Is My Heart Right with God?

I Never Knew You: “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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

It is a sad day when an All-Knowing God says, “I never knew you…” as God is not stating that the person did not exist, but rather, based on the faith, obedience, and service that was rendered by the individual, you are not one of His (God’s) children. Jesus says in John 14:15 that if you love Him, you will keep His commandments, which is a different mindset and attitude from I will try to do what God commands me.

Christians should never forget to continue to look in the mirror because self-examination is a requirement if we desire to be right with God; not because one desires to see their own reflection but rather, does the life that I live in Christ Jesus line up with God’s Word? Matthew 7:22 illustrates that there were believers who had become self-confident about works they performed in vain for the Lord and they waited too late to search the Scriptures to find out if their faith and obedience were consistent with God’s Word.

Build Your House on the Rock: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

As Christians, we must remember to pray that we are not just hearers of the Word but doers in word, deed, and action guided by love. We should not forget that God is love, and Christians who do not love, do not love God (I John 4:8).

— Damon Long