The Gospel-Shaped Life: Humble and Bowed Down Before Jesus our Lord, Part 2

THE GOSPEL-SHAPED LIFE:

HUMBLE AND BOWED DOWN BEFORE JESUS OUR LORD

An Exposition of Philippians 2:9-11 (Part 2)

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   June 10, 2018

Series: Philippians: Gospel Partnership on Mission in the World

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION

In the past four sermons from the Philippians Series, we have taken time to hear God’s wonderful life-giving words in Philippians 2:3-11. Verses 6-8 set forth our Lord’s example of humble obedient sacrificial servanthood. In anticipation of verses 6-8, verses 3-5 summon us to follow our Lord’s example of humble service. Like our Lord, we are not to be given to selfish ambition and narrow self-interest, but instead we are to hold our Christian brothers and sisters in high regard and be lovingly attentive to their welfare.  

This path of humbly serving others for Jesus’ sake is the path that leads to glory. As Jesus said in Matthew 23, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) If you embrace the path of self-exaltation and self-promotion, then one day the arrogant little world that you have built for yourself is going to come crashing down in humiliation on the day of judgment when the living God cuts down the pride of men. On the other hand, if you humble yourself before the Lord and serve others in His name, then when the Lord sits on His judgment throne He will crown you with heavenly honors. The crown will go on your head, but it will not go to your head. As a humble disciple, you will be overcome with tearful emotion when the Lord of glory says to you, “Well done.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)

This path of humble service that leads to glory is the path that Jesus Himself has established for His followers. Jesus walked this servant pathway, and now He bids us to follow Him. And yet, even though we are called to model our lives after the example of our Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ remains altogether unique in His glory and exaltation. Unlike us, He is the eternal Son of God who inhabits eternity and has always and eternally shared glory with the Father. Therefore His humble obedient sacrificial servanthood is rooted in a profound act of humility and condescension.

We need to reclaim this word condescension for the sake of appreciating the self-giving love and sacrifice of our Lord. When 21^st century people hear the word condescension, they think of the first definition given in the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “patronizing attitude or behavior.” As a general rule, we don’t like to be on the receiving end of patronizing or condescending attitudes. But this is not the definition I have in mind when I use the word condescension to describe our Lord’s incarnation. Helpfully, the Merriam-Webster dictionary includes a second definition for our term: “voluntary descent from one’s rank and dignity in relations with an inferior.” In this sense, the term condescension is spot on – an apt term to describe our Lord’s ministry among us and to us. How would the immortal God relate to mortal men? How would the Creator relate to His creatures? How would the Crown Prince of heaven relate to the fallen sons of earth? How would the Holy One relate to this ragtag group of sinners into which all of us are born as card-carrying members? The answer is: humble and loving condescension! “[The Word became flesh” (John 1:14)! The High King became a humble creature! The Lord of glory became a Man – “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).

Being the finite and fallen, weak and wicked creatures that we are, there is nothing we could have done to ascend upward to heaven: we couldn’t have climbed up enough steps, we couldn’t have built a high enough tower, we couldn’t have soared to the heavens on the wings of our imagination or ingenuity. Far from it: we were stuck in the mud, spinning our wheels, clothed in the filthy rags that adorn our rotten hearts. Storm clouds gathered on the horizon, the ground beneath our feet was ready to give way, and our hearts were wearied with the sins that promise so much but never pay. Into this pathetic mess the Lord above condescended in love: from exalted God to humble God-Man, from heaven to earth, from Lord to servant, from glory to weakness, from honor to shame, from the object of worship to the object of scorn, from Prince of life “to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) Grace! All grace!

The glory of our Lord’s gracious condescension was followed by the glory of our Lord’s majestic exaltation. The crucified Lamb was crowned as King. God the Father crowned His Son’s perfect, humble, obedient, and sacrificial servanthood with the greatest honor:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

The Father’s purpose in resurrecting His Son from the dead and exalting Him at His own right hand is to bring all human beings to the awestruck recognition that His Son is the real deal, indeed that His Son is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. The words “so that” at the beginning of verse 10 denote purpose and aim, and they give us a window into what has always been the Father’s central mission, namely, to glorify His Son by bringing the whole universe under His Son’s authority. If we would prove faithful to the Father’s mission, then we will gladly “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”; and we will aim to bring other people into this glad confession of faith; and we will seek to live – and encourage our fellow believers to live – in a manner that is “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). On the other hand, if anyone proves unfaithful to the Father’s mission and refuses to embrace Jesus as Lord, then on the day of judgment that person will be consigned to everlasting punishment. Dear friends, Jesus Christ is Lord, and the stakes are high. We will either glorify the Father by glorifying His Son, or else we will put ourselves on the wrong side of history by rejecting the One who is Lord over history.

My desire is to worship the Lord Jesus Christ and, as a continuation of worship, to follow Him on the path of humble service for His sake and for the gospel’s sake and for the church’s sake, knowing that the path of humble service is the path that leads to glory: “whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Therefore, let all of us who love the Lord Jesus be unified in mind, heart, and soul to follow after Him and to work together to carry out God’s mission to honor His Son.

THE DEITY OF FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT

As we endeavor to honor God’s Son, we must be clear about who He is in terms of His divine identity. This brings me to the particular focus of this sermon, namely, the truth that Jesus is truly God and is worshiped as God. We need to be clear-minded about this essential Christian doctrine, for it is a doctrine that many reject and that many others are confused about.

For example, Judaism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Unitarians are all monotheistic religions that believe in the existence of a sovereign creator god, but they reject the deity of Jesus Christ and they reject the Bible’s teaching that God is Trinitarian. Bible-believing Christians are Trinitarian monotheists. “God in three persons, blessed Trinity” is how the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” puts it. The Doxology declares:

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below,

Praise Him above ye heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

We do not pretend to be so spiritually brilliant that we would claim to have a perfect understanding of this holy mystery. How can God be one and three? How can three distinct persons constitute one singular being? What does it mean to be tri-personal? But the issue here has nothing whatsoever to do with our brilliance or human intelligence. The issue rather has to do with humility before God’s holy Word: God has revealed Himself to be the holy Trinity – and woe to us if we think we are smarter than God! Rather let men cover their mouths and be speechless before the divine majesty!

Over and over again the Bible expresses the reality that God exists in three co-eternal, co-equal persons. Further, God always exists in these three persons. In other words, God isn’t a uni-personal being who sometimes puts on the ‘Father’ hat, at other times takes off that hat and puts on the ‘Son’ hat, and at still other times takes off that hat and puts on the ‘Spirit’ hat. This idea of one God wearing three different hats is a heresy called modalism that the Church has rightly condemned. God isn’t like a defined mass of H₂O that can express itself in the mode of steam, and then at some other time can reconfigure itself in the mode of liquid, and then at some other time can reconfigure itself in the mode of ice. Instead, God always and simultaneously exists as a tri-personal being of three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who have perfect fellowship with one another in one divine being.

Here are a few examples in which the Bible reveals God as Trinity:

In the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

In one of Paul’s benedictions: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14)

In one of Peter’s greetings: “To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion… according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood.” (1 Peter 1:1-2)

In addition to these and other examples involving all three divine persons, the equality of the Father and Son is continually revealed throughout the New Testament and often at the beginning of the New Testament letters. For example: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:2)

Our present focus, however, is not the doctrine of the Trinity in general, but the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ or the doctrine of Jesus’ equality to God the Father, as it is shown to us in Philippians 2. The Bible’s teaching that Jesus is truly God is not based on a single passage. Instead this teaching is based on many passages that, taken together, present a convincing case that Jesus is equal with God and ought to be worshiped as God. John 1, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1, along with Philippians 2, are some of the most compelling passages in this regard.

With our eyes on Philippians 2:6-11, there are at least three phrases or concepts that show us the deity of Christ. I will briefly highlight the first two phrases before devoting significant time to the third phrase.

THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST IN PHILIPPIANS 2:6

First, in verse 6, Paul writes that “he [Christ Jesus] was in the form of God.” This phrase stands in comparison and contrast to “the form of a servant” in verse 7 and “being found in human form” in verse 8. The point is that prior to the incarnation, prior to becoming a Man, prior to becoming a lowly servant, the person of Christ enjoyed God-status in heaven.

Second, also in verse 6, Paul writes that “[Christ Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” The phrase “equality with God” is very important. The idea is that the person of Christ who enjoyed God-status (“he was in the form of God) and was therefore equal with God, didn’t regard His divine rank and “equality with God” as something “to be grasped” or held onto for “his own interests” (Philippians 2:4). Instead He humbly embraced the path of condescension and sacrifice in obedience to His Father, and with loving attentiveness “to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4) who desperately needed the salvation that He alone could bring.

Taken together, these two phrases in verse 6 are a strong presentation of the deity of Christ.

THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST IN PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11

The third phrase, then, that we want to consider is found in verses 10-11: “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Before we dig into these words, let’s ponder the background in verse 9.

What is “the name that is above every name”?

Scripture says in verse 9 that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,” which means that God has, in fact, “exalted [Jesus]” to the highest possible place. Wherever there is a name associated with any other person or title or position or office or power or authority or principality or dominion – whether in the heavenly realm or the earthly realm – Jesus has “the name” that towers above all the rest, and He is far greater than all the others. Scripture tells us that God the Father “seated [Jesus] at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above” everything else (Ephesians 1:20-21). Jesus has been “exalted at the right hand of God” (Acts 2:33). “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Friends, the Father has given to Jesus comprehensive authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), and from the Father’s side the risen Lord Jesus Christ reigns over the universe.

But a question arises: what is “the name that is above every name” that has been bestowed on Jesus? Is there a particular name that Paul has in mind? Or is Paul only saying in a general way that the greatest and highest honor has been conferred upon Jesus? Let me mention three possible answers.

One possibility is that “the name that is above every name” is a way of referring to fame or renown.[1] In this view, a particular name is neither here nor there; what matters is that God has conferred upon Jesus fame, renown, honor, and reputation – of the highest order! If we say that our Uncle Jimmy has a good name, we don’t mean that the names ‘Uncle’ or ‘Jimmy’ are inherently noteworthy; what we mean is that Uncle Jimmy has a good reputation and is therefore worthy of respect.

A second possibility is that “the name that is above every name” refers to the specific name “Jesus.” In this view, the Father has taken His Son’s human name Jesus and made that name the greatest name of all. Wherever any human or angelic being is named “in heaven” or “on earth” or “under the earth,” the name “Jesus” is in an exalted class all by itself.

A third possibility is that “the name that is above every name” refers to the specific name or title “Lord.” In this view, the verbal confession in verse 11 is key to understanding the name. That “every tongue [should] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” suggests that the name or title “Lord” is the special name that God has bestowed on Jesus. Jesus is Lord, the sovereign King of heaven and earth.

Ascribing to Jesus the name or title “Lord” involves a rich line of thought. The English word “Lord” is a translation of the Greek word kyrios. When scholars translated the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek language, they used Greek word kyrios to translate the Hebrew word Adonai. Adonia is a divine title that highlights God’s sovereign authority over heaven and earth.

Scholars also used the Greek word kyrios to translate the personal divine name Yahweh (or Jehovah). In your English Bibles, when you read the Old Testament, sometimes you will see the word “Lord” written in normal script, but at other times you will see the word “LORD” written with all letters capitalized. Well, the all-caps “LORD” is the translation of the Hebrew word Yahweh, whereas the normal script “Lord” is the translation of the Hebrew word Adonai. For example, Psalm 8 begins “O LORD, our Lord.” The psalmist is saying: O Yahweh, our Adonai. O Yahweh, our Lord. O Yahweh, our sovereign King. Adonia is a title that means Lord. To say that God is Adonai means that He is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. Yahweh, on the other hand, is not a title; Yahweh is God’s personal name.

The reason the scholars used kyrios to translate both Adonia and Yahweh is because the Jews regarded the name Yahweh as so sacred that they wouldn’t dare to take it upon their lips. They wouldn’t pronounce it. When they came across the word Yahweh in their Old Testament, they wouldn’t say Yahweh. Instead they would say Adonai. With this in mind, when we look at Philippians 2:11 and the confession “that Jesus Christ is Lord,” the confession might mean that Jesus Christ is Adonai. Or it might mean that Jesus Christ is Yahweh. But actually, either one implies the other, because Yahweh is Adonai – Yahweh is Lord. And Jesus is Lord!

Whatever Paul has in mind when he says “the name,” this much is clear: God has exalted Jesus to the highest possible place with the highest possible honor, and the reason He has done so is so that you might worship Him. The Father’s mission is to bring you to the awestruck recognition that His Son Jesus is Lord of all: “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Are you on your knees in humble adoration? Is the name of Jesus on your lips with fear and trembling and joy?

Philippians 2:10-11 and Isaiah 45:23

All that we have considered so far in this sermon and other recent sermons is reason enough to fall down and worship the Lord Jesus right alongside our heavenly Father. But another crucial gem awaits discovery, and to that we now turn. This discovery, which builds off of the above discussion about Yahweh, should intensify our love for Jesus and strengthen our desire to honor Him.

When Paul says that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,” do you realize that He is drawing upon language from the Old Testament? Specifically, Paul is drawing upon the language of Isaiah 45:23, although that single verse is just the tip of the theological iceberg that is Isaiah 45:18-25 and its connection to Philippians 2:9-11. Let’s start with Isaiah 45:23 and then zoom out to the wider context. The LORD (=Yahweh) is speaking throughout this passage and says in verse 23:

“By myself I have sworn;

from my mouth has gone out in righteousness

a word that shall not return:

‘To me every knee shall bow,

every tongue shall swear allegiance.’”

(Isaiah 45:23)

The connection to Philippians 2:9-11 is clear. Isaiah 45: “every knee shall bow”; Philippians 2: “every knee should bow.” Isaiah 45: “every tongue shall swear allegiance” (the Greek translation of the Hebrew text puts it this way: “every tongue shall confess to God”); Philippians 2: “every tongue confess.” 

Before we ponder the radical implications of Paul’s use of Isaiah 45 in Philippians 2, let’s take a step back and see the larger context of Isaiah 45:18-25. As we shall see, the main point of this passage is that the LORD alone – Yahweh alone – is the true God. There is one and only one sovereign deity, one and only one sovereign Creator. one and only one sovereign Savior – and His name is the LORD, His name is Yahweh, His name is Jehovah. Let us hear the word of Yahweh as it is given to us in Isaiah 45:18-25.

¹⁸ For thus says the LORD,
who created the heavens
    (he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
    (he established it;
he did not create it empty,
    he formed it to be inhabited!):
“I am the LORD, and there is no other.
¹⁹ I did not speak in secret,
    in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
    ‘Seek me in vain.’
I the LORD speak the truth;
    I declare what is right.

²⁰ “Assemble yourselves and come;
    draw near together,
    you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
    who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
    that cannot save.
²¹ Declare and present your case;
    let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
    Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
    And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
    there is none besides me.

²² “Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
²³ By myself I have sworn;
    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

²⁴ “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,
    are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
    all who were incensed against him.
²⁵ In the LORD all the offspring of Israel
    shall be justified and shall glory.”

(Isaiah 45:18-25, underlines added)

The emphasis is clear: “there is no other” (v. 18); “there is no other god besides me” (v. 21); “there is none besides me” (v. 21); “there is no other” (v. 22). Yahweh alone is able to save: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth” (v. 22). Yahweh alone is worthy of exclusive worship and allegiance: “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance” (v. 23).

Now in light of Isaiah 45, do you understand the theological explosion that is occurring in Philippians 2? In Isaiah 45, “every knee shall bow” to whom? To Yahweh. In Isaiah 45, “every tongue shall swear allegiance” to whom? To Yahweh. But in Philippians 2, “every knee should bow” to whom? To Jesus: “so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” In Philippians 2, “every tongue [should] confess” or swear allegiance to whom? To Jesus: “and every tongue [should] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” This is stunning! And not only stunning, but to a first-century Jew with the Old Testament in his hand, the claim of Philippians 2 is a huge problem.

Think about Philippians 2:9-11 from the mindset of a first-century Jew whom we shall name Benjamin. Benjamin believes the Old Testament when it says that Yahweh alone should be worshiped: there is one and only one sovereign God, His name is Yahweh, and He is the only one to whom we should pledge our uncompromising allegiance. And now this Paul preacher guy shows up and says that this sovereign God has highly exalted someone else to the point that we’re supposed to worship someone else and pledge uncompromising allegiance to someone else: “God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Benjamin scratches his head. He thinks, Isaiah 45:23 says that “every knee shall bow” to Yahweh the true God, and that “every tongue shall swear allegiance” to Yahweh the true God. But now Paul is saying that the true God wants me to bow my knee to Jesus and confess that Jesus is Lord. And Paul is saying that God is pleased with this arrangement: that when people worship Jesus, they are doing so “to the glory of God the Father.” How can this be? How can Yahweh, the true God of Isaiah 45 who said over and over again that “there is none besides me,” how can He be pleased when someone else, namely, Jesus, receives the praise and devotion that should be reserved for God alone? Do you understand the wrestling in Benjamin’s mind? Do you understand why it would be difficult for him to wrap his mind around these things?

How shall we counsel Benjamin? Five things.

First, Isaiah 45 is clear that we should bow our knees in worship and swear allegiance to Yahweh and Yahweh alone.

Second, Philippians 2 is also clear that we should bow our knees in worship and swear allegiance to Jesus.

Third, all Scripture is God-given, totally reliable in what it says, and internally consistent (for example, see 2 Timothy 3:16). While there may be things in Scripture that are difficult to understand, there are no contradictions in Scripture. This means that Isaiah 45 and Philippians 2 are friends.

Fourth, the only way that Philippians 2 can be true and the only way that the true God can be pleased that people are worshiping Jesus, is if Jesus is equal with Yahweh God – and not only equal with but one with Yahweh God. We can be sure that the God of Isaiah 45 allows no rivals and would not approve of the worship of a non-god. We can be sure that the God of Exodus 20 who commanded Israel “You shall no have other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) would not be pleased with ultimate allegiance being given to any other so-called god. We can be sure that the God who says “Turn to me and be saved” would not be happy with another god going around and saying things like “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger; and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35) Scriptural logic demands that we say: either Jesus is equal with God and therefore worship of worship as God, or else Jesus is a pretender to the throne. Either Jesus is God-with-us and Yahweh-with-us, or else Jesus is a false prophet. Either Jesus is truly God and truly Yahweh, or else Jesus is an idol to be rejected. Do you understand?

Fifth, the consistent testimony of the New Testament is, of course, that Jesus is truly God and that God is actually a tri-personal being: one God in three persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Spirit are not three gods but one God.

In keeping with this sermon’s purpose to show forth the deity of Jesus Christ, consider these various ways in which the Bible shows Jesus’ equality to the Father.

The Father is the Creator of all things, and the Son is the Creator of all things. As distinct persons within the single Godhead they have different roles, but as one God they shared together in the work of creation. We are familiar with the first verse of the Bible: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) But are we familiar with the first two verses of Hebrews? “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) Thus we understand that when God the Father “created the world,” He did it through His Son. In terms of Isaiah 45, the Father is Yahweh God “who created the heavens” and “formed the earth,” and Jesus is Yahweh God “who created the heavens” and “formed the earth.” Two, one God, one work of creation.

The Father is God, and the Lord Jesus Christ is God, and they share the divine glory. As Jesus prayed on the eve of His crucifixion, “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:5) God’s glory is shared by Father and Son. The honor that belongs to the Father, belongs also to the Son (see John 5:22-23). When Jesus is worshiped, the Father is glorified (see Philippians 2:9-11). Two persons, one God, one glory.

The Father is worshiped as God, and Jesus the crucified, conquering Lamb is worshiped as God: ““To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13)

The Father comforts and strengthens the hearts of His people, and the Lord Jesus Christ comforts and strengthens the hearts of His people: “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) Two persons, one God, one ministry of comfort to the saints.

The Father, who is Yahweh God, declares to all the world: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” (Isaiah 45:22) But what does He do? He sends His Son, who is also Yahweh God, as the Savior of the world: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) And what is the Son’s message? It is essentially “Turn to me and be saved.” He says, “Follow me.” (John 1:43) He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38) He says, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1) Who is this One who walks the earth and tells people to come to Him and casts out demons and heals the sick and forgives sins and lays down His life as a sacrifice for sin and rises from the dead in victory over the grave and leads His people to eternal life? Who is this? This is Yahweh-in-the-flesh, God-with-us, the Son of God and Savior of all who believe, the Lamb of God who died for your sins so that you could be reconciled to God and thereafter live as a beloved child of God.  

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

What should you do? “Turn to [Jesus] and be saved, all the ends of the earth!” Bow the knee in humble adoration. Lay down the weapons of your resistance and surrender to His sovereign and gracious Lordship. Although you are sinful and weak, rest in Jesus as your wisdom, righteousness, holiness, redemption, strength, and life. He is Adonai Yahweh, the sovereign ‘I Am,’ and He will come through for you, if you trust in Him.

Each and every one of us should say from the heart:

“All to Jesus I surrender,

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

“I surrender all, I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.”[2]

If you haven’t yet come to Him, why are you holding out? If you refuse to surrender and refuse to follow Him on the path of sacrificial service, then you will suffer “shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:2) But if His majesty pierces the darkness of your heart and causes you to live gladly for Him, then you will be included in that happy company of whom it is said: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10) 

Let us pray.

ENDNOTES

[1] See Hellerman, Joseph H. Embracing Shared Ministry: Power and Status in the Early Church and Why It Matters Today. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2013: p. 165-166.

[2] From the hymn “I Surrender All” written by Judson W. VanDeVenter.