Matthew 7:21-23 (TNIV)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Our culture seems to be enamored by the lives of the “rich and famous.” Websites, magazines, articles are all dedicated to inform us on details of our favorite athlete or actor’s accomplishments and everyday lives. We can know all we want about that particular person: their stats, what kind of car they drive, even their favorite foods, etc. And with all the wealth of information about that person, we could fool ourselves in thinking that we really know them. But the question we really need to be asking is, “Do they know us?” In this passage, Jesus talks of those who think they know Him. They seem to know the right prayers to pray, and the right things to do, but once they meet him face to face, Jesus will reveal that they were never known by Him.
Responding to the transmitted message:
As we continue to work hard for the Lord’s kingdom, the temptation is to carry along in light of what we think ought to be done or what we think may seem right in the Lord’s eyes. But we need to ask ourselves, are the things we’re doing of/from the Lord? Where is His heart in the midst of these things? Are there things He’s asking of us that we are not surrendering/obeying? Spend some time reflecting on these questions. Ask the Lord for His passion, courage and love to live in the obedience that He’s calling us in our churches to for this generation.
