Knees and Tongues

Knees and Tongues

12/30/16

There are not many other descriptive details about a condition of a person when one reads history than these two portions of our bodies in action.  The human body and all of its character can be defined through such articulations and can even define our spiritual side of our lives as well.  It is easy to understand the physical aspects concerning these but when it comes to the spiritual many do not recognize this connection.  The Bible refers to these instances many times and these examples are present for a reason, for us to understand the importance of our foundation and what shall occur in our lives as our lives develop through this foundation.  However, as many civilizations before us, we have lost this holy foundation both physically and spiritually and are in need of returning to the Creator for restoration.

As I look over the younger generations of this nation and the world, then include the generations of my age with some of the older ones thrown in as well it is hard for me to understand why pride has its own specific definition.  There is nothing wrong with having pride in one’s work and knowing at the end of the day that you have completed an honest day’s work and provision for the surroundings that you labor within.  In fact, it is this type of pride that accelerates our physical lives so that we make a better life for ourselves and for our families and it is one that God intended for us to strive for each day.

I wish that I could say that every work day of my life was filled with this type of pride that advanced my career, but I cannot.  I know that all of us have at one time in our work life went to work with a bad attitude or one that did not care about completing what had been asked of us that day, week, or month.  But it is our perseverance that we have from God that allows us to fight through this blah moment and push through to achieving the goal that has been set for us or the one that we set for ourselves.  Sadly, it is also evident that many times we do not fulfill this goal and push and choose to derail our livelihood work status by choosing to fail at reaching this goal.  Is this attitude wrong and what does it actually represent in our lives?  Why is it so important to us not to achieve daily goals?  It is this portion of our life that we turn away from the pride of our establishment and allow the pride that the world has to offer to invade and take over and sets into motion the dangerous choice and nasty business of eternal damnation through our knees and tongues.

We must understand that pride comes from one source but can be distorted by the ruler of this world in order to keep us from the eternal holiness that we were first created in.  In Genesis 2:15 God gives us the example of Adam’s job and how he was supposed to dress the Garden and to keep it up as God commanded him.  This verse states: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”  Now, we must remember that God has created mankind holy, pure and without any blemish yet possessing the ability to choose what to do or not to do; a gift that will haunt mankind for their entire life soon.  God meant for Adam to have good work ethics while he was in the Garden of Eden for Adam was made in God’s image so that he could work as God did; to be complete in all things.  This is what God meant by having pride and exemplifying our creation through this type of holy pride and completeness, not what our society deems is necessary to have today.  When did this sinful pride take hold of our existence?  Genesis Chapter 3 deals with this setting but with human nature already created, it was present before God instructed the author of Genesis to write about it.  When we place this setting into context, it is easy to understand why there will be many references to knees and tongues throughout the God’s Word.

It is clear that Adam and Eve became complacent with their surroundings and began to take for granted their surroundings instead of living according to what God had commanded them to complete.  It is this philosophy that many Christians have adopted as well, for they have come to believe that their work is done by being confined to and inside church building walls instead of dressing God’s children properly according to His Word.  In truth, we should be fearful through the realization of the eternal consequences, if we do not dress and keep the Kingdom and applying kingdom principles instead.  It began with Adam and Eve and it has not changed today so that means we cannot afford to let down our guards when it comes to this important detail of our lives.  This also explains why it has become so easy for us to not believe in God, or to effectively disclaim and then proclaim that no God exists with any admonishment realization coming from God.

Throughout history, we can read about how one earthly kingdom invaded and then eventually took over another one.  With countless lives at stake, each leader thrust themselves into the spotlight when it came to winning or losing.  When the defeated leaders were taken to the thrones of the winning realm they were subject to countless embarrassments including total and complete submission to their new rulers.  Often the losing rulers would have to kneel before their victors and submit their entire kingdom to another leader and confess their kingdom and possessions to the new leader as well.  Many times in order to provide a perfect example of defeat versus victor the losing king, queen and their entire families would immediately lose their lives to complete the victory.  It did not matter if the loser of the battle and war started the fight or not, the only thing that mattered was that in the end total subjugation was required.  It is through this example of what occurs when we do not understand what our enemy is doing around us and how the strength of his tricks has on our lives.

It is through the lie that God is not all powerful, all knowing, and all seeing that our enemy gains enough ground to reroute our beliefs enough to warrant us in turn, to believe that we can bring God down to our level, thus putting our self-will in control of our situation and surroundings.  It is through this lie that we develop the notion that we do not need God and if allowed to continue and to grow this thought shall become a belief that God really does not exist and therefore no need for Him in any way.  In truth, it is this belief system that has resulted in the current situations that the world and its societies are facing and while we seek to find earthly answers through selfish beliefs prove the Bible correct.  So, what really takes place when people adjust their lives to accept this lie that God does not exist or for them not to have any need for God at all?  And if we ask ourselves these questions we must also ask why does God’s Word say that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that God is God and that Jesus is Christ and Lord of Lords.

First, throughout the Word of God, it is clear that there were many people that believed in God and that understood He was the true Ruler and Creator of everything.  It is also evident that just as many people and most likely far greater number of people that did not believe this truth.  It does not take too much argument to figure out that those who knew God and loved His ways had no problem with mentioning these words when asked, nor did they hide from this phrase when living out their existence.  Also, it was these people who feared God and did their best to keep His commands as much as possible and did not take for granted His presence in their lives.  They also gave a strong witness to God’s power and love through their lives, which came easy for some to understand yet hated by others.  Isaiah 45:23 - 24 sums up this truth by saying: “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.”

Secondly, the reality that the physical no longer matters and that our real life has not yet begun will further advance the Kingdom of God when people understand that this truth is easily obtained.  This part of the truth about our existence occurs when we are still walking on this earth and are functioning in the physical and complements the first example above when we understand that God is alive and that He cares about every spec of concern when it comes to our existence.  If we understand that God made us with an eternal communication device built within and know that it is the lifeline of true freedom from this world, it is self-denying the physical through the connection of the spiritual with God.  As we see in Genesis, it is God’s desire to have direct communication with His prized creations, not to have them isolated and alone as the world tends to seek.

Understanding that God is real and that everything His Word states is real provides a greater knowledge of exactly what is going on around us and serves as the third reason that every knee shall bow and tongue confess.  When we know this about God, His Word becomes alive in our inner being and we strive to keep what He has given us close to our hearts.  We place His words in the forebrains of our mind and when we lead with this truth in front of us, our enemy cannot defeat us.  It is at this point that while we are still walking on this earth we will come to the realization that not everyone around us will believe what we know about God and His Word.  It is also at this point that many of those around us will begin to back away and some shun our presence due to this truth, which begins the process of the other side of the block when it comes to every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, and Isaiah Chapter 45 referred to above, the rebels against God’s Word will be humbled eventually.

It is a joy to know that God has provided an all knowing and holy verse that gives us every defensive and offensive methods of living a fulfilling existence while we are alive on this earth.  Knowing that God is always in control and everything that we experience is approved by His loving heart and hand acknowledges that His Word is true and cannot change in any shape or form.  It is this fourth example sets the tone for the eternal because for those who do not know this truth cannot understand why we believe the way we do and for those who do live in this truth it gives us the uncomfortable feeling when the world tries to invade our lives.  Romans 4:11 – 12 states this truth: “For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” 

In my normal and “quiet” life I have known many people who consider themselves atheists, agnostics, and spiritualists who have no acclamations about wanting to know God on any level.  There are also others who have no animosity towards God but have no care or need for God in their lives and while their spirits may be different towards God all of them need God and it is here that the tables turn.  Many of these people I have daily contact with and they know my relationship with God, and while some of them do not share their lives with me my presence, others hardly give me the time of day I do my best to share God in their life by continuing to witness to them through my actions.  In some of these people there is no way possible that they would ever confess that God exists or would they even consider bending to their knees to God and submit their lives to Him – why would they bow to someone or something that does not exist or that they believe in?  And it is here that the spiritual aspect takes over and completes the message of every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that the Bible repeatedly shares with us and it is also at this point where the Word of God is revealed to every person because now the person is no longer alive and only the spirit remains which throws all human and physical considerations and beliefs out the window.

It is obvious that the world is approaching total chaos.  This is an acceptable sentence to believe and while our physical eyes recognize this setting, the answers that we have for its reckoning and resolution all are falling short of even scratching the surface much less finding the answers to solve these issues.  We have willingly kicked God and His Word out of our lives even while attending church every time the doors are open.  We have ignored to understand the warnings that God has given us to repent and to fully and wholly return to His Ways.  We have increasingly accepted the physical world as our provider and have come to rely on this flawed existence as our savior through self indulgence and piety.  It defines that we no longer fear God and His Ways, but see them as a distraction and interesting fictional work that we can read when we are having hard times.

The fifth example comes from the spiritual truth that not everyone will accept God when their lives are over.  It is at this time when the people who fit into this category realize that they were wrong and have no covering that was mentioned to them while they walked on the earth.  Their lives are known to many in heaven and the majority of them probably understood God’s Word yet did not live in His Word as it was shown to them.  It would be tough for anyone to have to watch this type of proceeding occur and if God was strictly a human His judgment would be according to human standards and not His Ways and Word.  It is also at this time that Philippians 2:9 – 11 comes into play according to the obedience of God’s Word in our everyday lives.  It states: “Wherefore God also hath 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 id Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Once again it is this verse that proves that there are two sides to our lives, one physical and one spiritual.  It is obvious that not everyone in the physical shall fulfill this truth from God’s Word; therefore, this truth shall be fulfilled when the spiritual aspect of our lives takes over.  We must contend that we can avoid this problem if we allow our spirits to be in holy communion with God while we are alive, but many people must go through this process when our physical is over.  The question remains why would anyone bow before God and confess this truth if they did not do it when they were alive?  The answer lies in the fact that God’s Word is complete and everything that occurs in our lives is for a reason and if we do not heed to God’s Word through our choices, then we must face the consequences when it comes to the spiritual.  Adam and Eve set the stage of the separation from God and it was through the blood of Jesus that gave us the direct access to God again.  His blood also provided a pure covering that we need in order for us to appear clean before God’s eyes before we enter into His presence for eternity.  God is complete, He is eternal, He is perfect in every way and this truth shall not and cannot change, so that means some permanent setting will be before us in order to change our words and proclamations.

As we stand before God on that day we have no choice but to watch our lives unfold again before our eyes.  I have no idea what shall become of that day but I do know that everything that I have done shall be received into evidence against me.  I also know that I have accepted Jesus as my Savior and that I am counting on His blood to cover me from all of my wrong doings that my accuser shall be arguing against me.  And it is through this sixth example concerning our life that we need to understand shall occur and everything we do is being recorded and will be used against us at some time down our road.  What will not be of purity and holiness shall be burned up and will stand before God as ashes of sin that cannot be taken away.  Here we have the first setting in which people begin to try and justify their actions before the Creator of their lives and while they do their best to try to convince God otherwise, the words they hear will be “I never knew you.”

The seventh and last example that will eventually fulfill God’s Word to be true comes from the only one that will be laughing on that terrible day after God says those final words of departure to you.  Yes, we shall see our enemy, the one that we believed in over God, the one who convinced us to live for the physical world and to accept its ways instead of living for the eternal Prince of Peace.  His laughter shall ring throughout the heavens for he will have accomplished the exact same feat as he did in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve.  It will be then that we realize that our lives as we know it is finished and our spirits shall begin to cry towards God for mercy and redemption, yet none shall come for our lives have chosen the other path.

All biblical truth shall be before our eyes and we will have no choice but to accept the fact that we shall not be with God and His presence very much longer.  How can a God who says He loves us do or allow such a plan to be completed?  It is just that, it was His love for us that He gave us His eternal Word, it is His love for us that He beckoned us on a second by second basis to return to Him and His Ways, it was His love that He showed humanity everything that was necessary to be covered by the blood, and it was through His Word that He sent the true Word to the earth so that our eternal covering could be provided by His blood.  The final blow is that when this moment in our lives comes to pass we will also understand that our eternal separation from God cannot be reversed in any way or manner.  Plus, it will be revealed that we will be spending eternity with the one who hates us the most, and be subject to his constant and unabated hatred for a period of time that we cannot completely fathom.

It is this stage that I can guarantee that those who are facing this horrific setting shall fall on their knees and bow before God and that every tongue from these people confess that God is real, He is eternal, and that His Son is Lord of Lords over everything and everyone.  Why?  Because their lives are about to eternally change and they will be doing anything that they can think of to avoid the consequences of their choices.  How can this be fair you ask?  How can it not be is the question that is really at hand.  God is a just and holy God on ALL levels of existence and He cannot change or vary from that position at any time.  It is NOW that the Church needs to confess this phrase and to repent of her sins and to return back to God before it is too late.  The Church is the one who needs to be proclaiming the separation of the Church from the world for an eternal reason and NOT through the words of the physical.

The questions that need to be asked today are as follows:  Will your knee bow before God on that day knowing that you are really covered by His Son’s blood and that your tongue shall be singing your confession to Him, or will you have to revert to such acts as mentioned above to try and change the situation at your judgment time?  Remember, if you deny Christ and His Word in the physical, your choice of eternal placement no longer exists at the time of your judgment.  It is through this truth that God’s Word was given to us and it is through His Word that God completes himself on all levels of creation.  It is this reason that God reiterates this phrase throughout His Word, for everyone shall complete this phrase but ultimately it is up to us in how we say it.

DLB