August 15, 2018 - - Matthew 7:21-23 - - Sobering words leading to life
/“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one 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 workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV
Westminster Confession of Faith X Effectual Calling
IV. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.
The passage from Matthew and the words of the Westminster are some of the most sobering words I have read in a very long time! Forsake the world and come to Jesus while there is yet time.
G. I. Williamson writes:
"Christ's parable of the sower and the soils reminds us that it is possible to give every appearance of being in possession of faith and obedient for a time, and even to evidence great zeal for the things of Christ, and then to lose all interest or even to lapse into hostility to the kingdom.
"The Scripture itself, therefore, leads us to the conclusion that it is possible to have very uplifting, ennobling, reforming, and exhilarating experience of the power and truth of the gospel, to come into such close contact with the supernatural forces which are operative in God's kingdom of grace that these forces produce effects in us which to human observation are hardly distinguishable from those produced by God's regenerating and sanctifying grace, and yet be not partakers of Christ and heirs of eternal life."
pages 122 - 123
Now is the day of salvation.
Now is the day to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus.
Your Word, O God, promises "he who has the Son has life; and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life". Let Christ, the true light that gives life to all who believe, take up residence in the hearts of those who cry out to Him. Spirit of God, remove the hard heart of stone and give to those crying out to Jesus a heart of tender flesh which yearns for Christ and walks in obedience to Him. Amen.
