Chapter 7 of the New Testament book of Matthew highlights the criteria for living eternally with the Lord Jesus Christ. This chapter features statements by Jesus.
The key statements are captured in Matthew 7:21-23.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’ But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’
What is evil? To be sure, if you practice evil, you will not enjoy eternal life with Jesus. The dire consequences of dying in sin are articulated in Mark 9:42-50.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the fire of hell, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
Everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be salted with salt. “Salt is good. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”
I have known people who deferred making a will thinking doing so would prolong their lives. Well, not exactly.
We all have an appointment with a physical death, as stated in Hebrews 9:27-28. “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him.“
What is the purpose of salt? Salt is used to slow the decay of flesh. Salt can’t preserve flesh forever. One duty of true believers in Jesus Christ is to slow the decay of sinners. Not my words. These are God’s words.
You have cast demons out of someone and have done good works in Jesus’ name. Do these acts confirm your Christianity?
How can you be certain you are not a child of God? Do you believe you lack the assurance of forgiveness of sins? Does the promise of eternal life with Jesus not belong to you?
Let’s get to the heart of the matter. By heart, I do not refer to your blood-pumping heart. In this context, the word heart means the center of your total personality.
- If you are pure in your heart, you will see God. Matthew 5:8
- Are your ears dull to the Word of God? You will not see Him. Matthew 13:15
- Do you think about evil in your heart? You will not see Him. Matthew 9:4
- Are sexual immorality and adultery in your heart? You will not see Him. Matthew 15:19
Jesus teaching, as recorded in Matthew 15:18-19, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies.“
In 1 Timothy 6:20, the Apostle Paul warned Timothy, “O Timothy, guard that which is committed to your trust. Avoid profane babblings and opposing views from so-called knowledge.“
To be clear, profane means unholy. It is not devoted to holy or religious purposes. It also represents irreverence or contempt for God or sacred principles or things. The word profane comes from Latin profānus, meaning “outside the temple.”
What is coming out of your mouth?
You can faithfully attend church and miss heaven. You can sing hymns and do good deeds and miss heaven.
If you do not truly know God in a personal way, you will miss heaven.
1 John 4:8, in my opinion, is the most important verse in the entire Bible. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
What do those words mean? The meaning of the verb ‘love’ is ambiguous to English and Spanish speakers. The depth of this word is best understood from the Greek and Latin languages. The Greek verb for love is ἀγαπῶν (agapao).
Let’s focus on the Latin version. Qui non diligit, non novit Deum: quoniam Deus caritas est. The verb diligit, like the Greek word ἀγαπῶν, means unconditional love. Our English word diligent was derived from the Latin verb diligit. “He who does not unconditionally love does not know God because God is love.”
Going to church does not make you a Christian. Similarly, going into a garage does not make you a car.
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful works in Your name?’ But then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice evil.’ Matthew 7:22-23
What is in your heart?
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 