Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone
who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom
of Heaven. Only those who actually
do the will of My Father in heaven will enter."
As I read this verse I think different thoughts. First I feel sad for those that won't enter the gates of heaven. It makes me want to quickly run out in the street and yell out "people... please surrender your hearts to your Creator and Redeemer!" I want to say "God is good and loves you. He is waiting for you to willingly turn towards Him." I also want to say "God has a plan for you and is in control of everything, pick the winning team!" I am frustrated because of my love for others. I want them to live for eternity.
God's original intent was that we would live without the curse of sin in this world. Unfortunately we chose sin over obedience to God. Since Adam and Eve, all of mankind has lived with natural disasters, birth defects, guilt, discord and many other unpleasant things. Yet out of His great love & grace, God chose Jesus to pay the way for us to enter heaven. Some may think that when we die, we automatically all go to heaven, but this verse says different. There are really only 2 roads... Ours or the Way of our Father. We were bought at a price and that price was the life of Jesus. When we say to God that we believe He exists, we get to choose- accept or reject Him. There is no middle ground. God made His choice when He chose us first.
Some may say it is works that get us into heaven. While others may say that it is not what we do that gets us to heaven, it is faith. It is true that it is impossible to please God without faith and that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, not by works so no one can boast. But I believe it is a matter of our hearts. God is seeking those who have turned their hearts and wills over to Him and devoted their life to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:15 "He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."
Romans 11:6-7 "And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. So this is the situation: Most of the people ... have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened."
God can see the intent of our heart when we use words to uplift or to tear down. He can see if we are seeking Him and His plans or if we have selfish ambition. He knows if what we do is to glorify our self and to build our kingdom or to glorify Him and His kingdom. A heart that is hardened won't listen to God's prompting or have a desire to do that which pleases him. It is not a heart of devotion to Jesus as the Lord and Master of their life.
Matthew 7:14-21 "But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter."
*If you have been lost, seek God and read His love letter & road map to
guide you- the Bible.
*If you know someone that is on their own path and headed for destruction- Pray and Love them.
*If you have been rejected for your faith and turned away by others- Seek the comfort of Your heavenly Father who will never leave you or give up on you.
I pray right now for those that may not have surrendered their hearts to you God. Those who have not made Jesus Master of their life. I pray for a miracle and for hearts to be softened. Lord give us a heart for the ones you have chosen. Help them to listen to your voice.
God wants our hearts. Lets not give up or loose hope on those He loves. Afterall, He didn't give up on us... God is mighty to save.
As I read this verse I think different thoughts. First I feel sad for those that won't enter the gates of heaven. It makes me want to quickly run out in the street and yell out "people... please surrender your hearts to your Creator and Redeemer!" I want to say "God is good and loves you. He is waiting for you to willingly turn towards Him." I also want to say "God has a plan for you and is in control of everything, pick the winning team!" I am frustrated because of my love for others. I want them to live for eternity.
God's original intent was that we would live without the curse of sin in this world. Unfortunately we chose sin over obedience to God. Since Adam and Eve, all of mankind has lived with natural disasters, birth defects, guilt, discord and many other unpleasant things. Yet out of His great love & grace, God chose Jesus to pay the way for us to enter heaven. Some may think that when we die, we automatically all go to heaven, but this verse says different. There are really only 2 roads... Ours or the Way of our Father. We were bought at a price and that price was the life of Jesus. When we say to God that we believe He exists, we get to choose- accept or reject Him. There is no middle ground. God made His choice when He chose us first.
Some may say it is works that get us into heaven. While others may say that it is not what we do that gets us to heaven, it is faith. It is true that it is impossible to please God without faith and that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, not by works so no one can boast. But I believe it is a matter of our hearts. God is seeking those who have turned their hearts and wills over to Him and devoted their life to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:15 "He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."
Romans 11:6-7 "And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. So this is the situation: Most of the people ... have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened."
God can see the intent of our heart when we use words to uplift or to tear down. He can see if we are seeking Him and His plans or if we have selfish ambition. He knows if what we do is to glorify our self and to build our kingdom or to glorify Him and His kingdom. A heart that is hardened won't listen to God's prompting or have a desire to do that which pleases him. It is not a heart of devotion to Jesus as the Lord and Master of their life.
Matthew 7:14-21 "But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter."
Jesus
came with a heart to do the will of the Father and with the motive of love to
help save the lost. 2 Peter 3:9b “He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone
to come to repentance.”
*If you know someone that is on their own path and headed for destruction- Pray and Love them.
*If you have been rejected for your faith and turned away by others- Seek the comfort of Your heavenly Father who will never leave you or give up on you.
I pray right now for those that may not have surrendered their hearts to you God. Those who have not made Jesus Master of their life. I pray for a miracle and for hearts to be softened. Lord give us a heart for the ones you have chosen. Help them to listen to your voice.
God wants our hearts. Lets not give up or loose hope on those He loves. Afterall, He didn't give up on us... God is mighty to save.
2 comments:
Well said! It is a challenging truth to accept that not all will enter heaven (and that good works are not the way to heaven), especially when we know many people who do good works and/or are close to some who have not accepted Christ as their saviour; but God's word is truth and it clearly tells us as much - and this is a truth that I didn't understand until recently so it is very refreshing to see this post in hopes that it will bring some understanding to someone else who was lost/confused/naive as I was.
This truth is also important for us to keep in mind so we can lift these people up in prayer, asking God to soften their hearts and draw them near to Him. (And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight - 1 John 3:22; Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. - James 5:15)
I also pray that God will continue to change me - to make his light shine through me so that those who know me, and those who I meet, will be encouraged to seek Him who has brought me so much Joy and Peace. (Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. - 1 Peter 2:12; Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and revernce of your lives. - 1 Peter 3:1-2)
As tempting as it is to worry about these people we are reminded that worrying is of no value, that rather we need to pray for them and love them:
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? - Matthew 6:27;Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6; Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. - Romans 12:9
Thanks for this post! It got me to do some more thinking and scripture searching :)
Hey Trista,
Thanks for your comment. :) It is tempting to get wrapped up in concern for others but I think our concern is an alert from God to pray, pray, pray and TRUST God. Jesus is there for us to rest in when we are seeking peace above what we can see.
Psalm 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but You (God)? I desire You more than anything on earth."
We can have hope for those that are lost because GOD is able. He also makes a promise to us that have turned towards Him.
Deuteronomy 5:7-10 "You must not have any other god but Me. "You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject Me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey My commands."
Praise God that He will lavish love on our kids because we have chosen to follow Him!! :)
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