A Very Scary Verse by Lane Jordan Burday
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. 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? Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from you, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
Our God is a God of great love, so this verse has always seemed harsh or even scary to me. But Jesus’s purpose in saying this is extremely important, especially in the world today.
Today, at least in America, most people believe that if they go to church, do good, and keep most of the Ten Commandments, they will go to heaven.
But did you know that there is not one place in the Bible that says this is what you must do for eternal life?
Instead, the Bible gives us these wonderful words that relieve all the pressure on us to perform. Instead, we just need to receive the gift God wants us to have—Jesus!
If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9-10
I’m sure some of you reading this might be questioning yourself. “Am I saved?” you might be thinking. I don’t ever want Jesus to say He never knew me!
Well, first, have you prayed to receive Jesus? One of the best tests is to see if you have had a changed life. Do you want to love other people more? Are you thinking of others more than yourself? Do you want to give more and do more for the Lord?
Do you see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in your life? The Bible says these fruits are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Compare these to the acts of the flesh, which are sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, anger, hostility, jealousy, selfish ambition, and envy (Galatians 6:19-23).
Look at the wonderful examples of changed lives from Scripture: Saul, who wanted to kill Christians, became Paul, who changed the world for Christ with his missionary journeys and the letters he wrote that became part of our New Testament.
Zacchaeus, a wealthy and greedy tax collector, ends up being invited by Jesus to dine with him. Before the day was out, he promised to change his ways and give half of all his possessions to the poor, and to anyone else he had cheated, he would pay back four times the amount. Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:1-9).
Last, Ruth, a Moabite woman who turned from her pagan religion and culture to follow her mother-in-law to the land of the Israelites to care for her and to receive her God.
Has your life changed? If so, you will be affecting others for the rest of your life. So that when you see Jesus, He will say, “‘Welcome, my good and faithful servant.'”
Lane Jordan-Burday is the Pearls of Promise Ministries Prayer Co-Coordinator; POP Talk TV and Radio Co-Host and Writer. She is also is an award-winning and best-selling author of over ten adult and children’s books. She is a speaker with Stonecroft Ministries, seminar leader, professional life coach, Bible teacher, and artist. She served as the Associate Producer for the program In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley. She prays for women to come to know the Lord is God!
Lane’s latest book, Evangeline, is a historical fiction based on the book of Esther. You can reach Lane at: lane@lanejordanministries.com. Her website is: www.LaneJordanMinistries.com.