May it Be True When We Say 'Lord, Lord.'
By Emma Danzey
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" - Matthew 7:21-23
I live in the southern United States, and everyone knows that the name Jesus, the word church, and the word Bible are accepted (for the most part) here. However, just because there may be acceptance does not mean that there is genuine belief. Tolerating Christianity or participating in a religious activity does not result in eternal life and saving faith. The scariest part is that many churchgoers and "Bible Belt" people might come under this category found in Matthew 7:21-23. This is why it is important not to assume someone is a Christian because of their family, church attendance, or holiday celebrations. This is an urgent message we, as Christ's followers (born-again believers in Jesus), need to take to heart and take to others as Jesus commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20)
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."
This can come across as a terrifying verse, and it is in many ways. However, first, it is important to recognize that those who do the Father's will, enter heaven one day. The Father's will is to place faith in Jesus as Savior. (Romans 10:9) Jesus is the only way to heaven. (John 14:6) But there is a warning here. Not everyone who claims to be God's is truly His. We need to make sure that others are hearing the clear message of the gospel of Jesus and understand salvation. Someone can rattle off Bible verses, sing the latest worship songs, and attend a church on Sunday, but if he has never made a salvation decision, he will not enter God's kingdom. This is heavy and urgent truth to share this message of hope even with people we might expect to know it.
"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.'"
This portion is even scarier. Many will say that they knew God and even did "good works" in His name, cast out demons even. However, the Lord will tell them that He never knew them. This reminds us to have the discernment to seek the Holy Spirit, test every leader with the Word of God, and be vigilant in connecting ourselves to healthy churches and ministries to be involved. The enemy is just as much in the church body as outside. He loves to wreak havoc anywhere he can. Many false teachers have claimed to be here "In Jesus' name" but completely misrepresented Him and personally profited from it. We must be on our guard to test the spirits. (2 Peter 2:1)
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Is there someone in your life who you assume is a Christian, but you have never really asked deeper into their personal belief to see if they have a relationship with Jesus? If so, how can you have a conversation with them this week to understand where they are at and share the gospel with them? Have wolves burned you in the church/false teaching? If so, how can knowing God is with you in that help restore your heart from the wounding and renew your hope to seek Him and be more Spirit-led when approaching church and ministries?
Further Reading:
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