Not Everyone Who Says to Me, 'Lord, Lord'

21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to
me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name
drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I
never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

This evening, I had the opportunity to meet a fellow blogger, personally. We sat at StarBucks and discussed some reasoning for why a person should understand their salvation. I had been thinking about people who confess Christ and are told by the Lord, 'Away from me. I never knew you".

Why would someone who confesses Jesus to be “Lord”, having gifts of the spirit be cast into an eternity away from Christ? They did works of casting out demons and prophesied in Jesus’ name. They performed many miracles!

The answer is difficult to see, unless we have more information.

Backup. Verse 20 indicates that we should see a man as he is by the fruit he bares.

20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them

In Matthew chapter 25, verses 31-48, a similar occurrence is told of people who God does know and those who He does not know. Those whom He knows are known because of the things they did for the “least of” Jesus’ brothers. Jesus tells them that what they had done was done for Jesus. Conversely, those who did not do for the least of those brothers did not do for Jesus.

Jesus showed those in Matthew 25 that their relationship with Christ is built and cultivated by their inter-personal conduct between fellow man.

Paul told the Philippians in Philippians 1:15-18 that men do things out of selfish ambition and others do things out of love. Paul said he would rather that people did them out of love because this is what Christ desired in Matthew 25:31-48. But the bottom line is when Christ is preached; whether from pure motives or selfishly, the seed has been planted.

A man will show himself to be the man God wants him to be when he seeks diligently to establish the truths of God’s Gospel. In doing this, the false teaching will be exposed. False teaching and teaching out of selfish ambition can be described as ‘one attempting to secure his place in Heaven’ or, to be seeking his own righteousness. What should really be desired is a relationship with God. Then a person's place in Heaven will be secure.

What is important is that man seeks God!

God really does not want anyone to do nothing to maintain this relationship. He wants to be sought after. The true man of God will seek Him, never being satisfied that he knows all there is to know about God.

But these in Matthew 7:21-28 were performing. They felt the pride of the ability to look good to men in the work they were doing. God gave those He saved the ability to do works because it plants the seeds of the gospel. Look at what Paul says in Ephesians 4:7-12 about the benefit of the Holy Spirit giving gifts to men;

7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9(Now that he ascended
what it is but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all
heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11And he gave some, apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ:

If we are gifted in doing God’s work, we need to occasionally humble ourselves. Take a step down to make certain that your election is sure. Allow those whom you feel are lower in gifts and ability to teach you. Balance your pride with humility and see if you are willing to be taught. Follow the examples of those men whom you feel are not spiritually enlightened so that you will be able to witness the efforts of one who is striving, and that those who are striving may remind you to strive even though you may feel that you are already there.

Seeking God is a never ending quest.