Devotions this week are based on Joy in the Journey Week 4: Humility! (WATCH Full Sunday message)
Philippians 2:11 – “…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
There is a moment coming when every tongue will confess—either in joyful faith or trembling realization—that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2:11 is deeply personal because it includes each one of us. If you are a believer in Christ, this comes naturally and easily. As one who questions, doubts or rejects Christ, it does not come easily at all. Rather it is a truth we’d rather ignore.
But the miracle of faith is one that God is constantly orchestrating through the power of his Word and the working of the Holy Spirit.
No story captures this shift from cursing to confessing quite like that of Lee Strobel, the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, an award-winning journalist, and once a devout atheist.
Strobel’s disdain for Christianity ran deep. Raised in a secular environment and steeped in skepticism, he viewed belief in Jesus as irrational at best and dangerous at worst. He often ridiculed Christians—especially those who dared to take the Bible seriously. To him, Christianity was a crutch for the weak and an opiate for those unwilling to face life’s harsh realities.
But everything began to shift when his wife, Leslie, became a Christian. Strobel was furious. He felt betrayed, confused, and determined to “rescue” her from what he saw as delusion. So, he set out—like any good journalist—to investigate and debunk Christianity.
For nearly two years, he interviewed scholars, examined historical evidence, and weighed the arguments. He approached the question of Jesus’ resurrection like a courtroom case. But instead of disproving it, the evidence led him somewhere he never expected—to belief. Confronted with the reliability of Scripture, the historical facts surrounding Jesus’ life and resurrection, and the undeniable change in his wife’s life, Strobel found himself face-to-face with the truth.
In 1981, God worked faith in Strobel’s life and he, who once cursed Christ, now confessed Jesus Christ as Lord.
Perhaps your journey wasn’t as drastic as Strobel’s, but we all have a sinful nature that desires to curse Christ and walk away from him. We naturally want to confess our name and make our name the most important. But this sin is what Jesus came to die for.
With the reality of history and the backing of the facts, Jesus humbled himself to be our Savior. Confessing him as Lord, is not one driven by fear, but by deep gratitude for the work he did on our behalf. Confessing him as Lord is not just words out of our mouth, but indication of the change he worked in our hearts. Confessing him as Lord is not just something for this life, but it is the mark of faith that saves us forever.
And at the end of the day, our confession is not to our credit, but simply to the glory of God because HE is behind all what was done to secure our salvation.
Apply: Do you use your words to build Christ’s name or your own? Strobel used his pen to mock Christ then to proclaim Him. What will your voice, writing, or platform declare?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are exalted above every name. Soften our prideful hearts, and bring our lips to confess, not in fear, but in love, that You are Lord. Use our stories like You used Lee Strobel’s to show the world that You are real, gracious, and glorious. Amen.