Every Knee Should Bow

[Christsfreeservant]

Philippians 2:5-8 ESV

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”​

Jesus, Our Model

We, as followers of Christ, are to think, judge, and have insight like that of Christ. We are to set our minds on the things of Christ and not on the things of this world. And, this mindset we have will then reveal itself through our outward behaviors.

For, we are what we believe, and our actions are evidence of what we truly adhere to. But this isn’t just how we think or believe, but it is our nature, our character, our outlook on life, and our moral fiber, i.e. whether we are people of integrity, or whether we are people of sordid character.

So, what was/is Jesus’ character and moral fiber? What was/is his thinking and believing? What was/is his mind set on? What were/are his judgments with regard to sin and God’s commandments (under the New Covenant)?

Jesus was/is God. He was with God from the beginning, and he is our creator God. All things that were made were made by him. Yet, he left his throne in heaven, and he humbled himself, and he took on the form of man, and he became a servant.

So, he was humble. He was not proud, even though he had the right to be proud because he was/is God. Although he was fully righteous and perfect (sinless), yet he humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross so that we could be set free from our slavery to sin.

In fact, in his death he became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God, so that we could now live in freedom from enslavement to sin, and so that we could now be bondservants of his righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; 2 Co 5:15, 21; Eph 4:17-24).

For, he said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self and daily take up our cross (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. If we hold on to our old lives, we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with him to sin) for his sake, then we will have eternal life (Lu 9:23-26).

Our Response

So, we are to think, believe, and act like Jesus. We are to have the same mindset, moral fiber, and character as him. We are to be humble, not proud. We are to be willing to give of ourselves for the legitimate needs of others. And, we are to consider the soul needs of others as more important than ourselves.

Our time schedule should not be our own. It isn’t as though we have to ask permission of God every second of every day for everything we do next, but he should always be uppermost on our minds, as should be doing his will. And, we should be available to change our plans if he points us in a different direction.

God cared about the sinful condition of man, and so he provided a solution for our sin. He sent Jesus to die on a cross for our sins, but not just to forgive us our sins, and not just to relieve us of punishment of sin, and not just to promise us eternal life with him.

But Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. So, if we have the same mindset as him, then we are going to die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in his power and strength (1 Pet 2:24).

And, we are going to give of ourselves willingly, and of our time, and of our reputations to see others be delivered from their slavery to sin and to be free to live for the Lord. So, we are going to speak the truth in love as Jesus did, and call out sin, and warn of judgment, and call for repentance and for obedient faith in Jesus Christ.

For, that is being of the same mind as Christ. It is to repent of our sins, to be changed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and it is to walk now according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh; no longer living to fulfill the lusts of our flesh, but now living for the glory of God.

For, it was for this purpose that Jesus gave his life up for us, and it is for this purpose that we should surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, and it is for this purpose that we should be sharing the gospel of Christ with others so that they, too, can walk in freedom from sin for the praise of God’s glory.

Philippians 2:9-11 ESV

“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.”​

Honoring Jesus

Because Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross, He is to be honored above all. We are to highly exalt him by giving him our lives in surrender to his will. And, we are to bow to him humbly, submitting ourselves to his Lordship (ownership-rulership) over our lives.

Those who are teaching a “do nothing” gospel, which is of the flesh of man, for it glorifies the flesh, and not God, are dishonoring God with their lives, for they feel as though they don’t have to bow to the Lordship of Christ but that they can live however they want and still have heaven.

So, test everything you hear against the WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, for not everything that sounds good is good. Many are teaching a cheap grace gospel absent of repentance, submission to Christ, and obedient faith in Jesus Christ to their own shame.

True worship of God is surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ, holy and pleasing to Him. It is being no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but it is being transformed in the renewing of our minds of the Spirit of God so that we prove by our lives what is the good and pleasing will of God for our lives (Rom 12:1-2).

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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