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"EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW"
I. VERSE 11 FOR IT IS WRITTEN, "AS I LIVE SAITH THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD."
A. Paul is quoting from the prophet Isaiah
ISA 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
B. Paul makes reference to this passage again in his letter to the Philippians,
Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Phl 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Phl 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Phl 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Phl 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Phl 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;
C. These passages are referring to a future event that will be related to the day of judgement, look at our context.
1. Thus far in this chapter he has been speaking to them about judging one another.
a. Vs 3 If you are weak in faith and are a vegetarian you should not judge the man who has the faith to eat meat.
b. Vs 4 He asks, "Who are you to judge another man's servant? Before his own master he either stands or falls, and God is able to make him stand."
c. Vs. 10 He asks why do you judge your brother? He then declares that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
2. It is at this point he mentions the scripture that declares that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God.
3. What will they confess to God? "Jesus Christ is Lord."
4. It is obvious that not all who have lived up to now have made that confession.
5. There are many who have lived and died without ever confessing Jesus as the Lord of their life.
6. But the day is coming when this verse will be fulfilled.
7. God has made a vow to this effect. "As I live saith the Lord." In Isaiah God said, "I have sworn by Myself."
8. You may be among those who have refused to make that confession, but the day of judgment will come and you will then declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. I guarantee it.
9. The tragedy is that if you wait till then it will not be a confession unto salvation, but of condemnation.
a. Jesus said many will come in that day saying Lord, Lord, but He will say to them, depart from Me, I never knew you.
b. When the five foolish virgins in
Matthew 25 seek entry to the marriage feast saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us, He, will say, "I don't know you."
c. If you wait till the judgment day when you will be forced to bow your knee and confess that Jesus is Lord, it will not save you then.
II. WHAT IT MEANS TO CONFESS THAT NOW.
A. It means you are saved. Back in
Romans 10 Paul said, "If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
1. If you make this confession now, it brings salvation.
2. It must be a true confession, not just empty or meaningless words. It must come from your heart.
3. If it is a true confession, it will be evidenced in your life.
4. Jesus will truly be the Lord of your life.
5. Jesus said, "Not all who say Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of the Father."
B. It means that on that judgment day Jesus will confess you before the the Father. Jesus said that if you confess Me before men, I will confess you before My Father, but if you deny Me before men, then I will deny you before My Father.
1. As Paul tells us here, "So then every one of us will give an account of himself to God."
2. It is so wrong and foolish to think that death is the cessation of existence.
a. The scriptures declare it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.
b. As John describes the day of judgment when men shall stand before God to be judged he declares,
REV 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
REV 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
c. The main issue of judgment will be why did you reject Jesus as your Lord?
d. You say, "But you just read that we will be judged according to our works." Jesus was asked one day what a man must do to do the works of God, His answer was "This is the work of God to believe on Him whom He has sent."
e. Jesus said that the Father did not send Him into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved, and whoever believed in Him was not condemned, but if you did not believe in Him you were condemned already, and this is the condemnation, "That light has come into the world but men would not come to the light because their deeds were evil."
f. When you come to Jesus Christ, all your sins are blotted out, your record of past sins is cleared, and according to the scriptures God does not keep any further record.
h. If you continue in habitual practice of sin, then that is a sign that Jesus is not Lord of your life.
1JO 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God does not continue in sin but He who was begotten of God keeps him, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
i. It does not mean that we never sin, but that we are no longer willfully living in sin, but are seeking to live now for Jesus Christ.
j. John said, "Little children, I write unto you that you sin not, but if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sins."
III. BASICALLY THIS IS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR YOU. ONE DAY YOU ARE GOING TO DIE, AND AFTER THAT STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT, EITHER THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, OR THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF GOD.
A. If you have confessed Jesus as Lord, you will stand before Him to give an account of your service.
1. Paul writing to the believers declared for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.
2. This judgment seat is like that of the judges in the Olympic games where the contestants come before them to receive their rewards.
a. Here our works will be judged what sort they were.
b. Here is where the motives of our hearts will be revealed.
c. Our works will be judged in the fires of His holiness.
d. Those that survive the fire we will be rewarded for.
B. If you have not confessed Jesus as your Lord, you will appear before the judgment seat of God. Here you must give your reasons for rejecting God's Son, Jesus Christ, His only means He has provided for the forgiveness of your sins.
1. Though you will bow your knee and acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, it will be too late to be saved.
2. Your name will not be found in the Book of Life, and you will be consigned to an eternity apart God.
3. He will honor your desire not to live in fellowship with Him, that you have made now.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
