Verse: Matthew 7:21-23
21 “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.’
Devotion:
These verses are tough. In these verses, Jesus warns us about the dangers of merely professing faith without truly living out that faith through obedience to God. He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
It is easy to go through the motions of religion, to attend church services, and even to call ourselves Christians. Sadly, it’s become a cultural norm to call yourself a “christian”, while totally missing the relational piece of the equation. However, true faith is solely based on our personal relationship with the Lord, demonstrated through our actions and obedience to God’s will. As James 2:26 tells us, “faith without works is dead.” Our relationship with the Lord fills us and guides our steps to become more and more like Him. As we get to know Him more deeply, our actions reflect His heart for the broken world around us.
Jesus goes on to say in verse 23, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” This is a hard, sobering reminder that it is not enough to simply know about Jesus or even to believe in Him. We’re missing the point if we don’t have a relationship with Him. We miss out on the abundance of love that He has for us. We must have a personal relationship with Him, one that is evidenced by our obedience to His commands and by our love for others.
As we reflect on these verses, let us examine our own hearts and lives. Are we merely going through the motions of religion, or are we truly living out our faith in obedience to God? Let us seek to know Jesus intimately and to follow Him wholeheartedly, so that on the day of judgment, He will welcome us into His kingdom with open arms.
If you have any questions about what it means to have a relationship with the Lord, please don’t hesitate to reach out to someone from CityLight’s pastoral team. They’d love to talk to you about it and guide you through any questions.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to not only profess our faith and go through the motions but instead to live it out through our actions. Help us to be obedient to Your will and seek to know You intimately. Guide our steps so that our lives may be a reflection of Your love and grace, so that on the day of judgment, You will welcome us into Your kingdom with joy. Amen.
Author: Becca Artymenko
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