The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philippians 2:5-11, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a

cross.

9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Over the years, I’ve met and mingled with a huge host of people, many of whom were ministers. I don’t, of course, remember with exactness all that I heard. Yet, as I read the passage for today’s Letter, I remember distinctly hearing one minister say, “I am amazed at how many proud and haughty preachers claim to be followers of the lowly Nazarene.”

That stinging statement from a human observer could easily be a parallel of Paul, when he said, Have the mind set in your life that Christ Jesus had. Jesus was God as much as God the Father, yet Jesus did not think of His equality with the Father as something to be grasped with retention. This presupposes something of a divine discussion in Heaven regarding the sacrifice that was needed for the forgiveness of mankind’s sin. Inasmuch as Jesus possessed equality with the Father, He might have said to the Father, “I don’t want to go; why don’t You go to Earth and become the sacrifice?” But, He didn’t say that. Instead, He humbled Himself and elected to become man and go to the Cross as the Father’s Sacrifice.

The ultimate result was that the Father exalted His Son and gave Him a Name that is above every name. And before this Name,

every living being from every age of human history, will one day bow before Him and confess that Jesus Christ is LORD. That will bring glory to the Father! Now, check that 11TH verse carefully: every person who has ever lived on Earth will on that day confess (agree) that Jesus and Jesus alone is LORD. So, the big question for mankind is: Will you confess Jesus now or on that day in eternity?

Confessing Him now, assures you of an Eternal Home with Him in Heaven! Confessing Him then will be forced – an admission that you were wrong in not having received Him as Savior when on Earth. There will be no second chance to be saved. As with the door of the Ark in Noah’s day: when it was shut, there was no entrance available to those outside. “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). I am earnestly praying for you, while there is time.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”