Relationship with Jesus Is More Important Than Recognition
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“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.” (Matt 7:21 NIV84) [see these verses in their context below]
Who is a true Christian?
Many people profess a belief in God. According to various polls, a majority of Americans have some belief in God. But this does not translate into people who identify as Christian believers. But this is only part of the picture when it comes to faith and belief.
The trend of people who identify as believers or Christians continues to decline. This is documented in several polls. Perhaps the most surprising finding is the percentage of believers without a biblical worldview.
Among people who say they are born again, only one-fifth hold to a biblical worldview. This percentage drops dramatically among charismatic or pentecostal churches (only 16%), mainline Protestants (8%), and only 1% in Catholic churches. And only 2% of believers between 18-29 years hold a biblical worldview.
Even before the current pandemic when churches stopped meeting in person, church attendance has been on a steady decline.
Although church attendance is not required to be born again or hold to Christian beliefs, this decline is an indication of the decline and weakness of American Christianity, which is more rapid and pervasive in other western nations.
The good news for those of us who are followers of Jesus is the growth of Christian believers in many other nations. Nations who were once the destination of missionaries are now sending out their own missionaries! And yet, there are still many unreached and unengaged people groups in the world.
Insights to consider
The number of unengaged people in America continues to increase and it’s not because of immigration from other nations. The cultural influence of moral relativism and the declining impact of the church, especially to reach younger generations, produces a larger percentage of people unengaged with the gospel.
As mentioned before, moral relativism and a vague populist view of what it means to be a Christian and go to heaven produce a shallow concept of belief in God. Relative morality, self-importance, and political influence undermine what Jesus said the nature of the Kingdom of God is.
Perhaps we’ve lost the sense of meaning for the word or title of Lord. The word for Lord in the original language of the Bible simply means a sovereign ruler. It can also include the meaning of master but the context here in the Sermon on the Mount is related to who Jesus is as the Messiah (or Christ).
In America, we tend to resent and even reject class distinctions and often challenge those in authority. We see it as our right under the US Constitution. We claim that equality and democracy ought to remove such barriers to our freedoms.
But the removal of all positions of authority results in anarchy, not equality. Citizens in the Kingdom of God acknowledge the Lord Jesus as the ruler of our lives and are promised and experience true equality as expressed in the practice of the Lord’s Supper (Mark 10:43-45; 1 Cor 10:16-17; 11:17-20, 33-34).
True equality exists within God’s Kingdom because God humbled Himself to become human. Jesus, although God in nature, set aside His authority as God to be born into a family of no importance to the world.
Although He was the Creator who spoke life into existence, Jesus laid His life down to submit Himself and will to the Father (John 10:17-18). He surrendered His life on the cross for our redemption (Phil 2:5-8).
What did Jesus do while on earth? He did what the Father directed Him to say and do (John 4:34; 7:16). When His appointed time came to go to the cross as the Lamb of God, He submitted Himself to the Father (Matt 26:36-44).
This is what all followers of Jesus are called to do—submit ourselves to the Lord and do His will. This is why true equality exists within God’s Kingdom. We surrender our lives to the One who surrendered Himself to redeem us from the power of sin, death, and the devil (Heb 2:14-18).
This is the earmark of true citizens of the Kingdom of God—they choose to do the will of God as their highest good. They don’t strive to do good works but to please the Lord of their lives.
True Wisdom
At first glance, these words of warning from Jesus may seem hard to accept. If people acknowledge Jesus as the Lord, why would they not enter the Kingdom of God? Shouldn’t they get His recognition for all their efforts at doing good?
Claiming Jesus as your Lord isn’t the same as surrendering your life to Him as your Lord.
Here’s how the Message expresses it—
“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills… And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit….’ (Matt 7:21-23 MSG)
Jesus makes it clear when He says—“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.” This should remind us of “the narrow gate” and of Jesus’ warning about those in “sheep’s clothing.”
Citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to do the will of the Father not their own. This is what it means to have Jesus as our Lord.
When we choose the will of the Father, we have to abandon our own selfish will. This means that selfish ambition and self-importance are contrary to the values honored in God’s Kingdom.
The Lord is clear about all our efforts for His sake not being sufficient for entering His kingdom. Religion often focuses on self-efforts at being good and doing good things for the cause of Christ. But this leads to our expectation of God’s recognition of us as good enough for His kingdom.
But Jesus wants us to be in right relationship with Him rather than doing things in His name to try to please the Lord and gain God’s favor. His favor—the loving-kindness of God—is only received because of His grace as we choose to do His will rather than our own.
On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles for the sake of your name?’ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’ (Matt 7:22-23 TPT)
The Lord doesn’t need to join us in what we do by our efforts to be godly. We need to join Him as the Lord who comes alongside us to do His will (Matt 11:29).
Are you looking and striving for God’s recognition as a good person?
What the Lord Jesus desires is a relationship with you on His terms, not yours.
Reflection—
The Lord Jesus is clear about all our efforts for His sake not being sufficient for entering His kingdom. He wants us to be in right relationship with Him. Citizens of God’s Kingdom are called to do the will of the Father not their own. This is what it means to have Jesus as our Lord.
Prayer Focus—
Do you have difficulty accepting Jesus as your Lord? If and when you do, or struggle with this in daily life, ask the Lord to remind you of how He humbled Himself for you and me. Ask the Lord to guide you by His Spirit to surrender your will and life to Him on a daily basis.
Devo Scripture Text
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.“
“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.’”
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
(Matthew 7:13-29 NIV84)