Matthew 7:21,24-27
Jesus said to his disciples, “Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’ 24 “All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock. 26 “But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. 27 For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”
Food for thought
It is not enough to know. It is equally important to do and to be. In Mark 1:24 a devil saw Jesus and said to him: “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Yet, it did not trust nor believe in him. In other words, words are not enough.
Another simple example: if your husband or wife, or son or daughter, or friend says all the time (that is, talks to you) that they love you, that you are sweet heart, darling, honey, etc., but keeps doing (that is, works) things that hurt you. Will you believe what they say? Will you take as serious someone who says one thing and does another? The answer of course is NOT; you will not. That is what Jesus means by these words: "Not all who sound religious are really godly people."
There is only one way in which our sincerity can be proved, and that is by works practice. Fine words can never be a substitute for fine works. So often we confess God with our lips and deny him with our lives. It is not difficult to recite a creed, to say prayers, even to go to church or to Bible study meetings.
So as we go to church, kneel down to pray, as we read the Bible, we should remember that all of that we are doing is not enough; it is just the beginning. The second part is to act as the Lord has told us in the prayer, or from the Bible reading. All these things only become relevant when they are translated into action. Many of us would perfectly pass an examination in Christian religion with the highest distinction, and yet fail in Christian living. Knowledge must become action; theory must become practice; theology must become life.
Not only you and me do not want false loves, false friends; Jesus too does not; he does not get impressed by our prayers, songs, praises, if and when we do things that hurt him. It is by doing the will of his Father in heaven that we show and prove that he is our Lord; it is not by Lord, Lord…! It is by doing the will of the Father and not of the people.
Jesus said to his disciples, “Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’ 24 “All who listen to my instructions and follow them are wise, like a man who builds his house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents, and the floods rise and the storm winds beat against his house, it won’t collapse, for it is built on rock. 26 “But those who hear my instructions and ignore them are foolish, like a man who builds his house on sand. 27 For when the rains and floods come, and storm winds beat against his house, it will fall with a mighty crash.”
Food for thought
It is not enough to know. It is equally important to do and to be. In Mark 1:24 a devil saw Jesus and said to him: “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Yet, it did not trust nor believe in him. In other words, words are not enough.
Another simple example: if your husband or wife, or son or daughter, or friend says all the time (that is, talks to you) that they love you, that you are sweet heart, darling, honey, etc., but keeps doing (that is, works) things that hurt you. Will you believe what they say? Will you take as serious someone who says one thing and does another? The answer of course is NOT; you will not. That is what Jesus means by these words: "Not all who sound religious are really godly people."
There is only one way in which our sincerity can be proved, and that is by works practice. Fine words can never be a substitute for fine works. So often we confess God with our lips and deny him with our lives. It is not difficult to recite a creed, to say prayers, even to go to church or to Bible study meetings.
So as we go to church, kneel down to pray, as we read the Bible, we should remember that all of that we are doing is not enough; it is just the beginning. The second part is to act as the Lord has told us in the prayer, or from the Bible reading. All these things only become relevant when they are translated into action. Many of us would perfectly pass an examination in Christian religion with the highest distinction, and yet fail in Christian living. Knowledge must become action; theory must become practice; theology must become life.
Not only you and me do not want false loves, false friends; Jesus too does not; he does not get impressed by our prayers, songs, praises, if and when we do things that hurt him. It is by doing the will of his Father in heaven that we show and prove that he is our Lord; it is not by Lord, Lord…! It is by doing the will of the Father and not of the people.
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