Ye often hear it said ...

by Dave Brown

 

Ye often hear it said ...

“God’s love is so great that no one could be condemned.”

but Jesus said (Mt. 7:21) ...

“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.”

Jesus goes on to say ... “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.’”  This is not talking about cold-blooded murderers, rapists or child molesters.  It is talking about religious people ... people who thought they had all of the bases covered ... people who had no reservation but to plead their case before Jesus.

Continue reading in Mt. 7 and you see that Jesus follows up this saying with the story of the wise man and the foolish man, and summarizes with: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and {yet} it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.”  God has provided us with all that we need to escape the consequences of our sins and be forever with Him in eternity.  He wants us to accept His promises and act upon our faith in Him to do those things that are required so that this is a reality.  Who will enter the eternal kingdom of heaven?  “... he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”