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A Name above Every Name

Our personal names say very little about us. They usually merely distinguish us from other people. They may even say something about us that is not true. Mr. Long may be a man of short stature. Judas, which means "praised," does not say the truth about that disciple who betrayed Jesus. He deserves no praise and did not by his life praise God.

But our Savior has a name, which God gave Him, that is above every other name. As Paul wrote in Philippians 2: 9-11 , "Wherefore God also hath also 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."

Plainly that name is Lord. That name, meaning THE Lord, places Him above all the creatures in heaven, on earth, and in hell. He is Lord over all creation and all creatures. This glory He received because He humbled Himself to the death of the cross for our salvation. And we must confess Him to be Lord of all things.

Now Paul does not mean that we do this merely with our lips. We should confess Him to be our Lord by walking in obedience before Him, and in no way strive against Him by striving against His sheep, our fellow believers. That would be denying that He is Lord and be exalting ourselves above Him.

Christ is the Lord over all! He may be this, for He obeyed His Father even unto the death of the cross. We, too, must obey God, even if it costs us our earthly lives. Christ is and must be our example. Only in that way are we confessing Him to be Lord over all creation. Serve Him then as your Lord in all your walk of life.

Therefore, as Paul adds in verse 12, we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Doing that, we will by our deeds confess Him to be our Lord, and we will follow His example by taking upon ourselves the form of servants of our God.

Read: Hebrews 1

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Jeremiah 23:21-40 ; Jeremiah 24 ; Jeremiah 25:1-38 
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 
Psalm 84:1-12 
Proverbs 25:15 
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Quote for Reflection:

"When we say, that men are not justified by works, we deny not that the keeping of the law is true righteousness: but as no one performs it, and never has performed it, we say, that all are excluded from it, and that hence the only refuge is in the grace of Christ." ~ John Calvin

Last modified on 14 October 2018

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  • Date: 14-October