Acts 2:32-36 tells us Jesus was exalted to God’s right hand, where God made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed One), and Colossians 3:23-25 tell us “we serve the Lord Christ”; therefore, Philippians 2:5-11 tells us Jesus as Lord did for us everything Father God requires us to do; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, Ephesians 2:13-14, and Colossians 2:8-10, tell us Jesus as Christ became for us everything Father God requires us to become; therefore, Christians, members of Christ’s body, the church, should praise, thank, worship, trust, and serve “the Lord Christ”, for when we continue doing this, Romans 8:1-6 assures us we have fulfill all requirements.
Acts 2:32-36 (NLT)—32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now He is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as He had promised, gave Him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at My right hand 35 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under Your feet.”’ 36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah (Christ)!”
Colossians 3:23-25 (NLT)—23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. 25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)—5 You must have the same attitude Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, 8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee “should” (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Ephesians 2:13-14 (NLT)—13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
Colossians 2:8-10 (NLT)—8 Do not let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
Since the “Lord Christ” has done and become for us everything God requires us to do and become, then to praise, thank, worship, trust, and serve Him negates all Satan and his wicked forces use to separate Christ and Christians, members of His body, the church; thus, Proverbs 6:1-19 helps us know some of the devil’s tricks we must watch for and not be deceived by them.
Proverbs 6:1-19 (NLT)—1 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—3 follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. 4 Do not put it off; do it now! Do not rest until you do. 5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net. 6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! 7 Though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work, 8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. 9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? 10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. 12 What are worthless and wicked people like? They are constant liars, 13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers. 14 Their perverted hearts plot evil, and they constantly stir up trouble. 15 But they will be destroyed suddenly, broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing. 16 There are six things the LORD hates—no, seven things He detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
Christians must determine in our will, not to follow the scams of Satan and his people, but we will praise, thank, worship, trust, and serve the Lord Christ, regardless of what happens to us.
Jim Nabors
