Truth Today Newsletter: Philippians 2:9

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ANNOUNCEMENT 1: Please check the new weekly segment following the bible commentary: From Addiction to Freedom by Favour Oyinloye. Or you can scroll immediately to it, I won't mind.

ANNOUNCEMENT 2: Going forward, beginning from Sept 1, I will add a segment to my thrice weekly newsletter. I call it weekly chant. You will get to hear the Weekly Chant (not music, because I am just repeating one or two phrases). The weekly chants are words and melodies I am hearing in my spirit.

People sometimes think God is arbitrary. But He is not. Even though He is Lord and does whatever he wants. He is still the judge, who not only has to do justice, but has to be seen to have done justice.

If God tests you and you pass the test, there are rewards. If people pressure you to reject Jesus and you refuse at the pain of death or some other kinds of loss, including loss of relationship with your parents, there are rewards.

We need to have restored before our eyes, the vision of God as the judge. It is in that context that we have this focus verse.

Christ's obedience to God to the point of death, and the extreme death on the cross at that, was not without compensation. Have you suffered loss, and the judge awards you damages? We have that precedent in the Old Testament, where if someone suffers loss, he is awarded damages for the loss, double what is lost. It could be 2x (Exodus 22:9), 4x, or 5x (Exodus 22:1).

Now, Jesus suffered loss, He was humiliated, and He is now rewarded with the name above every other name, and everyone, whoever you are, wherever you are, must kneel (Philippians 3:10-11), must bow at the name of Jesus.

He died, now he is raised up in an undying body, never to die again, a body in a different class, so amazing that Paul says he aims to be conformed to his death, and wondered if by any chance he can attain to the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).
He had the crown of thorns put on his head so that he could be crowned as king of kings and the lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).
He was mocked by the army on earth, so that he can cause all wars to end to the ends of the earth (Psalm 46:9).
He was lifted up from the earth in crucifixion, by the hand of man, and is now lifted up above all principalities and powers (Ephesians 1:20-21) and obtained a name that is greater than theirs (Hebrews 1:4).

We can go on and on, but let it not be lost on you that suffering for the cause of Christ is not in vain. Peter was very clear that if we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will lift us up in due season. He repays humility.

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And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6)

The benefit of Jesus' obedience did not stop with Him. Just as he tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9), in Him also we are raised up high above all principalities and powers (Ephesians 2:6). And that has implications for our allegiance.

We own no principality, power, any allegiance, or fear of devotion, only Christ, who is exalted above all the heavens. He should hold our attention. We should think of Christ, we should look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is our aim, He is the bread we eat (John 6:53). He fully satisfies.

They took his life away, now God made him a life-giving spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). He is all in all (Colossians 3:11).

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He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

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The fact that whatever happened to Jesus happened to those who believe in him is because he is God. Do you understand? If it were anyone else who is finite, there is a limit to the influence. But what happened happened to an infinite person; there is no limit to his influence.

That is why John wrote:

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For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. (John 1:16)

That can only be written about God. This is a testament to His divinity. It is through him that the blessing of Abraham gets to the nations (Galatians 3:14).

Let that be a message to you that your suffering as you are on your way of obedience to Christ may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).

Jesus laid out here:

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I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25)

The obedience of Christ is producing a harvest of obedience within us who believe. His body, broken for us, creates new life in us. His humiliation brings us to a privileged position with God. As we become members of his household (Ephesians 2:19), we become his children.

John 1:12: But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children—

He is not just exalted for himself; we are exalted in him, who is the second Adam, meaning just as we suffered loss in the first Adam, we experience restoration in the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-49).