by Larry Ferrell | January 26, 2018
Let’s review what we have learned up to this point that has happened to the Lord Jesus Christ in our study of Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus Christ was in the form of God. He laid aside His glory to take a form of a man. He died once for man’s salvation. He rose again. He ascended into heaven. He has been given the name that is above every name. Jesus Christ is Lord. All this happened, and God has provided us with evidence that these things are so. Still we refuse to admit what God has demonstrated. We refuse to acknowledge the facts, preferring our own fantasies to God’s truth. We do this, not from a worthy motive but because it makes us more comfortable with sin. Against this sinful attitude our text rings out like a thunderclap from heaven (Phil. 2:9-11). According to these verses, the day is coming when human arrogance will be ended. Every mouth will be stopped (Rom. 3:19), and everyone will admit that truth is truth, even though they may hate God for it.

If you read these verses carefully, you will see at once that they are a prophecy. In fact, they are the New Testament equivalent of an Old Testament prophecy found in Psalm 110:1. That verse is quoted in the New Testament directly and indirectly at least twenty-seven times. It teaches that the One called David’s Lord, the Messiah, will one day reign over all things and that al His enemies shall be defeated. Philippians 2:9-11 is the New Testament equivalent of this prophecy. Yet, like most of the revelations given in the New Testament text, it tells of things that are not evident in the Old Testament. First, it tells that the acknowledgement of Christ’s rule will take the form of the verbalized confession “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Second, it tells that this confession will be made by all orders of intelligent beings – those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth. Finally, it tells that this confession will result in the ascription of glory to the Father.

The acknowledgement of Jesus Christ spoken of in these verses will take the form of the confession “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The title “Lord” has been already been considered in our previous study. It is a name for God (Adonai). Consequently, when it is applied to Jesus Christ it is an acknowledgement that He is God. Jesus himself said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” The confession also means that Jesus is the sovereign God. The word “Lord” has overtones of rule. Consequently, Jesus is the One who does what is right and who has the power to carry out His decisions. All this is true. Yet the use of the confession in these verses has a slightly different tone simply because it is set in the future when the exalted Christ will already have established His rule. The day that these verses speak of is coming, when the confession will stand as a glorious acknowledgement of what has already taken place. Jesus is Lord, but then there will be no more rivals to His throne.

The second important teaching in these verses is the fact that this confession is to be made by every order of intelligent being – by those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth. The first confession will be made by angels. We read about it in more detail in Revelation 4-5. Here we find that there are myriads of angels that join with the saints in voicing praise to God. We also read that this confession will be made by those on the earth: men and women. The Book of Revelation seems to imply that this will be an innumerable company of people. Verse 10 also says that there is to be a confession of the lordship of Jesus Christ by those who are under the earth. This means the demons plus those who have rejected the gospel and are now confined to Hades. We need to ask ourselves how we are going to make that confession, because every one of us will make it someday. You will either make it willingly as you acknowledge Him who is your Savior and Lord, or you will be forced to acknowledge it with bitterness moments before you are banished from God’s presence forever.

A final thought comes from verse 11. Here we read that the confession that will be made will result in glory to God the Father. This is not true of any honor given to humans. If you glorify human beings, you dishonor God. You do so if you exalt yourself or your merits as a means of salvation, or exalt human beings as mediators between yourself and God, as saints who win God’s favor for you, or exalt human wisdom as that which is ultimately able to solve the world’s problems, or place your hopes for the future in psychiatry, science, systems of world government, or whatever it may be. If you exalt the ability of mankind in any of those ways, you dishonor God, who declares that all of our works are tainted by sin and that we will never solve our own problems or the problems of others except by turning to Christ and depending upon His power to do it. The only way to honor God is to give honor to Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:9-11 Reflection Questions:
Do you accept Jesus Christ as you Lord and Savor? If you have not already done so “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
Are you putting your hopes for the future in psychiatry, science, systems of world government, or whatever it may be, or is all your hopes in God?

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