“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23 (ESV)
Many believers tell a story that goes something like this: “I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was a child… but years later, I made Him my Lord—and that’s when everything changed.” These testimonies are often filled with vivid detail—of tears shed, addictions broken, prayers answered, or a new boldness to live for Christ. Something shifted. Something awakened. And yet, this experience raises a theological question: Can someone be saved by accepting Jesus as Savior while still resisting Him as Lord?
Let’s walk through the biblical and spiritual implications of this so-called “second surrender”—and why it’s not a contradiction, but often a confirmation that true transformation has taken root.
It’s not uncommon for people to initially respond to Jesus from a place of emotion, intellectual belief, or social pressure. Perhaps they prayed a “sinner’s prayer,” responded to an altar call, or grew up attending church. But if we examine this moment closely, we may find that there was no real repentance, no death to self, and no fruit of regeneration.
Jesus said plainly, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). He was warning us that mere profession of faith is not salvation. It’s possible to acknowledge Jesus with our lips while keeping the throne of our hearts for ourselves.
In these cases, the “first surrender” may have been little more than a profession—what the Bible refers to as having a “form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5). Years later, after conviction, brokenness, or awakening, that person encounters the true Jesus—not merely a savior from hell, but a King who demands full allegiance. And that’s when the new birth happens.
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
In other cases, a person may have genuinely received Christ at an earlier stage—believing with sincerity, experiencing forgiveness, and beginning a walk with God. However, they may still live with divided loyalties. Christ is in their life, but not yet at the center of it. They’re saved—but self-directed.
Then a crisis comes. It may be external—suffering, loss, disappointment—or internal: a hunger for more of God, a desire for holiness, a revelation of spiritual powerlessness. And in that moment, they yield fully. They surrender in a way they never had before. Not just to be saved, but to be spent.
This is the Romans 12:1 moment: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” It’s not a salvation experience, but a consecration experience. It’s the moment when you not only trust Jesus for your eternity, but entrust Him with your everything.
In this surrender, there is a holy exchange: your will for His, your plans for His purpose, your strength for His Spirit.
Especially in Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions, this second surrender often coincides with an infilling of the Holy Spirit—what some call the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). For many believers, this is not about being saved, but being empowered. It’s the moment when the dry bones of discipline are set ablaze with divine desire.
When a believer is filled with the Spirit, they often describe:
- Boldness in witness (Acts 4:31)
- Increased sensitivity to sin
- Deeper intimacy with God
- A renewed hunger for Scripture
- Power for service and deliverance
Paul exhorts believers not only to be saved, but to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This is an ongoing command. Surrendering to the Lordship of Christ includes letting His Spirit fully inhabit us—not just our Sunday mornings, but our thoughts, conversations, finances, and time.
The idea that Jesus can be your Savior but not your Lord is a false dichotomy. The New Testament consistently links salvation with submission. The very word “Lord” (Greek kurios) implies authority, ownership, and rulership.
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“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9
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“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” — Luke 6:46
Confession is meaningless without obedience. Calling Him “Lord” must result in following Him as Master.
That doesn’t mean perfection—but it does mean direction. The mark of a true believer is a trajectory of increasing surrender, not comfortable rebellion.
When someone surrenders fully to Christ’s Lordship, several things begin to manifest:
- Obedience becomes joy (John 14:15)
- Old habits lose their power (Romans 6:14)
- Service replaces selfishness (Galatians 5:13)
- Identity becomes rooted in Christ (Galatians 2:20)
- The cross becomes central (Luke 9:23)
These are not the fruit of religious effort, but of relational union. The second surrender doesn’t merely intensify Christianity—it authenticates it. It reveals that Jesus is not merely a ticket to heaven, but the Treasure of the heart.
When someone says, “I made Jesus Lord,” what they often mean is, “I finally stopped resisting Him.” It’s not that Jesus became something He wasn’t—but that they became who they were always meant to be: a disciple.
The gospel invitation is not just “believe” but follow. Not just “come to Me” but “deny yourself and take up your cross.” (Luke 9:23)
So, what about you?
Has your walk with Christ been marked only by a profession, or by a transformation? Have you invited Jesus to save you from sin’s penalty, but resisted Him as King over your desires, plans, and priorities?
The second surrender changes everything—not because Jesus changes, but because we finally let Him change us.
“For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” — Romans 14:9
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