Is Knowing Jesus Personally Enought?

Is Knowing Jesus Personally Enough?

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-23 (NRSV)

²¹ “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 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 deeds of power in your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

Devotion:

            All my life I have heard preachers preach that you must know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior if you want to get to heaven. I have seen many people pray the “sinner’s prayer” and received assurance of their everlasting life. But all my life I have wondered what this passage has to say to about this. Glossing over it does us no good. All scripture is inspired and is profitable for us according to Paul as he writes to Timothy. So we must find a way to deal with it.

            This passage should give us pause to consider carefully our words regarding salvation. Why is it that these people who have called upon the name of Jesus, who have taught in His name, and have even healed and cast out demons in the name of Jesus, are somehow rebuked and sent away at the end of the day? Where is the grace?

            The key is in verse 21 “only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” How can we be sure that we are doing the will of the God? We need to examine our motives. I want to be a Pastor at some point, (hopefully soon). Why? Well if it is because I will draw a paycheck and I will have enough money to really live on, I will have missed the mark. If I desire to be famous and have my name be a household word again I am not doing the will of God. If I am to become a pastor it must be because I know that God has willed for me to be one. I must be certain of God’s call on my life. I must do all for God’s glory, and if I have done that I can be assured of hearing “well done my faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master.” Anything less and I will be sent away as if a stranger to God.

            The implication is clear. Just because you pray a prayer, become baptized, or confirmed. These things in and of themselves will not secure heaven for you. Only when everything you do (including the above) is done from a sincere heart that seeks to follow Jesus with no reservations. Then you will know you have run the race and won the crown of victory.

            This might be enough to make some people despair over ever getting into heaven. Remember that God so loved the world (that means you) that he sent Jesus not to condemn us but that through Jesus we might be saved. And if you fall and sin you can be assured that if you confess your sins God is faithful and just to forgive those sins. My friends if only I could explain the unbelievable way that God pursues each one of us desiring only that we would run our race here on earth well, and that we might be with God forever. Then we can be assured that Jesus will know us as his personal disciple! Amen!