STRATFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST COLUMN
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus gave us a very serious warning. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” In the above verses, Jesus addressed people who thought they had obeyed the Lord and were living for Him. Jesus did not deny that they had done something. But their actions were not authorized by God.
They were religious, but they had not done the will of the Father. Therefore, His warning concerns obedience according to the Scriptures, which describes the Father’s will. One must obey the Father’s will correctly in order to find eternal life in Christ.
In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quoted a passage from the prophet Isaiah and applied it to the religious leaders of His day. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” With these verses, Jesus teaches that religion based on the teachings of men will not save.
The will of man cannot be substituted for the will of God.
Jesus asked, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus was helping us to learn that simply claiming to be religious, saying “Lord, Lord,” will not save. Neither is it sufficient to do those things that we merely suppose to be right. Salvation is promised to those who do God’s will. Hebrews 5:9 tells us that Jesus “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
You have probably noticed that we are living in a day and age where many folks are looking for ways to get something without having to do anything for it. Information on how to get something free, or how to win an expensive prize will instantly gain the interest of many people. If you are really “lucky,” you might come out a winner.
This is not the way spiritual things work. No one will get to heaven by luck!
Jesus said the promise of eternal life is for those who do the will of the Father.
This also helps us know that since He is the Savior that provides eternal life, He has the authority to make the laws that lead us to heaven. For this reason, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Therefore, following only what is written in the Bible is vital. A great Bible example of this is seen with the church in Berea. Acts 17:11 tells us about these early Christians and says, “they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
Concerning eternal life, we should have no desire to simply hope we are “lucky enough to get to heaven.”
We want the assurance of living in God’s presence forever. The apostle John wrote about having such assurance. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). What is written in the Scriptures are the very directions we need to have and to obey in order to receive a home in heaven.
It would be tragic to go through life thinking that we were serving God and then to learn on the Day of Judgment that we had only been following the teachings of men. We can be sure that this will not happen if we will simply let the Bible, not other ideas, opinions or writings, be our guide for all that we do in obedience, worship, service and daily living.
The Bible is not a book that is too hard for people to understand. Like all other books you read, the Bible simply asks for a fair reading. As people do this, many have easily found that several of the things they have heard about religion is not contained in the Scriptures. A fair reading of the Bible has changed the direction of many lives.
Not only do these see what it took to provide our forgiveness, but also the obedience required by the Lord to receive His forgiveness (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4).
The joy the obedient now find with such spiritual assurance is inexpressible.
Notice how the apostle Peter describes this. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:69).
