WE HAVE SEEN the seven steps of God’s descent in man. He gave up His position as God, gave up His person as a member of the Trinity, became a servant instead of Creator, became a man, became a humiliated man, became identified with our death, and the ultimate identification—with our sin. From God to sinner—by identification—that is identification all-out. He couldn’t go lower down than that. “In” became “in”—there was no further “in” to go! He hit bottom.
Having hit bottom, He then began to go up—the seven steps up:
Therefore God has highly exalted him [the Humbled became the Exalted] and bestowed on him the name which is above every name [the highest name in the universe—Savior!], that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow [ultimate acknowledgment as ultimate Authority], in heaven [ultimate in heaven] and on earth [ultimate where He wrought out the victory—on earth] . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father [universal confession as Lord—“every tongue”]. (Phil. 2:9–11)
His identification with us was complete—from being holy God to being sinful man. The Incarnation could not be more “in”—it was an ultimate in. Now if we identify ourselves with Him by surrender, at the cross, then we go up with Him and are identified with Him on His throne—we share His glory and His power. He was identified with us that we might be identified with Him. He shared what was in man that we might share what is in Christ. That is what can be called “the divine exchange”—He came down that we might go up. Salvation is not then a mere transferring us from earth to heaven, but a transference from what we are to what He is—it is to be in Him.
O Christ, my Redeemer, I am catching little glimpses of the purpose of my redemption. I am speechless with awe and glory. I’m being transformed from being in me to being in Him, and nothing can be more wonderful than being in Him. I’m grateful. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: If I will be exploring forever the wonder of His stooping, I shall also be exploring forever the wonder of my ascent in Him.
