I hope today was a good one for you. So lets get right to it.
Do you know people in your lives that say they are a Christian but you can not see any change in them? Are you one of them? Are you the type of person that will make it to church each Sunday, but have no desire to spend time with Christ throughout the week?
Do you think you know someone like this? Most of us can say yes we know people like this. Yes they go to church on Sunday, but they truly have no desire to change for the better. They may even say "this is how God made me". Or my favorite, "well at least I'm not a hypocrite."
That one makes no sense to me. So basically they are saying, I know I'm not doing well and I have no desire to change who I am. Wow! That's Scary. I used to have a friend who would tell me, "my mother has enough religion for the both of us". I used to say to him religion doesn't get you in heaven, but having a relationship with Christ is your only way. Your momma is not going to help if you die first. Not that if she died first would help either, but that's what I would say. He would always laugh and make fun of me for being a Baptist. He would tell me all Baptist are hypocrites. I would just say, "I just thought we were sinners". I never really got far with this man growing up, but I think he liked and respected me for standing up to him.
We are going to have friends, family members, teachers, and yes even church members who claim to be a Christian, but unfortunately they are not getting in to Heaven.
Mathew 7:21-23 says 21 “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. 22 "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'?" 23 "And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness'."
I read this and it kinda makes me sad. We know people who do all these great and wonderful things with charity's, or give money all the time to the church, but have no desire to have a personal relationship with Christ. Why?
We all know it's a daily choice how we want to live our lives. For me personally I know I'm not perfect, but I do know I want to grow closer to Jesus. Do you want to grow closer to Christ but not sure how to do it? May I recommend you pick up your Bible and start spending time reading it. Maybe sacrifice a TV show, video games, social media, or even work for an hour. Can you imagine trying to grow closer, or having a relationship with someone without ever talking to them? It can't happen! That is exactly what Jesus is saying in this verse. "I do not know you!" What can you do if he says this to you? Isn't that scary? If you have accepted Christ you obviously did it for a reason. Was it just for Fire Insurance, or do you really want a relationship? Only you can decide. Only you can decide you want to change you!
God bless,
E. Talk