One of the most sobering passages of Scripture tells of a day when many who consider themselves to be followers of Jesus will be stunned to find out that he doesn’t even recognize them.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
-Matthew 7:21-23
Is your relationship with Jesus just a casual weekend thing or are you fully committed? Fans often confuse their admiration for devotion. They mistake the knowledge of Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. How many think they can have a relationship with Jesus without having to make any real changes? Jesus wants complete renovation. Belief in Jesus is not the same as following him. When we decide to believe in Jesus without making a commitment to follow him, we become nothing more than fans.
There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no believing without committing. Jesus is the one who defines the relationship, not you. He is clear that being a fan who believes without making any real commitment to follow isn’t an option. At some point you will be in a position to have to decide between being a fan or a follower of Jesus.
Are you going to remain simply an admirer of Jesus or are you going to follow Him? Can you give up whatever it is that has hindered you to follow Jesus thus far?
So…
Is your relationship with Jesus just a casual weekend thing or are you fully committed? Fans often confuse their admiration for devotion. They mistake the knowledge of Jesus for intimacy with Jesus. How many think they can have a relationship with Jesus without having to make any real changes? Jesus wants complete renovation. Belief in Jesus is not the same as following him. When we decide to believe in Jesus without making a commitment to follow him, we become nothing more than fans.
There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no believing without committing. Jesus is the one who defines the relationship, not you. He is clear that being a fan who believes without making any real commitment to follow isn’t an option. At some point you will be in a position to have to decide between being a fan or a follower of Jesus.
Are you going to remain simply an admirer of Jesus or are you going to follow Him? Can you give up whatever it is that has hindered you to follow Jesus thus far?
So…
No comments:
Post a Comment