“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 NKJV
As we live in a time where many end-time prophecies are likely to be fulfilled, a question comes to mind. “Will we go to heaven on Judgment Day?”
“Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom…”
Some of us may be wary or even a little skeptical about whether we will be welcomed into heaven when the appointed time comes.
Especially when I come across a scripture like this:
“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my heavenly Father.Many will say to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, we will prophesy in your name; Have you not therefore cast out demons and performed many miracles in your name? And at that time I will declare to them, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness!” 7:21-23 NKJV
If these people who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many miracles in the name of Jesus could not enter heaven, how does that stack up with ordinary Christians like me?
And if faith is a prerequisite for salvation, why were these people who believed in God severely rebuked instead of praised?
The key to these questions is found in the last word of this verse, “lawless.”
These people were rebuked by God even though they advertised their loyalty to God and openly rebelled against God’s commands. Their faith was not real. Because true faith should act as a catalyst for profound changes in our inner lives, shaping us into people who reflect the character of Christ.
That is why God has asked us to imitate the admirable qualities of his innocent children. It is a necessary condition for entering heaven.
Children’s innocence, meekness, humility, and the way they easily forgive others without holding a grudge speak to their kind and generous hearts. And most of all, they have a complete lack of confidence in their abilities, a quality that the world does not enthusiastically approve of, yet they find favor in God’s eyes.
Don’t get me wrong. Self-reliance is not a bad thing if our choices and actions are based on wisdom. But God is pleased with those who depend solely on the Lord’s goodness for their sustenance and are anxious about relying on their own wisdom to manage their lives.
Like children who depend on their parents for survival, the Lord wants us to depend on Him and consult Him in every decision we make, both in good times and in adversity. why? Because surrendering our lives to God reflects humility and deep trust and respect for our Maker.
“But without faith it is impossible to please God, for those who come to God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 KJV
faith and good deeds
Faith must go hand in hand with good deeds. As written:
“Brothers, what good is it if someone has faith but not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and in need of daily food, and one of you says to him, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed, and be filled,’ and you do not provide for the body, what good is it? So faith, too, without works is dead in itself.” 2:14-17 NKJV
Therefore, if we profess our faith in God but continue to be trapped in sin without shame or fear of its repercussions, our faith is fundamentally lacking in integrity.
Matthew 7:21 (NIV) says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
And in John 14:15 (NKJV) we read, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
The Spirit of God can work powerfully in our lives only if our faith in God is genuine and comes from the heart, without falsehood or pretense. Then resisting sin will not be so difficult as the Spirit of God draws us to do what is good and right in God’s eyes.
Considering this, do we need to be morally perfect to enter heaven?
No, definitely not. Because there is no perfect human being except God. God understands that we are powerless and prone to succumb to our fallen nature. God sent us the Messiah because we cannot get to heaven on our own.
Nevertheless, once we are redeemed by Christ, we can no longer blame our fallen nature as an excuse to wallow in sin. Because once we accept Jesus as our Savior, God’s Spirit empowers us and guides our steps along the path of righteous living.
We may still stumble from time to time, but the Spirit helps us overcome our trespasses and not continue to commit sins that are clearly contrary to God’s teachings.
However, even though we are prone to sin, the Lord still calls us to put on the full armor of God and strive for holiness so that we can withstand the cunning plans of the enemy.
“I am the Lord your God. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44 NKJV
Like any relationship, our affinity with Spirit requires concerted effort to ensure the desired outcome.
As Jesus once said, “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). This word means that we too must do our part, allowing the Holy Spirit to fill our being, surrendering our desires and desires to what God has in mind for our lives.
Walk and Live in the Spirit
As moral depravity becomes the norm in many liberal societies, Christians must be beacons of light. And in order to be a light in this increasingly dark world, we must strive to walk and live in the Spirit.
“Therefore I say, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, for the flesh desires to be contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit to be contrary to the flesh. They contradict each other, so you cannot do anything you desire. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:16-18 NIV
We must serve as a light to both unbelievers and fellow believers. Because in doing so, we inspire each other to live lives of obedience. Therefore, when a fellow believer staggers, we need to condemn sin, but it must be done in a spirit of kindness. It’s not about being self-righteous, it’s about denouncing sin for what it is. Although God rebukes us for judging others, we are encouraged to correct one another so as not to stray from God’s ways and to prevent sin from wreaking havoc in our lives.
And as we see our time on earth drawing to a close as prophecies about global cataclysms continue to unfold, let us remember what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV). I was looking forward to his appearance. ”
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