Every Knee Shall Bow...or Else!

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

​This verse, stating an eventual fact, is often not cited as the truly remarkable thing that it will be, in the future.  Instead, it is often presented as a threat; and a future confession made grudgingly and under duress and force.

​For those who remember Superman II, (yes, things always come back to geek movies for me) you will remember the primary villain, Zod, from Superman’s home world of Krypton.  Zod and his two minions have been wreaking havoc with impunity on Earth, with no one stopping them.  Zod goes to the White House and demands that the President kneel before him and swear loyalty to him.  And, if the President decides not to kneel, what happens?  Well, that would be a very bad idea…and he knows it.

​Is this scene of villainy really what the fulfillment of this famous, often quoted passage will be like?  Will Christ Jesus be standing, arms crossed, tapping His foot; God, The Father, seated behind Him on an imposing throne, just waiting to inflict unending pain upon the fool who refuses to bow the knee and confess Jesus Christ as Lord?

​Christianity, the institution, that bears The Lord’s name and claims to represent Him, has managed to misrepresent Him to the world.  Christ, being the Word of God, was God’s designated Spokesman to perfectly reveal Him to the world.  While the scriptures do speak of Christ Jesus judging, that is not His primary role; nor is His judging to mete out punishment; for punishment’s sake.  Everything God does and certainly everything His Son did during His earthly ministry; was done to show God’s love for the world.  At this point, it might be helpful for you to do a word study on the word, “world”.  In almost every occurrence of that word in the New Testament, something bad is in view.  And often, the word “world” is used in comparison or contrast to “believers”.  That pretty much does away with the Calvinist argument that states that when “God so loved the world”, “world” means “the elect”.   Nonsense.

​Just as any good father, corrects a child who needs correction, our Heavenly Father does the same.  God does not “punish” for punishment’s sake, doesn’t do so “forever” and certainly not “forever and ever”.  

​At some point, prior to God becoming All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28) something will happen.  What will happen is what is detailed in Philippians 2:9-11.  This is the outcome; the eventual outcome of 1Timothy 2:3-6, where we read:

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 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.” 

(1 Tim. 2:3-6)

​This will happen at some point.  All, in God’s timing will come to a realization of the truth.  A key aspect of that truth is the person of Jesus Christ and His role, given by God; as the one Lord and the Mediator between God and man.  

​So, will the event when everyone confesses this truth, that Jesus Christ is Lord (to the glory of God, the Father) be a joyful event or a frightening event?  I can find no scriptural reason for this event to be one of terror; an “I told you so!” moment that many Christians make this to be.  For many, this is the verse that is used in memes on Facebook and in sermons, often times, pointed at unbelievers as a “pay day”.  But, is God not responsible for the faith that one has or doesn’t have?  I have written about this many times, but the scriptures are replete with God being pointed to as the provider and withholder of belief and faith.  Ephesians 2:8-9 points out that we are saved by grace through faith and this is “NOT OUT OF YOU”, lest any should boast.  But, do Christians not hold out Philippians 2:9-11 as a boast?  Do most not insinuate that unbelievers are to blame for not coming to belief and acknowledging Christ Jesus, now; while they did (“did” indicates past action; and would probably be considered “doing” something; a work).

​Speaking of being given belief, there is a pre-requisite to confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Not surprising, the ability to make this claim isn’t conjured up from out of nowhere by the one making the confession.  Notice what Paul says below (emphasis added):

“Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. 12:3)

​Wow!  If no man can say that Jesus Christ is Lord, but by the Holy Spirit; what does that indicate?   Yes, it means that the Holy Spirit leads the person to that truth.  And (stay with me here, we’re building to something) what must a person do to be saved:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)

​I’m anticipating your objection here.  “Yeah, ok, but you also have to believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and I don’t see that.”  Would anyone reasonably conclude that if he is raised from the dead, kneeling before Jesus Christ, that he will not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead?!  

​Some will further object, “Well, at that point it is too late because being face-to-face with Jesus means that they didn’t have to believe it.  They see it.  Well, let’s see about that.  I am positive that is addressed in the scriptures.  Have you ever heard of Thomas, aka “Doubting Thomas”?  When told of the Lord’s resurrection, Thomas told the fellow disciples that he would not believe unless he saw Jesus.  Read the account below (emphasis added):

“The other disciples, therefore, were saying unto him—We have seen the Lord! But, he, said unto them—Except I see, in his hands, the print of the nails, and press my finger into the print of the nails, and press my hand into his side, in nowise will I believe. 26 And, eight days after, his disciples again were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh—the doors having been made fast—and stood in the midst, and said—Peace be unto you! 27 Then, saith he unto Thomas—Reach thy finger hither, and see my hands, and reach thy hand, and press into my side,—and become not disbelieving, but believing. 28 Thomas answered, and said unto him—My Lord, and my God! 29 Jesus saith unto him—Because thou hast seen me, hast thou believed? Happy, they who have not seen, and yet have believed!” (John 20:25-29)

​Now, upon Thomas seeing and touching the risen Jesus Christ (not believing beforehand) did Jesus refuse him?  Jesus Christ did not say, “Yeah, well, you should have believed beforeI showed up.  Too late now…”  No, and the Lord pointed out that Thomas did believe.  The acclamation and acknowledgment by Thomas was called “believing” by Jesus.  

​Some will object further and say, “Yeah, well, Thomas believed before he died.  So, the reasoning goes that if Thomas had been in a chariot accident and had died before Jesus came to him, it would have been too late for Thomas.”  Where in the scriptures, is it stated that there is a “time limit” or a “drop-dead date” or a “cut-off” for believing the truth?  The teaching that one cannot be given the truth after death and after being resurrected is unscriptural nonsense;  completely alien to the scriptures.  As a matter of fact, most will not be made believers until their resurrection from the dead (see 1 Cor. 15:21-28).

​Now, we have several facts:

A. God wills that all (not “some” or a “few”) will be saved and come to a realization of the truth. (1 Tim. 2:3-6)

B. All (not “some” or a “few”) will bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, The Father. (Phil. 2:9-11)

C. No man can confess that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3)

D. That if one confesses this with one’s mouth and believes that God raised the Lord from the dead, one will be saved. (Rom. 10:9)

E. One can still believe even though one is shown. (John 20:25-29)

F. This life is not a scriptural “cut-off” for belief.

The acclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, is made “to the glory of God, the Father”.  I wonder what would bring God more glory, between the options of most people being forced to make this confession (like the poor kid who has his arm twisted behind his back by the school bully until he yells,“Uncle!!”) or this being a glad and happy confession made by those welcomed into the arms of their Savior and coming to a knowledge and making acknowledgment of what was done for him?

God is not satisfied with even one being lost; much less, the vast majority of humanity.  Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, pictured this in the parable of the lost sheep.  The Good Shepherd goes out and hunts to find the lost sheep.  He doesn’t sit around, cross his fingers, and hope that the lost sheep finds his way back.  Similarly, God through His Son is the Savior (not passive) of the world (a bad thing) and the pre-requisite to being saved, is first; being lost.