We have some young men in our congregation whom I’ve started texting a Bible thought each morning, usually from my own time in the Word. The other morning I was reading the 29th Psalm. Verse 10 says:
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
Of this passage, W.S. Plumer writes:
“God’s government is fixed. It cannot be subverted. Empires rise and decline, fall or vanish away, but His kingdom changes not. Others are sometimes strong and sometimes weak; but His possess all vigor and might, world without end. It endures forever. It includes all duration and all worlds. Even the waste of waters on which are seen no footprints of man or angel proclaims there is a God, who sitteth King forever. It is by God and by God alone that we live. All our strength is from Him.”
Our Triune God is King of all. We have places on earth that aren’t claimed by any one nation. I think of overlapping territorial claims in Antarctica for example or international waters in the oceans. But, as Abraham Kuyper put it “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
As the chorus of Shai Linne’s Lord of All states:
Whether visible or invisible, He’s (Lord of all)
Whether spiritual or physical, He’s (Lord of all)
Plants, animals, and insects, He’s (Lord of all)
Angels, demons (Lord of all)
Human beings (Lord of all)
Every one of Earth’s residents, He’s (Lord of all)
Prime ministers or presidents, He’s (Lord of all)
All languages and people groups, He’s (Lord of all)
Every nation (Lord of all)
The whole creation (Lord of all)
Jesus is Lord of all. The LORD sits enthroned as king forever. There is nothing in us that can make Christ more king than He already is. He is the highly exalted One (Philippians 2:9). Too often I hear an evangelistic appeal that states something like “You need to make Jesus the Lord of your life.” First of all, I don’t want to nitpick. I get what’s being communicated. And I appreciate the acknowledgment of understanding that a person who doesn’t see Jesus as Lord is not a Christian. But, here’s my point: At the very best, that phraseology is worded poorly, and, at worst, it gives man faux sovereignty whereby he can decide the boundaries of God’s kingship.
You see, you can’t make Jesus the Lord of your life because He already is. He is Lord of all. So, here’s what I text those men in our church:
I have a few application points for you too. First, and most importantly, if you’ve stumbled upon this post and are not a Christian, you must heed this: Christ is King. You will not unseat Him. Your unbelief won’t take away from His kingship or glory in the least.
But since He is King, you will answer to Him.
You’ve broken His Holy Law. You’ve walked His earth, breathed His air, eaten His food, enjoyed His creation — and, all while you are living in rebellion to His good rule. Therefore, the call to you today is not to “make Jesus Lord of your life.” You can’t; He already is.
The call is to repent of your lawbreaking and rebellion; to repent of your sin and turn to Christ. See, our King humbled Himself by becoming Man, and being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-11). He rose again the 3rd day so that by faith in Him we can be justified (Romans 4:25). You don’t need to make Jesus Lord of your life. Instead, you need to surrender to Him as the King He is, in repentance and faith. Please don’t think you can come to Him on your terms. It must be His. The gate of salvation is not a negotiation table, but a Person. You must go through Christ to be saved. Bow in faith and repentance today!
Secondly, if you are a Christian and are regularly engaging in evangelistic endeavors, I plead with you to think clearly about the phraseology you use. Make sure it is Biblical. You might be surprised that the Scriptures offer a variety of clear ways to call people to Christ: “Repent and Believe” (Mark 1:15), “Believe on the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31), “Come [to Christ]” (Revelation 22:17), “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6) — and the list goes on. The point is, you don’t have to make new phrases up! God’s given us some very good ones in His Word to use to appeal to people. Don’t tell people they need to make Jesus Lord of their life. Tell them they must see that Jesus is Lord and to surrender their life to Him by taking up their cross and following Him (Matthew 16:24-25).
Finally, I appeal to all believers to consider how good it is that Christ is King! All of His ways, purposes, decrees, and commands are good. Cultivate glad submission in your heart to Christ’s Lordship by regular time in the Word, prayer, and fellowship with the saints in your local church.
Christ is King! And all God’s people said, “Amen, and Amen!”