This is a Presidential election year.  America is a representative republic, or representative democracy.  There is a system in place for selecting the President, Congressional Representatives, and Senators.

What if Jesus was on the ballot?  Would you select Him as King of your life?  Is He truly King of your life? 

Choice

There is a sense in which we choose.  (1) If I recognize Jesus as King of my life, then I recognize His authority over me.  Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).  Moreover, He taught, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ for indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).  The Kingdom of God is also the Kingdom of Christ (Ephesians 5:5).  H. Leo Boles comments (on Luke 17:20-21), “This Kingdom is not of such a nature that they could, with the fleshly senses, locate it here or there.  This Kingdom is within you.’” (Boles, A Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, p. 334).  Burt Groves comments, “No marching army would conquer Rome, and no earthly monarch would sit on a throne… In the Kingdom of God’s dear Son men voluntarily submit to His rule” (Groves, The Gospel According to Luke Commentary, p. 182).  Is Jesus King of your personal life?  “King of my life, I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be; Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.  Lest I forget Gethsemane; Lest I forget Thine agony; Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary” (Song: Lead Me to Calvary by Jennie Evelyn Hussey). 

(2) If we recognize Him as King over the church, then we do things by His authority (Colossians 3:17).  “Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).  Wendell Winkler has written, “The church is not a ‘democracy,’ where the rule of the majority reigns… The Lord’s church is not an ‘oligarchy,’ the rule of the minority… the Lord’s church is not a ‘plutocracy,’ a rule of the rich… The Lord’s church is not an ‘aristocracy,’ a rule of the privileged class… The Lord’s church is not a ‘monarchy,’ a rule of one (unless that one is Christ B.H.)… The Lord’s church is a theocracy, the rule of God” (Winkler, The Church Everybody is Asking About, p. 18). 

No Choice

There is a sense in which we do not choose.  Jesus is in reality King, whether we currently recognize such or not.  He has all authority (Matthew 28:18).  He has authority over all flesh (John 17:2).  One day, all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10).  He is ultimately the only Potentate (1 Timothy 6:15).

Jesus reign is not, and will not be, from earth.  Jesus is a fleshly descendant of Jeconiah (Matthew 1:11).  No descendant of (Je)coniah would prosper, after him, ruling in Judah (Jeremiah 22:28-30). 

One like the Son of Man was to receive His kingdom following His coming with clouds to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14).  Jesus  was made like us (Hebrews 2:17; Philippians 2:7). He is referred to as “the Son of Man” (Matthew 16:13; Acts 7:56, etc.).  Jesus returned to heaven in clouds (Acts 1:9).  He returned to the Father (cf. John 16:28).  Jesus now reigns (1 Corinthians 15:24-25).  The Kingdom now exists (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9).

The Kingdom is His reign in the hearts and minds of men.  It was to be present with power in the lifetime of some first century people (Mark 9:1).  Power would come through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).  The Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:1-ff).  The Kingdom now exists (Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9).  The Kingdom is entered by baptism (John 3:5).  The church is entered by baptism (1 Corinthians 12:13 cf. Ephesians 1:22-23).  The Kingdom is the church.

Jesus is overall.  He is head over the church (Ephesians 1:22-23).  He is also over the entire world (Matthew 13:36-43). 

The Kingdom, at times, also, refers to that heavenly reign (Acts 14:23; Ephesians 5:5; 2 Timothy 4:18).  I want to be a part of that heavenly Kingdom.  In order for me to be a part of that heavenly Kingdom, I must let Jesus reign now in my life (Hebrews 5:9). 

“All hail the pow’r of Jesus name!  Let angels prostrate fall!  Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all/ Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe, on this terrestrial ball, To Him all majesty ascribe, and crown Him Lord of all” (Song: All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name by Edward Perronet, et al.)