Can an unbeliever truly call Jesus his Lord?
No. Scripture states that no one can say Jesus is Lord and truly mean it except by the Holy Spirit. An unbeliever cannot genuinely claim Christ as Lord; it is impossible. Christ cannot be Lord and Master of an unbelieving person.
Les teaches from 1 Corinthians 12 that no man can say Jesus is Lord and really mean it except by the Holy Spirit. He explains that no unbeliever can ever, ever claim that Christ is his Lord—it is impossible. Christ can never be the Lord and Master of an unbelieving person. Just as Jewish unbelievers called Jesus a curse in unbelief, not in the power of the Holy Spirit, so an unbeliever cannot genuinely call Him Lord. Les then points to Romans 10.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
More Questions
Can an unbeliever say that Jesus is Lord, and does it count for anything?
An unbeliever may verbally say that Jesus is Lord, but it does not amount to anything because there is no truth in it; only the believer can genuinely claim Christ as Lord.