Simply Jesus Pt. 3: Not Everyone Who Says, “Lord, Lord”…

If you’ve been in ministry for twelve years like I have, chances are good that you’ve been cussed out by a church member a time or two. The first incident happened in my early years the day after I observed one of my youth workers teaching a guys’ Sunday school class. Not surprisingly, the issue revolved around the simple words of Christ.

He was teaching my students a lesson on Matthew 7, specifically these words of Jesus:

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. … Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” – Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23

The youth worker was advocating his belief that because God is such a merciful God, eventually, most people are going to go to heaven. Before I walked in the room, I had planned on not saying anything during the lesson, but when I heard those words, I couldn’t hold back. I immediately asked the group if that’s what the Scripture we just read teaches. I felt the man’s eyes digging into me like daggers.

Needless to say, it got a little bit awkward.

One student pointed out that the text seemed to teach that most people will reject Jesus to their own destruction. Others agreed with him, and I affirmed their simple reading of Jesus’ words. I then asked the group how we should live if Jesus really meant what He said. They said that it was imperative to obey His commandments and teach others to do the same… to walk the walk and not just talk a good game.

The next morning I was given the opportunity to practice Jesus’ command to bless those who curse you. Though that didn’t feel good, it was worth it to teach my students to not first pass Jesus’ words through the filter of their feelings.

Today’s American Christian culture is quite feelings-driven. For instance, ‘loving God’ is often defined as embracing one’s complete acceptance in Jesus, rather than the biblical definition of choosing to obey God’s choices by His power.

Nick Hall is the founder and chief communicator for Pulse and Together 2016, an enormous faith-based event that just took place in Washington DC. He also wrote the book, Reset. Hall has been called the Billy Graham of the next generation, so if you haven’t heard about him yet, you probably will.

In the YouVersion devotional plan for his book Reset, Hall writes this about the kind of relationship Jesus wants to have with us:

Rather than being our own personal genie, God is much more like a true friend. He’s someone we can come to when we’re happy or when we need to vent – and He welcomes us either way. … God isn’t interested in weighing us down with rules and requirements. – Excerpts from the 7-Day Reset with Jesus Devotional Plan

I used to believe that it was only Hollywood that promoted the buddy Christ. Now, it unfortunately appears that the Church is waving his flag.

Fellow Christian, are you afraid of suffering for your faith? Are you worried about being persecuted for following Jesus? Then here’s a solution for you: Join up with the buddy Christ crowd who says that God isn’t interested in you obeying His rules and requirements.

Do you know why? That kind of Christianity is the sort that governments are more than okay with. That kind of Christianity isn’t threatening to the domain of darkness or any system of the world. You’ll be safe and sound. (At least until you meet God.)

However, the kind of Christians governments and rulers of darkness fear are the kind that unwaveringly believe and live out the simple words of Christ. So like the early Christians, may you display your discipleship more with an obedient life than with merely your lips. And in doing so, may you emit the fragrance of the life of Christ to a deceived and dying world.

Let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to not be Christians, even though they profess with their lips the precepts of Christ. For it is not those who make profession, but those who do the works that shall be saved, according to His word: “Not every one who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.” – Justin Martyr, Volume 1, p. 257 [CD-ROM]