Matthew 7:21-23 ESV
“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. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
These are the words of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God who is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the one who left his throne in heaven and humbled himself and became a man and died on a cross for our sins. And why did he die? It was not just to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven when we die. He died that we would die with him to sin and live to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).
Now, you won’t hear too many people share these words of Jesus, not in this day and time, because his words contradict their words. For his words tell us plainly that it is not enough to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but we have to obey the Lord and his commandments under the New Covenant, in practice. We must be those who are doing the will of God and not just mouthing empty words of praise and adoration of him as Lord.
But this is not what is primarily being taught these days. This is not the gospel message which is permeating the church here in America right now. The popular gospel message of today excludes obedience to the Lord, and it excludes the forsaking of our sins, and it excludes holy living. And it gives its adherents free reign to live however they want and yet still claim Jesus as Savior and heaven as their destiny, which can’t be taken from them.
But what else did Jesus teach? He taught that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life with God (see Luke 9:23-26).
And Jesus said that if we love him, we will keep (obey) his commandments (John 14:15-24; John 15:10). And he said that his sheep hear (listen to) his voice, he knows us, and we follow (obey) him. And we are the ones to whom he gives eternal life, and we will never perish, and no one will snatch us out of the hands of Jesus nor out of the hands of God the Father (John 10:27-30). And the apostle John said that it is those who keep our Lord’s commandments (New Covenant) who truly know him (1 John 2:3-6).
So, this whole idea that we can “get saved,” have all our sins forgiven, be guaranteed heaven upon death, and that nothing can take it away from us, despite how we live, is a lie from hell. Jesus did not teach that, and his NT apostles did not teach that. They all taught that obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice, is required of us for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God, and that if sin is what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips have professed.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
https://vimeo.com/379408296
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