ferent it will be then. Who of us, with mere mortal minds, can begin to fathom the exaltation of the Re deemer? We can but rejoice in the truth of it. In that coming day everybody will bow their knee and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (vs. 10 and 11). In due time His sover eignty will be recognized by all be ings, although today things are quite different. That everyone in a coming day is to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord does not mean that all people will be saved. The Bible clearly teaches that only those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Saviour in this life will be saved. There is no such thing as universal salvation. Luke 16:19-31 shows that all eternal decisions must be made during this life. Ancient Sparta in Greek history was sometimes governed by two or more kings in joint authority. Some times one of them would be sent to a neighboring state as a Spartan am bassador. Even then he was still a king. He had not divested his royal dignity. He only added to it the act of public service. So, the Lord Jesus Christ, in becoming a man, did not cease to be God. He was willing to be a voluntary ambassador carrying out God’s redemptive program in this world for us. This is the attitude of humility which you and I need to day. This is what is meant by having the mind of Christ. Why Do I Need a Comforter? There is a great deal of need today for a more comprehensive knowledge of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In many cases misconception and ignorance are responsible for weakness and ineffectiveness in the Being a student of the Word is a life-long process.
ers in Him. Many years ago the people of Eng land, because of their respect for Lord Nelson who defeated Napoleon, ordered that a statue be made of him and set up on a high column in Trafalgar Square in London. The problem was that the pedestal was so high no one could see what he really looked like. One of the muse ums had a plaster cast made of the image and made up a new statue to be on display so everyone/ could see it. This replica made it easier for the people to see their hero. In a sense this is exactly what the Lord Jesus did for you and me. He made it pos sible for us to know what God is like. All of the virtues and attributes of God were revealed through Him. Christ set aside the outward expres sion of His full glory in order to be clothed in human flesh. He came as a bond slave when He came into this world. His Deity is revealed in John 1:1 and 14. In Phil. 2:9-11 we find the Lord, because of His atonement, highly exalted by the Father. There are two ways to crown Jesus Christ as Lord. You can do it with the thorns of suf fering or with the crowns of your own spiritual service unto Him. Some day all created beings are going to praise the Lord. It makes only good sense to start doing it now. Because of Christ’s willing obedience unto death, even that of the cross, His glory was restored. This is not a matter of God the Father trying someday to exalt His own Son Jesus Christ. That has already taken place. He is now exalted to a heavenly throne. This was a glorious part of His ministry. His prayer in John 17 for the restoration of His eternal glory has already been answered by the Father. In a coming day the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will receive the honor of every created being throughout the universe. It is sad that this blessed name is uttered in disgraceful oaths today. How dif- Page 34
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