Last time I ended by pointing out that instead of submitting to Jesus as King, allowing Him to reign and rule over our life, we reject Jesus as King while trying to keep Him as Savior. We do that because we want to have our cake and eat it too. We want to be saved from eternal punishment, but still get to call the shots. While that might sound like a good idea, it’s not.
Why is it Not a Good Idea that We Reject Jesus as King?
When we are left to call the shots — to determine right and wrong, to set the direction for our lives and the society around us, we mess things up royally.
Think about Adam and Eve. God placed them in a perfect garden to live and work under His perfect reign and rule. He gave them dominion over all the animals and land. He provided the Tree of Life in order to sustain them. He even cultivated a relationship with them — walking with them in the cool of the day. Even though they had all of that, they still found a way to mess things up.
Wanting to be wise and determine right and wrong for themselves, they rebelled against God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We all know how that turned out. The whole world was plunged into sin.
But Adam and Eve aren’t the only ones who make bad decisions when left to their own devices. I, personally, have made a number of bad decisions. In the past, my finances were one of those areas. I have since learned my lesson, and I’m financially capable now, but in the past, especially in college, if I wanted to go out with my friends, take a trip, or buy something, I just did it or bought it. If I didn’t have the money, I just put it on the credit card. Since I wasn’t paying my credit card off every month, I ended up running my credit card bill up pretty high. Thankfully, God was merciful and gracious, and He allowed me to learn my lesson before it was too late.
Now imagine how different things would have been if I had allowed Jesus to reign and rule over my finances from the beginning. For one I wouldn’t have had to worry about paying off a huge debt. I probably would have had some savings in the bank for a rainy day. And I would’ve been able to use the money I was paying in interest to help further Jesus’ kingdom instead of the credit card companies. Life would’ve been much better, if I would have just let Jesus reign and rule over my finances. But I didn’t. I didn’t because I wanted to be the king. I wanted to call the shots. Just like that didn’t turn out too well for Adam and Eve, it didn’t turn out too well for me, nor will it turn out too well for you.
Finances, however, isn’t the only area we need to allow Jesus to call the shots in. We’ve got to allow Him to call the shots in every area of our lives. If we don’t, we are just setting ourselves up for failure and heartache.
You see, when left to our own devices, we will make bad decisions, which is why we shouldn’t reject Jesus as King.
We Shouldn’t Reject Jesus as King
When we allow Jesus to be king over our lives:
(1) We will experience Jesus’ wise leadership
You see, when we actually live according to what the Bible says, we flourish. Our life is full. Peace, comfort, joy, safety, and security is abundant. Not in a health/wealth kinda way, but in a way that is real and tangible to the Christian. In a way that transcends the circumstances and situations, in which we find ourselves. You see, all those who submit to Jesus as their King can experience this type of life — a full life.
(2) We avoid His Judgment
While Jesus was born as a helpless babe in a manger, He’s now a resurrected King who sits on His throne in heaven. One day, He will return to set up His kingdom on earth. When He does, He will judge all those who haven’t yet submitted to His reign and rule.
So instead of rejecting Jesus as King, we should humbly submit ourselves to Him. Not only to avoid His judgment but also so we can experience His wise leadership and the full and joyful life that comes from following Him.
Conclusion
So to return to our original question: Who is Jesus and how should we respond to Him? Jesus is not only:
- A Prophet who proclaims the good news of salvation.
- A Priest who reconciles our relationship with the Father through His death on the cross,
- He’s also a wise King whose leadership is worth submitting to and following.
My hope that through these articles you have come to see Jesus in all those ways. That you see Him as Prophet, Priest, and King. Seeing Him in those ways, that you listen to His message, hope in His salvation, and submit to His leadership. If you do that, you will receive the greatest gift you could ever receive — the gift of salvation.
Question for Reflection
- Do you recognize these truths about Jesus?
Resources
Post adapted from my sermon Jesus as King
Christianity Matters 