The Name Above Every Name

"Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

Some claim that you can be a born-again believer by just declaring Jesus as Savior. When John MacArthur wrote his book, The Gospel According to Jesus, he was accused of heresy. In the book, MacArthur argued for Lordship Salvation—the belief that genuine saving faith includes submission to Jesus as Lord, not just intellectual belief. He emphasized that true conversion involves repentance, obedience, and a transformed life.

When an individual comes to saving faith, they make Jesus both Lord and Savior. Scripture speaks loud and clear on the matter of making Jesus Lord in a believer’s life.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”  (Luke 6:46)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter   the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  (Mat. 7:21)

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Rom. 10:9)

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain   that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  (Acts 2:36)

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”  (1 Jn. 2:3-4)

“They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for   any good work.”  (Titus 1:16)

Jesus rebukes those who profess Him as Lord but do not obey Him, implying that true discipleship involves obedience.

Let me be clear, this does not mean that salvation comes from our works of obedience. It is by grace alone, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit “(Titus 3:5), through faith alone, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast “(Eph. 2:8-9), in Christ alone, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). However, when one is a true believer of Jesus Christ, they will declare boldly that Jesus is Lord and Savior of their life.

Paul declares that there will be three groups that will bend the knee to Jesus and confess Him as Lord.

Group One-Those in heaven represent all of the Holy Angels and all believers that have gone home to be with the Lord.

Group Two-Those on the earth. This includes both saved and unsaved people. The saved will bow willingly, in love and worship. For them, bowing is a joyful act of submission to their Savior and King. The unredeemed, those who rejected or opposed Him in this life, will one day acknowledge His lordship. For them, it will mean judgment and hell rather than salvation.

Group Three-Those under the earth. This includes the fallen angels and unredeemed dead who are awaiting final judgment and eternal punishment.

What say you? Is Jesus Lord and Savior of your life? Have you turned from your sin and trusted Christ for salvation? If you answer yes, you will rejoice at the Second Coming of Christ. If you can’t say yes, it is not too late. Be warned, you will either call Him Lord and Savior in this life and live with Him forever, or when you die, or He returns, you will bow the knee and declare Him Lord of all, and then be cast into the lake of fire at the Great White Throne judgement.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark