Written ~ 10-05-2023
Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT)
21 “Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter.
22 On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.’
23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.’”
Matthew 7:21-23 (MSG)
21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with Me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what My Father wills.
I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to Me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our super-spiritual projects had everyone talking.’
And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use Me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress Me one bit. You’re out of here.’”
These verses, in both translations, are significant. Do you know why? Because many people will miss the chance to have Eternal Life in Heaven because they think being a nice person, doing good in the community, even going to a church building each week is going to “get them in.” Unfortunately, ensuring Eternal Life in Heaven is based on your belief AND acceptance of who Jesus Christ the Son of God is and what He did for us on the cross.
Jesus is talking to the crowds who were following Him, they were interested in following Him because of the many miraculous things He was doing, and they were quite amazed! But most were only there because of curiosity, not true belief that He was the Son of God.
Let’s look at it this way… with the popularity of several social media platforms these days, look how easy it is to “follow” your favorite celebrity, musician, influencer. You can see what they are doing day to day, watch them grow in status, and see how many other followers they have based on those activities. You can begin to dress like them, use the products they are endorsing, and you can sing along with their music. You can say without hesitation that you are a super fan. You feel as though you know everything about them because you are “following” them. So, moment of truth, what if you saw that celebrity or musician sitting in a restaurant? What if because you “know them,” you feel it’s perfectly okay to sit next to them, give them a big hug, explain you’re their number one fan and start eating off their plate! What do you think is going to happen? Probably not what you were hoping would happen.
This is what Jesus is trying to convey to the crowds following Him, then and now. Following Jesus is not about wearing t-shirts with catchy Christian slogans, or the fact that you carry a Bible everywhere you go, or that you listen to Christian music, it’s about your belief in and acceptance of the Message those things are talking about. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe there is an Almighty God who created the universe? Do you believe God sent His One and Only Son to die a horrible death on the cross to save us? Those foundational, Biblical truths mark the monumental difference between living a “good life,” but end up being turned away and accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and ensuring eternal life.
Examine your heart today. Truly think about this scenario… If your last breath has been taken and now you’re standing before Jesus Christ the Son of God, this will be your ultimate and last “moment of truth,” and you say “Lord, Lord” or “Master, Master,” will He recognize you as His follower? Will He see that you obeyed the Word of God and followed the commands of His Father? Will He see your name written in the Book of Life? When you give your life to the Savior, your name will be written in The Book of Life, for eternity. Revelation 3:5 says,
“All who are victorious (become believers) will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before My Father and His angels that they are Mine.”
The choice is yours. At the end of your life, you will either hear, “I never knew you, get away from me.” Or you will hear “Yes, their name is written in the Book of Life, they are Mine.”
My wholehearted prayer is that you will choose to have your name written in the Book of Life. Choose eternal life.
~AMEN~