Supreme Savior

If anyone still stalks this blog, I apologize for my absence. I have been writing a lot lately, just not for this. But I realize that I haven't posted in a whole month. So, we'll see what happens now.

In Philippians 2:9, we read, "9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

This passage brings out the supreme authority and sovereignty of our Savior. On the day this world ends, everyone will be compelled to bow before Him at just the mention of His name. You can see from this how all-powerful and deserving of our complete surrender Jesus really is. His name will be reason enough for every person, believers and un-believers alike, to give Him their complete respect and adoration.

But in our day to day lives, "sometimes it's easier for us to take just a piece of Jesus, rather than become a full-fledged Christ follower" willing to do anything for the One Who died in our place. "Our Christ-less society demeans His deity and entreats people to adopt a more "comfortable" approach to Jesus: They claim He was a humanitarian and a good teacher," but not really God.

"Isn't it interesting that even religious people will rationalize and adjust theology to let them 'have' Jesus, without letting Jesus 'have' them? It's in fact a centuries-old problem. The writer of Hebrews appealed to first-century sects within Judaism who venerated angels instead of giving precedence to Jesus. Acceptance into their synagogues required the Jews to diminish Jesus to the status of a powerful angel--much less intimidating than the holy, righteous Son of God." But listen to how He is described in Colossians 1:15-20:

"15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."

On this earth, Jesus was no ordinary man, He was our Creator come to save us in human form so we could identify with Him. He Himself said that anyone that saw Him had seen the Father, referring to the fact that He indeed was God the Son. He is eternal, existing before this world ever began. Through Him, all the laws of our universe work seamlessly together to create order in our world and to point undeniably to His masterful design. He's not the founder of some religion, He is the one and only Way to eternal life. He's still the head of the true body of believers today, because death could not conquer Him, and He will always be alive for all eternity. He surpasses everyone and everything else there ever was or will be, because He was here before any of that ever began or was conceived. Even as a man, He was fully God; one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through the sinless life He lived, and His atoning death on the cross, He forever paid the price for our sins, so anyone that accepts His sacrifice will be eternally saved. His glory cannot be diminished, His power cannot be overcome, His wisdom cannot be surpassed, His perfection cannot be matched, His authority cannot be challenged, His sovereignty cannot be denied.

John 5:23 (ESV)

"23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."

Jesus can't just have an important place in our lives, He must be supreme over every detail of our lives. And to disobey Jesus, is to disobey God the Father.

"How do you respond to the pressure of making people feel comfortable with the person of Jesus? Are you in danger of compromising His superiority? Or do you unequivocally give Jesus His rightful place as supreme ruler of heaven, earth, and your life?" You can't water down the Gospel. You can't shrink the importance of His sacrificial death. You can't make Him seem like the founder of every other religion, because He is the only one that ever died and rose again to live eternally in the heart of everyone that believes. He paid for the sins of not only His future followers, but also for the sins of everyone else in the whole world that would reject Him their entire life. The people you come into contact with need to realize Who Jesus really is. And they must be brought to understand their eternal destiny hinges on whether or not they accept Him as personal Lord and Savior. There's no halfway point between heaven and hell. "What you believe about Christ determines your destiny for all eternity. It's a deal breaker. You either believe 100% in the supremacy of Jesus, or you don't. Give Him His rightful place in your life."

Revelation 5:11-13 (ESV)

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

JPK

*the quoted passages are either from God's Word, or from a devotional entitled "Supreme Savior" in Dr. David Jeremiah's July 2012 edition of Turning Points.