JUN 22

Matthew 7:21-27
Memorise Matthew 7:21
"...but he that doeth the will of my Father..."

Yesterday, we learnt that, to serve God well, it is not enough to be faithful and sincere, but we must also understand God’s will, through a deep understanding of His Word! But it is not enough to just understand God’s will, for after we know it, we must also make sure we do it! Knowledge of God’s will in itself is useless, if it is not obeyed.

That is why in Matthew 7:21, the Lord Jesus Christ gives a very stern warning to all of us. Not everyone who calls the name of the Lord is truly saved, and will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. In fact, there would be those who think they are saved, but are in actual fact not. They would even be prophesying, casting out devils and doing works in the name of the Lord, but God will not recognize those works. Jesus’ response in the subsequent verses showed that they were just doing those things out of their own selfish ignorance, and not serving God at all. Those works would be regarded by God as works of iniquity. Why? Because they never did the will of God (v. 21). They were works done from an unregenerate heart, based on a wrong understanding of God, built upon the foundation of sand and not rock. Ultimately these sinners will be rejected by God, and they have no place in the kingdom of heaven.

For us who know God and are certain of our salvation, it is important that we do our best to obey the will of God. Jesus says that this is how everyone who has a place in the kingdom of heaven would behave. It ought to be our natural response to all that God has done for us. Just like a filial child would want to please his parents by obeying them, we as the children of God would love to do the will of our Father which is in heaven.

Thought: Is it possible to be a Christian but not want to do the will of God?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, our minds are prone to wander. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us through the strait gate, into the narrow way, to the glorious destination.