Philippians 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ is not just the perfect example of the true saint. He is the Saviour of mankind. Unless a man is born again, he can never live the Christian life. He can never be the saint that God designed us to be. It is imperative to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul was directed by God to remind the saints in Philippi Who they needed to follow after. It is equally important for us today, to be reminded Who we need to follow after. Jesus Christ knew what was required of Him. He knew that man was lost and headed for hell unless a sinless man would die and shed His blood for mankind. Jesus Christ knew He was the only One Who could pay the penalty for sin. He laid down His life for man. He was the sacrifice that God the Father required as the payment for sin. Jesus Christ set aside His glory and came to this earth as a man, even as a servant obedient unto death.
Now we find that God the Father highly exalted Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did not suffer and die and shed His blood and then get buried somewhere to rot and turn back to dust. He could not be the Saviour if He were still dead somewhere. The fact is that He is alive. He is highly exalted right now. He is seated on the right hand of His Father in glory. He is the Saviour of mankind. He is also the mediator between God and man.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Jesus Christ has a name above every name. There are people on this earth that think they are quite important. It is not that long ago that Queen Elizabeth II died. I do not know how highly she thought of herself, but the world certainly made much of her death. There has also been more talk of King Charles III lately. There are other people who assume they are quite important as well.
Many people use the name of Jesus Christ in vain. They know how to use that precious and wonderful name to curse. Few people actually know that name in a worshipful and exalted way. However, all people will one day know that name. For most, they will know Jesus Christ as the Righteous Judge. They will stand before Him in shame. Today man still has the opportunity to know that name as the Saviour and Mediator. God is giving people the opportunity to come to Him in humility and to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Verse 10 tells us that when Jesus’ name will be mentioned, every knee shall bow. It does not matter if it is from heaven or from this earth. Every individual will bow before Jesus Christ one day. Those who are saved have the privilege of bowing before that name now and we can worship Him as the great Saviour and Lord that He is. It is a great privilege to know Him in that capacity today. In heaven those who are saved will worship and praise the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity. In heaven there is no time. No one will be looking at their “fit bit” or some other watch to see what time it is. That idea will be gone.
Those that are saved have the privilege to glorify God and to exalt the name and person of the Lord Jesus Christ now and thus help others to see the importance of knowing Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord now as well. He is the Saviour. He is the King and will soon present Himself as King. He will reign on this earth during the Millennial.
The fact is that all those who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, will bow before Him one day. They will do so in fear and trembling. They will realize too late that they rejected the only One Who could ever save them. That will include Cain and the thousands that died in the flood and many others as well. They will exalt Him, but they will not enjoy the pleasure of worshipping Him in peace. It is very serious that a person turn to God in repentance today and be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 11 tells us that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Every tongue that has cursed His name while they were alive on this earth, will acknowledge Him as Lord one day. How sad to only recognize that great name after it is too late to benefit from It. How important to know that name and the great Saviour now.
There is so much trouble in our world. There are so many people that are living under great stress and worry today. There are many parents who are so preoccupied with this world, that they are not pursuing the truth for themselves, nor are they teaching their children the truth.
We see here as well that as every tongue confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, it will be to the glory of God the Father. Not only will Jesus have His rightful place in every person’s mind, but God the Father will also be glorified as He should be.
Those who reject Him will glorify God the Father in the lake of fire. They will be in torment for all eternity and they will know that they chose that dreadful place. It will be too late for them, but they will know why they are there.
In Luke 16 Jesus gave the account of Lazarus and the rich man. Jesus pointed out that the angels carried Lazarus into Abraham’s bosom. Jesus also pointed out that the rich man died and immediately he was in hell. He was in torment. He knew he had five brothers that were still alive but just as lost as he was. He longed for them to know the true God and be spared the torment he was in. All of a sudden he had a great care for his brothers. The sad thing was that he could not do anything about it. He could not go back and warn them. He could not get Lazarus to go back and tell them. He was stuck in torment for all eternity and he would be worried about his brothers for all eternity. His brothers had the same opportunity that he had. They had Moses and the prophets. They could hear the truth and respond to it. They did not need someone coming back from the dead. It would not make any difference to them. It is sad to see how hard lost people can be. The facts can be presented to them but they reject them.
How important it is to pay attention to the truth now. The saints at Philippi needed to walk in unity and they needed to have the mind of Christ. As they would do that, they could help others to know the truth and to know God’s forgiveness.
The same is true today. There are people who read these devotionals that are not saved. They tolerate them. God wants you to be saved. He wants you to know His forgiveness and His peace. It is important to listen to God’s Word. Stop deceiving yourself. Listen to God’s invitation to be saved. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation today. Then learn to walk with Him and get to know His blessing both now and for all eternity.
As our text tells us, you will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ one day. You will confess Him as Christ and as Lord one day. How much better to do that now of your own free will, than to do so without gaining any benefit from acknowledging that truth.
Your rejection of the truth does not change the truth at all. God is not looking for your approval. He wants to bless you. He invites you to turn to Him as the true and living God today and be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is very important and it is a blessing you can enjoy today and for all eternity.

Romans 15:11  And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

Pastor Bartel