Let's turn together in the scriptures now to the book of Philippians. Philippians in chapter two. Lord willing, we will be searching out together the verses of five through 11. So Philippians chapter two, verses five through 11. Let's turn our attention to the reading of God's holy word. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. Let us pray. Almighty God, we thank you for this, your holy word, and the wonders that are revealed in it. Lord, for the excellencies of Christ Jesus, God the Son. As we seek, Father, to understand the humiliation and the exaltation of your Son, we pray that your Spirit would teach us from the word which he breathed out. Lord, that we would truly look to Christ. Lord, as we have just read from Proverbs, that as cold water is to the, To those who are thirsty, Lord, a word from a far off country is refreshing to the soul. And here we have a heavenly word set before us. And so we pray that for your saints, that we would consider well Christ and understand more of his person and of his work and be encouraged. And Lord, for those who are far from Christ and are dead in sin, we pray that your word would go forth and bring life. Lord, we pray for the blessing of the preaching of your word through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we pray, amen. We have set before us a marvelous passage that deals so centrally with the gospel, what the heart of the gospel is, the person and work of Jesus Christ. And this exposition set before us upon the work of Christ, we must note comes in the context of the unity of the church. So that we should note these three truths before we dig into the text. The first is this, just broadly from seeing where this passage falls in context. True unity within the church requires firstly true faith in Christ. Secondly, that true unity within the church requires frequent consideration of the person and work of Christ. Third, that true unity within the church requires following the example of Christ, the church's only head and king. And so having set forth those three basic truths that we found just in the context of this passage and where it is situated by the breathing out of the Holy Spirit, Lord willing, let us consider this passage in its three primary divisions before us. The first is this, from verse five, considering the example of Christ Jesus. And then secondly, from verses six through eight, the humiliation of Christ. And then thirdly, from verses nine through 11, the exaltation of Christ. But first we find here in verse five, that we are called to consider the example of Christ Jesus. This is plainly stated. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Now in verse two, the apostle Paul calls us to be united by being like-minded and by being of one mind. And so then whose mind are we to be like? Well, we are to be conformed to Christ. And that is the one on whom we are, our minds are fixed together. That our unity in our mind is because we are around, gathered around Christ. So let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Our union with Christ leads to the unity of the church. We cannot be like-minded with Christ unless the Spirit has brought us to faith in the Son. And likewise, conformity to Christ is what leads to unity in the church. The unity of the church is not something superficial based around just common likes and interests or common personality traits or culture. No, our unity as a church is based on our union with Christ and also our conformity to Christ. It is not only the Spirit's work of regeneration, but it's the Spirit's ongoing work of sanctification, which leads us to being like-minded with Christ, and therefore, like-minded together in the unity of the Church. We see this very clearly in Romans 12, 2. It says, Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may approve that what is good and acceptable and perfect, the will of God. Note here, it would seem more often than not, there's a great temptation around us that we would seek to conform Christ to us rather than ourselves being conformed to Christ. But this is not what is commanded of us. As He is revealed to us in the Word of God, the authoritative, sufficient, inspired Word of God, He is the standard. And we are to submit to Him and to follow His example. That is what is commanded of us here in this text. And we know that Christ is our Savior. He is the one who has bought us, redeemed us by His blood. But He is also our example. He is our example in his serving. In John 15, when he washed the disciples' feet, or rather John 13, I believe, when he washed the disciples' feet, he says, I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. He's an example to us in his suffering. In 1 Peter 2, 21, it says, for even here unto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. And so we are to follow the example of Christ. That as he has bought us and united us to him, we take upon himself his yoke, his burden. His yoke is easy, his burden is light, and we follow in his ways. And so we find that in this text, in this verse here, verse five, we are guarded against two particular sins. that we find so common in our own lives, in the life of the church, in the life of our culture. And the first is this, in being conformed to a person other than Christ Jesus. In being conformed to someone else other than Christ. And that's idolatry. It is to put man before God. It is the same sin that the Corinthian church faced. And so Paul writes, who is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom he believed, even as the Lord gave to every man. So there is that great temptation that we must guard against in conforming ourselves to man, to another, even if they be godly. We know that we are called to imitate faithful men and women of God. But insofar, it says in 1 Corinthians 11, as they imitate Christ. Again, Christ is the standard. But not only conforming to a person, to a celebrity, to a leader, to a culture of people, to even historical figures, but also there's that great temptation of conformity to the culture, rather than to the word of God, to the Lord. And that would be idolatry as well. Before we saw the idolatry of putting man before God, but here in conforming to the culture, we have put the whole world before God. We've put in the sense of the world, in the biblical sense, how it is often used that the world is often used as a word to describe simply everything that is opposite of God. And so we cannot put the world before the Lord. 1 John 2, 15 through 16 says, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world. So we are called to be conformed to be like Christ, not some other, not a culture, not a person or a group of people, but to be like Christ, to submit ourselves to the Word of God. And consider, dear Christian, the blessedness of being conformed to be like Christ rather than someone else. Now, the obedience to the word of God is a joyful enough reason for us to obey God, but consider the great blessing and wisdom of God. For when we follow Christ and not simply some other, we are filled with true faith, because our faith is in the Lord. Our faith is in God. and not in some other. There's the blessing of true obedience. This is what Paul writes about in Philippians 1, 10 through 11, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. There's a great true obedience, but not only true obedience in all of life, but a true worship of the living God. Recall the people of Israel when they followed after Jeroboam, what happened? Jeroboam set up the high places and false worship so that for generations, the kingdom of the north there fell into vain will worship and idolatry. But those who follow Christ in John four, we are told worship God in spirit And in truth, there is true liberty. Those who follow man rather than God, enslave them to systems of false laws. To such it is said, in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Those who are followed, or who follow Christ, we are filled with the spirit of life, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. So there is true liberty of conscience. There is true unity, as shown in this chapter. When the church is united in our mind to be like Christ, when we are united in mind, heart, and will, and only when, then we shall be united. And there would be not only a temporary unity, but by God's grace, a true, a lasting, and by his grace, a generational unity. But not only unity, but consider true peace that comes in following Christ. Consider this, the whims of man and the fads of culture change. There can never be lasting peace when one follows after a man or after a culture. But God does not change. His covenant is sure. So we may be confident in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is the last blessedness there of true salvation. That for all who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of their sins, they have been united to Christ and encouraged by the fruit which the Spirit brings forth in our life. Remember, this, let this mind, this command to let our minds be like Christ, is not the cause of our salvation, it is the fruit of our salvation. It is that which the Spirit brings forth in us, having united us to Christ and we keep in step with the Spirit. And so there's a great blessing there. And so as we consider the uses of the applications from this text, let us just find three particularly here. The first is that we ought to judge our lives, the whole of our lives, whether it's our thoughts, our words, or our deeds, we ought to judge them by the scriptures. The scriptures, which are the only sufficient and authoritative rule for faith and life, being the very word of God. That great text in Isaiah 8.20, which calls the church to the law and to the testimony. And if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. We ought to judge our lives by the scriptures, and then from there, we must follow Christ and none other. We obey the Lord and we give glory to God, our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we indeed imitate faithful saints. But again, we imitate them insofar as they imitate Christ, as they are obedient to the word of God. And so we follow Christ. Christ is the only head and king of the church. And then thirdly, we ought to encourage one another in our conformity to Christ. that as we encourage one another, spur one another onto godliness, it is an expression here of the unity which the church in Philippians is called to seek. And so there we are commanded to have, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. But then he goes, Paul, by the spirit goes to offer this wonderful praise to the Lord in proclamation of that mind of Christ Jesus. What is it that he has done? And it's set before us in the second and third division of our text. The first is the humiliation of Christ. And when we speak of the humiliation of Christ, we speak of his condescension to us, of his incarnation, of his life and of his death. And here we do find firstly mentioned the incarnation of Christ. And it begins here with the deity of God, the son. who being in the form of God did not consider robbery to be equal with God. He was in the form of God. That is that he is the eternal, the eternal word. He is one God, the son being one with the father and the spirit, the same in substance, equal in power and in glory. It is of him that is spoken in John 1, 1 through 2. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God. Or in Proverbs 8, 23, as Christ is personified as wisdom. It says, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, ever the earth was. He is the eternal word, God, the son. true and very God, being in the form of God, having the same substance of God, being in one with the Father and the Son, so that we worship one God in three persons. This is the one of whom he did not consider robbery to be equal with God. This is a further explanation of the truth that he is in the form of God. And it's also a preparation to demonstrate the wonder of his incarnation. But this phrase that he did not consider robbery to be equal with God means that the Christ did not have to attain equality with God. It was not something that he had to usurp from God, but rather he is true. and very God. And so He is the one who is eternally begotten of the Father. He is eternally begotten, not made. That is, God the Father communicates to the Son from all eternity, true deity. That is that the son is begotten. He's, again, he's begotten, not made, John 1.8. No man hath seen God at any time. Only the only begotten son, which is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him. And so that is why we confess in the Nicene Creed that he is God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance. with the father, that he did not consider it robbery, a usurpation of glory, something that he had to strive to attain, to be equal with God, because he is God. He was God, he is God, he will always be God, from eternity past, from forevermore. And so he was incarnated. The one being true and very God made himself of no reputation, it says. Verse seven, literally, he emptied himself, in the Greek, it says. This does not mean that God the Son divested of his very nature as God, but rather, as we find, he divested, as it were, of the form of God, in that he joined together in one person the nature of man. For it says there that he who was being in the form of God took the form of a bondservant. This is referred to throughout the church's history as the hypostatic union. It's very simply or rather, as well as very complexly, but summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter eight, in this way. So that the two whole, perfect, distinct natures, that is the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. break those down, without conversion. That is, that the nature of God, the true, very nature of God and the true, very nature of man were not converted, they were not altered in the two distinct natures, nor was there composition, meaning that there was not a forming of some third nature, nor was there confusion. That is, the two natures were not blended together. And so there we have that He emptied Himself. He made Himself of no reputation. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He came in the likeness of men, being found in the appearance of man. That is Christ Jesus is like unto us in his human nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. So it is not just appearing as if he had a human nature, but he had in himself a true and very human nature. So we have the person of Christ, God the Son, in whom the divine nature, the eternal divine nature, and the human nature, true body, true soul, have been united together in one person. The eternal word of God made flesh, dwelt among us. So we find of his life before us in his regards to his humiliation here, we have the life of Christ, not only his incarnation, but his life. For it says he took the form of a bondservant. He who is in the form of God now took the form of a servant. God, the son before who all is all things by whom all things consist. The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many. He took the form of a bondservant and humbled himself. The king of kings, true and very God, the son of God, for a time placed himself under authority. And this is what is meant by his humbling, that he placed himself under authority. Firstly, under the authority of the father. And then secondly, under the authority of the law. We find that he put himself, he humbled himself under the authority of the father. John 6 38 says, for I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. This was his subjection here to the father and the life of the son is according to that covenant of redemption, that eternal covenant and decree of the election of God shown to us in first Peter one, two, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the father, through the sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. So there we have, and the eternal decree of God, and the election of God's people, the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. all working these things. For indeed we cannot divide them as it were, for we worship again one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. And so he subjected himself in his life, he who is true God and became man, put himself under the Father throughout his entire life. Do we not see this in the only recollection, the spirit-inspired and authoritative history of the life of Jesus Christ in his youth? The one time we have him mentioned in his adolescence, it shows us that he was always about his father's business. So that from infancy, through all of his death, he was always about his father's business. His ministry, he said, this is so clearly seen, his willingness, his humble humility before the father is so clearly portrayed in the garden when he cries out, oh father, if it be possible, let this pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. so that his commission, as it were, was from the father. And he put himself under the father, but not only under the father, but under the law. Christ is the lawgiver. And yet he himself subjected himself to the law. Why? That it may be fulfilled on our behalf. that he should be our righteousness and we should receive his righteousness through faith. Galatians 4, four through five. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. So that Christ subjected himself to the father, to the law, but we must note that this was a voluntary subjection. Call John 10, 18. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. Speaking of his life. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up again. This commandment I have received from of my father so that Christ, even in his life and in his ministry, lets us know and tells us that this subjection under the father and under the law is one that he does of his own accord. So that we see that the son is not eternally subjected to the father. Some have wrongly stated of late. The son is not eternally subjected to the father for that would put hierarchy within the Trinity. And that would deny that we worship one God and three persons, neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. But an even more perplexing truth is that God, the son, is never essentially, ontologically, metaphysically, He was never subjected, as it were, to the Father, because God is simple. God is without parts. And so the essential nature of the Godhead cannot be subjected to itself, because that would deny the fact that who God is, or what God is, as it were, He is in Himself. He is the I am. And so the son of God is not eternally or essentially subjected, but he voluntarily subjected himself to the father and to the law. Why did he humble himself? Well, we find the answer in the next section. We had the, in the humiliation of Christ, we found the incarnation of Christ and the life of Christ, but there's also the death of Christ here before us. Why is it that Christ became man? God became man so that he would die in the place of sinners. He became obedient to the point of death. the giver and the sustainer of all life, humbled himself in the flesh, and having lived in perfect righteousness, died. He died as our substitute. The wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life. Christ suffered under the curse on our behalf and died. He died for us. He died for his church. that we should be reconciled to God for he is our substitution, but he is also our propitiation. It tells us in the scriptures, he is that wrath atoning sacrifice. We deserve not only death, but the very wrath of God. And so God in Christ took it upon himself so that he is just and the justifier of all of his saints. He accomplished our redemption. He sealed the covenant of grace, the testament as the testator by his death and sealed it with his blood. And becoming obedient to the point of death, he accomplishes our salvation. For all who look to him in faith, repentance of sins, but he also demonstrates to us his everlasting love. 1 John 3, 16, hereby we perceive the love of God because he laid his life down for us. And he became obedient to the point of death. And it goes further to say this, even the death of the cross, even the death of the cross. And so we consider two aspects of this. The first is, the sufferings of the son, that he physically died at the hands of sinners. He died among sinners. But that on the death on the cross, it was not only a physical suffering that he underwent. He went under spiritual suffering. For in his death on the cross, he bore the eternal wrath, the eternal weight of the father's wrath. And so there we know why he must be true God and true man. He must be true man in order to die in the stead of man. But he must be true God for it was there that as it were, his divine nature was upholding his human nature to undergo all of the weight the eternal wrath of God on behalf of his church. So that all who look to the son, just like that fiery serpent in numbers that was made, that all who look to the son of man who was lifted up would be saved from sin, from the wrath of God. And yet in all of that, he was still obedient to the commission he had from before the foundation of the world. so that the Lord Jesus Christ did not sin. He was perfect and spotless from his infancy and through his death. Never once did he forsake that commission which he had been given to perfectly obey the law and to take upon himself the sin of sinners and the wrath of God. He is the one who learned obedience by the things he suffered. How small are the sufferings of man compared to the sufferings of Christ? Even in this letter, Paul is writing from prisons, but what are Paul's chains compared to Christ's cross? And so like Paul, here we learn contentment in all of our circumstances. that Christ has died for our sins. He's risen from the grave. And so whether it's in plenty or whether it's in famine, whether it's in a great joy or deep distress, we know that we look to Christ and we consider Him and meditate upon Him and it is there in the sufferings of Christ that the God of all comfort comforts his church. When it speaks of Christ's obedience to the point of death, even the death of the cross, we are surely to be reminded of his sufferings, but also we are to be reminded of that great spiritual truth, that it was in the death on the cross that Christ became a curse for us. Galatians 3, 10 through 14 makes this clear to us. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So He, in whom all eternal blessedness dwells, true and very God, became on our behalf cursed on the cross. The law, disobedience to the law brings upon us a curse, that curse which was brought upon Adam and all who follow after Adam so that we receive in Adam death. But Christ, who is the second Adam, kept the law perfectly on our behalf. And so that in his act of obedience of keeping the law, he also gave himself to be that curse in our stead. And so it is in him that we are saved. He became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And so when we consider the humiliation of the son, let us consider the following applications. The first is this, confession. This is a vital component of the Christian faith. We must believe that Christ is true and very God. 1 John 5, five and following says, who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. We believe that the Lord Jesus is true and very God. He had the true divine nature, but that he also had a true human nature. 1 Timothy 3.16, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was made manifest in the flesh. So that we believe that Jesus Christ is true God. He is a true man. He has died for our sins. But consider also that not only the church's confession, our confession, our profession of faith, but also the comfort in Christ's humiliation. He is able to atone for our sins. He stood in the place of man being true and very man. And being true and very God, he is able to take upon himself the eternal wrath of God. And so that in the humiliation of Christ, we know that we have a savior who saves and who has accomplished this salvation. But not only is he able to atone, he is willing to intercede. Hebrews 7, 24 through 25. But this man, because he continues forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto him, come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. So that when we go before the throne of grace, before the Lord, our God, our heavenly Father, We know that we come to the father through the mediator, God, the son, and that there in heaven, our mediator bears not only the divine nature, but the human nature. And there is great comfort. and the intercessory work of Christ. This is what is illustrated to us and sealed in us in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. When we come by faith to the Lord's table, his body was broken. His blood was shed for us, for our salvation. And so we find he is able to atone, but he is willing to intercede also in the sacrament we find because we nourish spiritually on him and by him. in his body and blood, so shown to us in the bread and the wine. Not only our confession, not only our comfort, but we would be remiss if we mentioned that this is great cause for adoration. We adore the triune God, and particularly here in these verses, we are pointed to God the Son. Consider the great mystery of the incarnation again first Timothy 3 16. It is called the mystery of godliness Who can fully comprehend these things? We who only have one nature A human nature, yet God the Son has true human and true divine nature. And how, as the early church fathers would say, how fitting it is. How fitting it is that God should save sinners in this most miraculous way. This doctrine of the incarnation, the humiliation of the Son is not a seasonal doctrine to be considered once a year and then cast aside. This is a blessed mystery of the Christian faith. We ought to regularly have this doctrine set before us and consider our wonderful and blessed savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true man. And we adore him for it. We adore the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. And we marvel at the wonder of His grace and His grace, which is the great peace of the Christian, that He has made peace for us by the blood of His cross. So we adore the Lord, our God. This blessed mystery, it may frustrate the mind, but it ought to fill the heart with faith. And then we also find that this truth of the humiliation of the son ought to lead us to service toward others and following the example of Christ. Here we are simply reminded of the context that this passage falls in, the unity of the church, serving one another, putting one another before ourselves. And so Christ who served us, we know that we must serve others also. Again, John 13, Jesus says, after washing the disciples' feet, verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If you know these things, happy are ye that do them. So we are to serve one another. And then last, we ought to be ready to suffer for Christ's sake. He suffered for us. Remember the word that he has spoken to us. The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. Now, particularly fitting, this is for the context of the whole letter to Philippians, for who is writing this, but the spirit working through the apostle Paul, who tells us he is in chains for Christ's sake. And so just as Christ suffered, we are to be ready to suffer for him. There we have found the humiliation of Christ, but then thirdly, let us see the exaltation of Christ. We find this in two particular parts. The first is this, Christ's exaltation in heaven. Therefore God has highly exalted him. What does it mean that he is highly exalted him? It is not to say that the God has received any more glory or perfection, but it is relative to the humiliation of Christ. God, the father has exalted God, the son, the Lord Jesus Christ by his resurrection. being obedient to death, even the death on the cross. He did not remain there in the grave, but he was risen from the grave and he ascended to the father. He was taken up into heaven. He exalted him. He was brought up. He was seated at the right hand of the father. And he continues to reign as the mediator and king. Psalm 110, one through two, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit down at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion. Rule now in the midst of thine enemies. Christ is exalted in heaven. God has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name. He has given him the name. What is this name? Well, it is his name, Jesus. But more specifically, it is the meaning of his name. The Lord Jehovah is salvation. He is the savior. He is what his name means. Thou shalt call him Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. His name is the name above every name to convert sinners. Acts 4.12, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. So that all who call upon the name of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall be saved. His name is above every name to convert sinners, but also to conquer the nations. Moab is my washpot. Over Edom will I cast my shoe. Philistia, triumph thou because of me. So that the Lord Jesus Christ is that great king. He is a savior king. He's a king who saves. His church, he calls his sheep to himself. He calls people to himself. But he is also the conquering king who subdues the nations. And so there we find Christ's exaltation in heaven, but also consider his exaltation in the rest of creation. That every, at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow. That every knee should bow him before him, Christ being the king. And who should bow before him of those in heaven, that is the elect angels and the saints in glory shall bow before him. Of those on the earth, that is all of his saints on the earth, here his church, but also all on the earth who shall see him at his coming. shall bow before him, whether they're bowing before him in faith or whether they're bowing before him in fear, but also of those who are under the earth, that even the reprobate in hell, under the immediate and unrestrained eternal wrath of God, will know and confess in great sorrow, with weeping and gnashing of teeth, that Jesus Christ is Lord. that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, who every tongue, whether it's in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, what shall confess Jesus Christ is Lord, that he is the only mediator, he is the anointed of God, that he is the true and sovereign Lord. And how shall they confess such truth They'll confess it both in faith, or either rather in faith. Both the elect angels, the saints, and all those in hell will confess these things, giving knowledge of them and assent to them. But if not in, just in faith, also in fear, in reverence, in awe before the King of Kings. Why? To the glory of God, the Father. To the glory of God, the Father, of whom it is said that he is the head of Christ. That our salvation is all for the glory and praise and the riches of the grace of God. To the glory of the Father, but also being implied to us is the Spirit. the spirit who proceeds from the father and the son, so as to say that all three persons of the Godhead will be eternally worshiped and glorified by all of his creation. And so as we consider the exaltation of Christ, let us conclude with these applications. The first is that we are to confess these truths. We believe not only Christ crucified, but Christ risen again, ascending, presently reigning, and will return visibly and gloriously to judge the quick and the dead. 1 Corinthians 15, three through four, I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he arose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And so here we know that you who have not put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, turn from your sin and look to Him in faith, for He is the only Savior of sinners. He is a most gracious Savior, and to you who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, rejoice this day that He has accomplished our salvation, that He is the Savior of his people. And so we confess him even now that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God, the Father. Secondly, we must look to his coming. As it says there in Acts 1.11, when we consider that Christ was exalted by God, he ascended to God, we are reminded that his ascension, the angels which spoke to the disciples said, you men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. So that we do look to the coming. We cry out in the words of the scriptures, come quickly, Lord Jesus. But we also in this life have the hope of the resurrection. That hope for which all creation groans, that just as Christ was raised, we shall be raised to be like him and with him. Remember God exalts the lowly. Fourthly, we are to worship that risen and exalted Christ, God the Son, along with the Father and the Spirit. We worship one God in three persons. And so here while we are on the earth as his church, we praise the Lord. Fifthly, we may be encouraged that the nations are raging now, but they will not always do so. Now we proclaim Christ and must persevere, but one day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Sixthly, we must cast our mind heavenward because Christ is there. If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for ye are dead. Your life is hid with Christ your God. So we cast our mind heavenward. And we so then lastly persevere in obedience to him. For he is our savior and he is Lord. He has saved us. He who being in the form of God. considered it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, coming in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And therefore God also has highly exalted him, has given him the name, which is above every name. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let us pray. Almighty and most blessed God, we praise you for that wonderful work of your Son. true and very God joined himself in the nature of man and that the same God, man, the only mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave and that he is exalted, oh Lord. And even now he is our mediator and intercessor. And so, oh God, we praise you and we pray that these things which we have heard, we would truly apply to our lives by the work of your spirit in faith, that we would seek to meditate upon these truths, that we would remember them all the days of our life, and that you, oh God, would make us to have that same mind like Christ Jesus, and that we should serve one another, that we should love one another, that we should live for your glory. We do praise you for the Lord Jesus Christ. In whose name we do pray, amen.