Not Everyone Who Says

Jesus Christ speaking: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV’84)

So, if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, you must do the will of God the Father. Do you know what his will is for us? 

And Jesus Christ said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:23-26 ESV)

When Jesus took up his cross it was to die on that cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to his righteousness. For he died that we might be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Therefore we are not to let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we obey, its end is eternal life.

[2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14]

So, the will of God for our lives is that we must deny self (die to self) and die daily to sin and to the flesh and follow Jesus Christ in his ways in obedience to his commands. Sin must no longer have mastery over our lives, but now our lives must be surrendered to the will of God. 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 Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience to his commands, then we have the hope of eternal life with God.

So, it is not enough to just profess faith in Jesus Christ with our lips, but we must die to our sins daily and now walk in obedience to his commands. For if we claim that we have fellowship with God/Christ, but we still walk (in conduct) in darkness (sin), we are liars. And if we say that we know God but we are not obeying his commandments, in practice, we are liars. So if we make sin our practice, then we do not know God, and we are not born of God, but we are of the devil. And we won’t have eternal life with God.

[1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Galatians 5:16-21]

So, right now there are multitudes of people who are professing faith in Jesus Christ with their lips but they are still walking in sin, and they are still living to please the flesh and to do what they want to do with their lives, but their lives are not surrendered to Jesus Christ to do his will. Self has not been put to death with Christ on that cross but self is still on the throne in their lives. And they may be religious people who attend weekly “church” services and who do community service, but they are still not denying self.

And I am not saying that we will be perfect people once we believe in Jesus, but that the Scriptures make it quite clear that genuine faith in Jesus Christ results in us dying to sin, not just once, but daily, and us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his New Covenant commands, in practice. But if sin remains our practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to our Lord, then we don’t know God, we are not saved from our sins, and we don’t have eternal life with God unless we turn from our sins and now follow him in obedience to his will and purpose for our lives.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31] 

Full Release  

An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior 

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus; 

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence, 

oh, what peace.

From my self-life 

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort, 

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully, 

oh, what love

That He gives me 

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above. 

Loving Father; precious Jesus, 

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit, 

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior 

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered 

So that we might be alive. 

https://vimeo.com/115169203