“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.”
Matthew 7:21/NIV
Mankind is a creation of God who has been made in the “freewill” style capable of independently making decisions and carrying out actions. Humans are not pre-programmed robots placed on autopilot with a set destination or purpose in life. We can make our own decisions with subsequent and related actions for the purpose of great importance. Some folks have much compassion for the needs of others, and that is where you see them at work! There are also those around us who appear self-centered and seek to only take care of themselves.
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 that when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior by faith, we have achieved salvation through God’s grace, not our actions. Upon receiving salvation, then what? Ephesians 2:10 provides that answer: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). That tells us God created us for a reason which involves doing the work He has prepared for us to do. The work prepared for us to accomplish could involve being like Jesus Christ and taking care of others.
Matthew 7:22 reflects people that may have an impure heart and motives leading to actions that may bring rewards to themselves and not others: “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?’ (NIV). People who have been called on their impure hearts may seek to plea their case and seek recognition for their efforts. Jesus clarifies that their actions were improper and did not recognize their efforts: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:23/NIV).
With the teaching provided, Jesus is seeking to point out the qualities and differences between true and false disciples. It would be good for us to analyze what we treasure because that will guide our hearts and motivation to engage in certain behaviors. If seeking to be a “true” disciple of Jesus Christ, one recommendation is to read about Him in the Bible, understand what He treasured, and know where His heart was when he walked the earth. He did tell Peter if he loved Him, he should take care of God’s lambs and tend to the sheep (humanity). This behavior will certainly reflect the “will of the Heavenly Father!”
Many blessings to you!
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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