I used to blog daily, but cut that down to just the weekends when I changed jobs in April 2008. Thanks to the suggestion of one reader who asked me to take a 40-day fast from blogging sometime last month, the LORD has inspired me to instead embark on a 40-day fEast, ie to blog for 40 consecutive days.
And He has indeed shown Himself faithful to give me the strength to do so, so much so that there was even a forward-log (ie. blog entries were postdated because at times, He would so inspire me to have 3 or even 4 blog entries in a day).
Anyway, today marks the 40th day of that fEast, and what better way to mark the end than by reviewing the 6th and final bestselling book found at the fictional Mt Sinai Resources.
One of the favourite passages that law-based preachers like to quote from is Matt 7:21, where Jesus said that "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
This is used to warn their congregation that they may lose their salvation.
In fact, this was the very passage that Paul Washer referred to in his sermon "The Shocking Youth Message", which I blogged about here.
However, what they seem to have failed to do is to read this verse in its context. The next two verses say, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(bold and italics added by me for emphasis)
On that day refers to the day when Jesus reveals to everyone that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When that happens, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And "every knee" and "every tongue" refers to everyone, whatever religion he may be embracing or not embracing. On that day, every single person, be it the most pious monk or the most-wanted criminal, will acknowledge and call Jesus, "Lord, Lord".
There are some out there who kill in the name of their "God". There are others who even do good deeds in the name of their "God". But if their God is not Jesus Christ, then Jesus has every right in saying to them that He never knew them.
As for you, dear child of the Most High God, once you have believed in your heart and confessed with your lips that Jesus is Lord, your salvation is assured. Period. If Jesus has assured us that He will never leave us or forsake us, is it not illogical to interpret this verse about Him denying ever knowing us as referring to us New Covenant believers?
4 comments:
Hi Mal,
This is my personal observation: when a preacher is preaching law or a mixture of law and grace, his sermons will be filled with contradictions eg. warning that we may lose our salvation if we do not do God's will but God has already said He will never leave us nor forsake us.
I feel that the main reason for these preachers' "schizophrenic" sermons is this: they still have not figured out the true nature of the God they worship, the God who wrote the Book they are basing their sermons on.
Many preachers like to preach that God is love but above all else, God is holy and just. Therefore we must strive to live a holy life to meet his standards otherwise we will have to face His wrath.
I submit to you that this is the true nature of God - above all else, God is love:
1 John 4:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8) But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9) God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
10) This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Yes, God is love, but God is also holy and just:
Ezekiel 18:4 (New Living Translation)
For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.
Romans 3:23 (New Living Translation)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
We all have to die because we fall short of God's glorious standard - God is holy and just.
But we don't have to die because above all else, God is love. How does God reconcile His holiness and justice with His love?
Romans 3:24 (New Living Translation)
Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Yes, we don't deserve it but God freed us from the penalty for our sins through Christ Jesus - God is love and Jesus is the personification of His love.
If certain passages in the bible seem to contradict, then we must interpret those passages in the light of the true nature of the author - God, and God is love.
When preachers preach in that light, their sermons will inevitably be full of Jesus because you cannot talk about God's love without talking about Jesus.
Wonderful post! Keep it up, bro.
Feel free to visit my updated blog @ http://cyberanger.blogspot.com/
I would like to bring up an interesting point...
the word used in the bible quote that is so misquoted says "Lord Lord" which Pastor once taught us means "Adonai, Adonai" in Hebrew and refers to "Judgement God".
We refer to Jesus as our LORD - "Yahweh" who is our "Covenant Friend"!! =D
The people of the world (who do not accept Jesus as their Saviour) will see Him as a judge to be feared.
Those of us in Christ, who have a covenant of mercy, love and compassion sealed in His blood upon us through His perfect work on the cross, will see Him as our Shepherd, our Covenant Friend to be worshipped and praised! =D
Hallelujah! =)
Also - today is the last of the 40 day FEast ah? T.T Can we feast some more? Keke. May Abba continue to inspire you and may the Holy Spirit touch hearts through your writings and reflections more and more!
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