, cleanse me, and make me Your own. Amen.

Conclusion

Receiving a new King is not just one of many transformations that occur at salvation—it is foundational to the very nature of salvation itself. When we truly understand what it means to be saved, we know that we have transferred our allegiance to a new King who loves us, died for us, and now reigns over us for His glory and our good.