From 1996 until 2011 I was blessed to be the pastor of the Plymouth Heights church of the Nazarene in the little southern Ohio town of Franklin Furnace.

For many years at the church, we presented a musical Drama entitled “Bow the Knee.” It was the story of a centurion named Anthony, who’s trusted servant Eli comes to faith in Christ and even becomes a follower. 

This starts a chain reaction of events that call Anthony into the arena of faith, coming face to face with the truth of Jesus; this begins to unravel his life, and the outcome is life changing! 

It is true that each one of us at one point comes face to face with the reality of Jesus. 

Who he is, where he’s from and why he came? Each soul will deal with this truth in their lifetime and how everyone reacts will set the direction of one’s life not just here in the setting of this life but eternity as well. 

The musical drama embodies what every pastor preaches each Sunday. It is the story of faith in Jesus Christ, and this truth can change your life! 

The fact is that truth is something that everyone has to deal with. Jesus, in his last moments with those he was so close to said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Now I just know how this rubs liberal theologians the wrong way. It’s perhaps a little enticing to believe you can just make up your own truth in this life. 

You may choose to believe that Jesus is one of many ways to heaven. You may also choose to believe that there is no need to believe in anything at all. 

The problem with arriving at your own personal conclusion apart from what the scriptures declare is that you still have to deal with the truth of who Jesus is. 

And in looking at who the scriptures say that Jesus is, you have to make a decision. 

Do I believe or not? 

Do I accept the notion that Jesus was God’s only son who chose to come to this earth and die for my sins? 

Do I believe that after His death, he arose from the grave to make a way that we could have a personal relationship with the God who created us?

Do I believe that to be all of this to be true? 

It’s your decision to make and rest assured, you will make it. Each of us will personally deal with truth of who Jesus is. 

Paul, in his letter to the church at Phillipi, would look back to Jesus in his incarnation and in just a few verses carry us forward into eternity when every creation of God would face the truth of who Jesus is. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” 

C.S. Lewis wrote, “When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in? This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side.”

To Whom does your knee bow? 

Tim Throckmorton is the president of Lifepointe Ministries.