What if?!

My personal devotions, at this time, include reading through the Gospel according to Matthew. Yesterday, and again this morning, I have been looking at the final part of what is usually referred to as "The Sermon on the Mount" - words of the Lord Jesus as found in Matthew 5 - 7. It was verses 21-23 that, not for the first time, hit me. They read: “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he 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 evildoers.’”

These are, I would claim, some of the most frightening words in the whole of the Bible! Jesus is saying that it is possible for you, and for me, to live a religious life, with good works and prophetic words, and even miracles being performed - yet without Him having ever known us! As a result, we are cast out - instructed to depart from Him!

There is, of course, a direct link between these words and those immediately preceding them, in which Jesus warns against false prophets. These were people who had all of the correct language; who went about, apparently doing good; who could quote from the Scriptures; who may have been involved in, and even have held office in, the local church - but who were deceiving those who listened to them, because they did not have a true relationship with the Lord. Indeed, it is worse! James wrote: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” |(1:22). Yes, many of these false prophets are deceiving even themselves!

So how may we know that we are not among their number; that we are not going to hear those dreadful words spoken to us by the Lord Jesus? The answer is actually in that quotation from James. It's all to do with the Word, and our being faithful, and obedient, to it. One commentator writes: "A man who speaks the truth, but acts the lie, is also in a sense, a false prophet." The people to whom the Saviour utters those words are false because their lives have not been lived in harmony with what their lips spoke.

What does this mean, in practice, for you and for me? I would suggest that it means that I may be able to quote from the Bible; I may be involved in a local church fellowship - even in a position of leadership; I may do lots of 'good works' that encourage others to think well of me; I may preach, and cast out demons, and perform miracles; and yet not be obedient to the will, and Word, of God! It was so in earlier times. The prophet Amos has much to say to us today. Speaking the Word of YHWH to the Chosen People, he writes: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs;  to the melody of your harps I will not listen.” (5:21-23). Those were strong words, and I believe that they apply to much of the contemporary church! Similar passages may be found in the writings of other prophets.

The test of true faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, is obedience to His will. It is not sufficient, for example, to make a decision entirely on my own, and then expect Father God to bless it. I must pray for the guidance that has already been promised, and then act in accordance with that guidance. How does that guidance come? In many different ways - through my reading of the Word; through prayer; through a message preached; through a trusted friend; etc. 

I must also be careful with whom I spend my time! I am not to totally divorce myself from "the world" (society that cares nothing for the things of God), but I must spend time with those who also love the Lord, and seek to do His will. I must be careful about the witness I give to others - my friends; my work colleagues; my neighbours; etc. I am the Lord's ambassador (II Cor.5:20) - representing Him to those who do not know Him. I am, as the old poem puts it, the only Bible that some folk will ever read! 

For a long time I have maintained that the Church, worldwide, needs more of the gift of spiritual discernment. However, those words of Jesus remind me that I need to be as discerning about myself as I may be about others! It was only a short time ago that the Jewish people celebrated Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement. This comes ten days after Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year. Those ten days - the Days of Awe - are a period of self-examination. I am convinced that, when Paul gave us the words often read when disciples of Jesus celebrate the Lord's Supper, with his exhortation: “... let a man examine himself ...” (I Cor. 11:28), he was not thinking of a cursory two-minute self-examination as the elements are being served, but of that "Days of Awe" examination to which he had submitted himself as an observant Jew.

Let Warren Wiersbe have the last word. In his commentary on these verses from Matthew he writes: "Those who have trusted Christ, and have proved their faith by obedience, will have nothing to fear. Their house is founded on the Rock, and it will stand. But those who have professed to trust Christ, yet who have not obeyed God's will, will be condemned." (my emphases).

Where do you stand, as you read this post? That is a question that I may only answer for me. You must answer for you. May it be that you will have confidence that you have that relationship with the Lord Jesus that is true life. If you do not, then the best time to put that right is now!