For this reason also, God 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 

There are a lot of great rivalries in sports. These rivalries produce divisions amongst the fans for each team. For example, ask someone from Texas A&M how they feel about the Texas Longhorns or a Yankee’s fan what they think of the Red Sox or a Michigan Wolverine about their attitude toward Ohio State. These rivalries exemplify what it means to be in competition against each other for superiority in the same field. While competitiveness in sports is harmless and fun (for the most part), we need to recognize that there is a rivalry in the spiritual realm as well. These two kingdoms, one of God and one of Satan are incompatible with each other. Those who belong to God embrace the things of God and those who are against God despise the things of God. Both kingdoms are vying for our hearts and affections, but just as in sports, loyalty to one brings with it enmity with the other. I can think of no greater passage of scripture that best serves as a means of bringing to light the chasm that is between these two kingdoms than today’s passage.

Jesus is the name that is above all names. There is no other religious figure or name that is synonymous with Deity, only the name of Jesus. In our religiously pluralistic society, the reality that Jesus is God and that His name is above every other name is often challenged. And that’s exactly where this passage draws out the distinction between those who belong to Him from those who do not. There is only One God and there is only One mediator between God and mankind and that is Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). Anyone belonging to Christ will glory and celebrate this truth. But for the unbeliever, the opposite reaction is equally observable. Whether passively or vehemently, unbelievers will oppose the name of Jesus as being above all other names. But Paul isn’t finished.

He doubles down on this reality by reminding all of us that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, bringing glory to God the Father. Talk about drawing a deep dividing line in the sand. Christians will openly proclaim this truth while the idea of bowing before the name of Jesus is offensive to others and may even cause some to gnash their teeth and shake their fists in opposition. This passage has the capacity to reveal the hearts of individuals as they respond to these declarations in either one way or the other.

But this truth is not solely for the purpose of division rather it is at the core of the good news. Proclaiming the name of Jesus is the evidence of a redeemed life. Here are three passages pointing to this reality.

Passage #1: Confessing Jesus As Lord Brings Salvation

…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… 

                                                                                                                 Romans 10:9 

Salvation begins in the heart of an individual as we place our faith and trust in Jesus, believing that God truly has raised Him from the dead. This faith makes its way to our mouths as we proclaim Jesus as Lord. It is our faith that brings about our righteousness and it is our confession that brings our salvation. Paul reminds us that no one speaking from the power of the Holy Spirit will say, “Jesus is accursed” and equally true is that no one can say, “Jesus is Lord” apart from the Holy Spirit speaking on the inside of that person (1 Corinthians 12:3). And that bring us to the second reality regarding confession of Jesus.

Passage #2: Confessing Jesus As God’s Son Demonstrates The Presence Of God

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  

                                                                                                               1 John 4:15

As we confess Jesus as the Son of God we are demonstrating that God abides in us and that we abide in Him. When Peter was asked by Christ who he (Peter) thought He was, Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus then declared Peter as “blessed” stating that his knowledge of the true identity of Christ came from God (Matthew 16:17). Likewise, when we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, we can know that we belong to Him and that He belongs to us. So just as confession of Jesus as Lord brings salvation and confession of Jesus as the Son of God demonstrates His presence in our lives, believing is the evidence that we possess eternal life.

Passage #3: Believing (Trusting) In Jesus Brings Eternal Life 

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

                                                                                                           John 3:18 

Jesus tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have eternal life (John 3:16). The distinction between those who possess eternal life and those who do not falls to whether or not they believe. When we place our faith in Jesus, we are declared righteous and are freed from eternal judgment. Likewise, those who do not believe stand judged already. It is important for us to see the rest of this passage. When we see the word “because”, we should pay very close attention to what follows because the Bible is about give us the reason behind this reality. Unbelievers are judged already, “because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Believing that Jesus is “the name that is above all names” brings salvation but equally true is that denying Christ brings judgment and condemnation.

What about you? Have you met the One who has the name that is above all names? As we bow our knees to Him, placing our faith in Him, and openly confessing His name, we can live in the victory and blessing that is found in knowing Jesus!