Every Knee Shall Bow!
As I live says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. Rom 14:11
I used to read this and I was convinced that these were the knees of those who lived their lives choosing not to believe that God could really love us as much as he does. I prided myself on not being one of those who would need to bow down before God at some later date because I was convinced that I already believed in his awesome grace and understood how deep his love was. And then a funny thing happened, I was reading a book called “Furious Pursuit” by Tim King & Frank Martin. In the last part of the book they list some sacred vows that God (the bridegroom) wants us to hear from his heart to ours. They are very simple and at first I didn’t put much into their profound meaning to my heart.
Here they are:
- I have always been there for you, and I always will be.
- I will walk with you forever—-just the two of us.
- I will always understand you.
- I will always be kind to you.
- You will always be my own personal concern.
- I love you. I always have, and I always will.
Now here is the strange thing. After mulling these over in my mind I found myself asking “Is God that loving?” “Can he really accept me with all my flaws?” “Don’t I have to do something to at least show him I love him?” And then I found myself going back to read these vows over and over again, and I began to weep, not because of how great his love is, but because I realized that his love is so great that as long as I am a human in the flesh I will never really be able to comprehend his love for me. Then it struck me that until we lose this body of clay that is so subject to weakness of all kinds we will never truly be able to appreciate everything God really is to us.
Yes, I do believe in God’s Love for all mankind, and I want others to believe it too, but I also know a time is coming for all of us when we will shed this body made from dust and we will see God with clarity for the first time, and when that happens we will all bow our knees and give the truest form of praise that we have ever given. We will be witnessing the brightness of his glory and we will be doing it without all our questions, and doubts, and divisions, and weaknesses of our flesh.
And at least for me I think I really know now what Paul met when he said: “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
I have worked so hard NOT to judge my brother, and I will continue to do that, but now I also realize NO human being can really fathom how unbelievable God’s love is for us. Yes, that means me too. And guess what? It feels great to know that as much peace as I feel right now, it’s even going to be greater, grander, and beyond my wildest imaginations.
The challenge we each have while we are still in the flesh is to trust his love. His love is trustworthy, and even when we struggle with that trust He is greater then our heart and the day will come when He will take away all our doubts. I am going to read those simple vows more often, and when my time comes to lay down this tired old body of flesh, closing my eyes for the last time, I will be bowing my knees for the first time in perfect praise of my loving God.
Cliff,
Isn’t it so simple now? This stuff used to be very complicated and convoluted but when a person gives up any claim to knowledge about God and accepts God’s knowledge about themselves and all of mankind then the curtain is lifted and simplicity comes in.
Peace & Dis-Ease
Geo
Amen to that Geo.
Great post Cliff. I remember discussing the bowing of the knee with someone a while back and although this is not the way I had seen it in the past, I now saw that every knee bows as, like you say, we pass on from here and enter into His Presence. I had also seen it as a “forced bend” of the knee and then those that had not believed were sent to a lost eternity. I now believe this is a bowing of the knee in adoration of a Redeemer that has redeemed the entire world.
How can we but bow down when we enter into the Presence of such an awesome God and at that time fully understanding what He did for us and for the entire world?
So right Roy, I can’t wait for the full awakening of our understanding of His awesome love and glory.
Cliff the post was awesome.It is hard for the legalism of the orgardnised church to accept this because they still judge after the flesh.But since the cross we are to judge no man after the flesh at all.For we know we do not judge at all after the outward appearance.For if we did,we all fall short.But our hope and confidence is in the savior who we have all been accepted in the beloved.This is the good news.I see all as you have said, saying glory to God in the highess for he alone is worthy.In dew time.Now is the time in the earth that this message is to be proclaimed as it was in pauls time.
We will do this and continue to do it.until all for whom christ tasted of death for know it.And teach others to proclaim it also my friend.
kenneth
Thanks Kenneth. One thing I am trying to do is reach out to those who are still under the control of legalism. All of us on this site have been there one time or another and leaving it behind is both painful and liberating at the same time.
Looks great, guys! I’m sure I’ll be a regular commenter.
Wonderful post Cliff. When death wants to threaten us and bring us anxiety we can rest in the knowledge that the best is yet to come. And we can even experience a little downpayment on that heavenly bliss here and now.
And the best is yet to come—-we have so much to look foward to.
Cliff God’s love and grace is so great it is never ending.I cannot truly explain it.When you just stop and think upon it just brings peace and joy to the heart and mind.Now a days that people that God’s loves them unconditionaly especailly to christians.That truly changes a person heart.That is the hardest think for poeple to believe because the world believes that can be you must have to earn that love even in the organizes church.
I just thank God He has open websites like this one telling people the true.
Love in Christ Dan
Thanks Dan, you are such an encourager.