Many people who profess to be Christians show little evidence that they are.  The manner in which they conduct their life is not much different from the manner in which most non-Christians conduct their life.  They don’t seem to have much, if any, desire to live according to the teachings of Christ.  Perhaps, they made their decision to trust Christ to be their Savior so they could avoid going to hell, but they have little or no interest in allowing Him to be their Lord. 

According to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, the term “Lord” can be translated as “Master.”  Ideally, when a Christian uses the term “the Lord Jesus Christ,” he or she should not only be referring to His authoritative name or title, but also to their commitment to Him as their Master. 

Philippians 4:1 admonishes Christians to “stand fast in the Lord,” which suggests that they should remain faithful to Christ in the way they conduct themselves.

[Note:  When we quote Scripture in this article, we use the wording in the New King James Version of the Bible, unless indicated otherwise.]

Romans 10:9 states, “[I]f you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Many, if not most, of the more recent translations of this verse of scripture say “Jesus is Lord,” rather than “the Lord Jesus,” indicating that a person must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is their Lord.

However, in Matthew 7:21, Jesus declared, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  This passage indicates that just saying Jesus Christ is their Lord is not sufficient for a person to have eternal salvation.  Doing God’s will subsequent to their profession of faith in Christ will make it evident as to whether or not a person truly has allowed Christ to be their Lord. 

Although Romans 10:9 is apparently the only verse in the Bible specifically indicating that confessing Christ as Lord is necessary for salvation, there are a number of scripture passages that indicate anyone who professes to trust in Christ as their Savior is expected to take up their cross and follow Him (i.e., be genuinely committed to Him), which essentially means they are expected to allow Him to be their Lord. 

In Matthew 10:38, Christ declared, “[H]e who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”  With regard to this verse, a footnote in the NIV translation of the Bible says, “The cross was an instrument of death and here symbolizes the necessity of total commitment – even unto death – on the part of Jesus’ disciples.” 

And, in Luke 14:27, Christ asserted, “[W[hoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”  Strong’s Concordance notes that “a disciple was not only a pupil, but an adherent.”  According to Webster’s Dictionary, an adherent refers to a supporter or follower. 

Other biblical passages, including Mark 8:34 and Luke 9:23, indicate that Christ addressed similar remarks to not just His closest disciples (i.e., the Twelve Apostles), but to anyone who wanted to be a true follower of what He was teaching.  Therefore, every person who genuinely professes to trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life should be willing to obey His teachings, which implies acknowledging His lordship.

Most relatively new Christians, particularly children, probably don’t understand the importance of allowing Christ to be the Lord of their life, but people who have been a Christian for a number of years should have such an understanding.  If not immediately, then with the passage of time, every person who claims to be a Christian should show willingness to allow Christ to be their Lord.  If they don’t show at least some willingness in this regard, it is doubtful they had a genuine salvation experience (i.e., one that changed their heart, resulting in an earnest desire on their part to live according to God’s will for their life). 

Unfortunately, many churches apparently don’t provide sufficient instruction regarding the importance of a Christian allowing Christ to be the Lord of their life.  As a result, there are undoubtedly numerous people who believe they are a Christian, but they have never allowed Christ to be their Lord and, as a consequence, probably will not be permitted to enter the kingdom of heaven, as was indicated in the quotation of Matthew 7:21.

Certainly, there are times when even otherwise devout Christians don’t allow Christ to be their Lord.  Although these Christians usually allow Jesus Christ to be their Lord, the fact that they still sin to some extent raises the question of whether or not people are accountable to God for sins they commit after they have become a Christian.  Several scripture passages indicate that they are accountable.  We will consider two that seem to be the most straightforward.

1 John 1:9, which most biblical scholars believe was addressed to Christians, states, “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  It can be inferred from this passage that God does not forgive a Christian’s sin if the person has not confessed his (or her) sin.

Acts 8:22, which was addressed to an individual Christian who had committed a particular sin, says, “Repent . . . of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.”  This passage suggests that genuine repentance, which necessitates sincere remorse for having sinned, may also be necessary for a person to receive God’s forgiveness for sins they commit after they have become a Christian.

It is uncertain how God will punish Christians who have unconfessed sins at the time of their physical death.  However, since all genuine Christians are assured of eternal salvation (see 1 John 5:11-13), any unforgiven sins they have when their mortal life ends will not be a reason for God to rescind their salvation.  [For a discussion of how to be assured of eternal salvation, please see our article entitled “What Must a Person Do to Be Assured of Salvation?”]

In any case, it behooves every Christian to regularly confess their sins and sincerely repent.  Consistent confession and repentance should reduce, if not eliminate, a Christian’s concerns as to what the consequences might be if they were to have unconfessed sins when they stand in judgment before God.  Furthermore, each time a Christian confesses their sins and repents, their ability to have fellowship with God will immediately be restored, enabling them to restore the joy of their salvation.