NOT EVERYONE!

“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. ²² 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?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Mat 7:21—23

Countless things have been done and are still done in Jesus’ name. Some things were the most devilish and evil actions ever done. Think of the witch-hunts, inquisitions, religious wars, forced “conversions”—I think you understand. (Thank God we do not have to defend Christianity). Then there are the dreadful mistakes men have made with guilt-laden teaching, false prophecies, disunity, and the like. (Thank God we do not have to defend the Church).

Let us listen to Jesus!

First, not everyone who says Lord, Lord. NOT EVERYONE. Not even those who do supernatural acts in his name. Not even those who perform miracles in his name.

These maybe include well-meaning people. They decide what are the right things to do—they prophesy, work miracles, drive out demons. Or maybe they decide to build mega-churches or mini-churches. Perhaps they decide to be missionaries, or simply help people. Perhaps they decide to be pastors or evangelists, to conduct services, to preach. They decide. They do not ask Jesus. They do not hear Jesus. They think that prayer offered in the name of Jesus carries an automatic guarantee of acting in the will of God. “But I prayed about it!”

They act on their own volition as if that is OK. But apparently that is not OK. But in the Father’s eyes these are workers of lawlessness. The Kingdom of Heaven is counter-human thought.

Then who Lord? the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The will of God has to be heard and acted upon. It cannot be assumed. It cannot be inherited from our mentors or leaders or fav authors. The will of God, his Jesus’ movement, his government, is done by the Father deciding what he will do and then showing us, the disciples of Jesus, what that is, so that we do it. It is a matter of obedience. That was the methodology of Jesus. That must be our way. Jesus.

Knowing Jesus? This is how we know Jesus : by hearing and obeying his Father, our Father. It is friendship with the Father and his Son. It is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit living within our mortal bodies who constantly draws our attention to Jesus.

Ignore this at your peril. Man, how serious this is! The Kingdom of God is counter intuitive. It is not as we are inclined to see things, to think. It is a wisdom from above, not from below.

Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart. Turn around.