Beech Tree News Network

When Jesus preached His “Sermon on the Mount,” He said: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23).

Jesus pointed out that simply saying Jesus is “Lord” or merely stating one’s faith in Christ is not enough to save man (Jas. 2:24, 26). The word “Lord” means sovereign, ruler, or master. Since this is true, it is not enough to say Jesus is our Lord. We must live it (Heb. 5:9). The book of Luke records where Jesus asked, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46). Now that we understand what “Lord” means, we can also understand the frustration Jesus was expressing. Why did people call Him “master” but not do what He said? Was He really their master?

Matthew 7:22-23 says that one day Jesus will confront folks who say “Lord, Lord.” They will plead that they “prophesied,” “cast out devils,” and did “many wonderful works” in His name. Christ will say, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” These people were guilty of acting without authority (law) though they said, “Lord, Lord”! It was not enough to claim Christ was their master and ruler. They had to abide by His will and had not been doing it!

Let us examine ourselves. Are we only offering lip service to God? Are we saying the “right things” but not living the right way (Matt. 5:16)? The apostle Paul warned Titus that there were folks in the first century who “profess that they know God; but in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16). Could we be guilty of this, too? Paul made a similar point to the Romans when he asked, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” (Rom. 2:21-23). This passage shows us how the apostle Paul got to the heart of the matter. In effect, folks said, “Lord, Lord,” but refused to obey. They may have been teaching the truth, but they refused to be submissive! They were wrong! Passages like Romans 2 and Matthew 7 demand we seriously examine our lives (II Cor. 13:5)!

Are we saying “Lord, Lord” but are not doing what the Lord says? Friends, how can we expect to see Heaven if we are acting like those folks in Matthew 7:21 and saying “Lord, Lord” but are not doing what the Lord said? The truth is, we won’t (Matt. 7:23)! Let us learn from Matthew 7:21-23. Let us make sure we are not only confessing Christ as “Lord,” but are also doing what the Lord said (Titus 1:16)! This is not the “easy way,” but it is the best way!

-- You are invited to visit the Caneyville church of Christ. Times of services: Sun.: 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 5:00 pm; Wed.: 7:00 pm. Website: http://caneyvillechurchofchrist.com Tune in to our radio program 101.5 FM at 5:30 am, Mon-Fri. Questions? Call: (270) 589-4167