“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord,
Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father
in heaven. Jesus makes a clear distinction between people who call Him Lord –
lip service – a mere verbal profession of Lordship -- and people who
demonstrate He is Lord by obedience to the Father’s will.
“Many will say to Me in that day,
‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name”? Many will proclaim their Self-works as the
works of God: They may have a spectacular ministry, proclaiming scripture,
exercising spiritual authority, and using the name of Jesus, without genuine
heart surrendered submission to the Lordship of Christ. The twenty-first
century church is covered by a deep impenetrable thicket of thorns, people who
are Self-possessed and consumed by their own will.
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness”! There is no mincing of words here.
Those who chose Self-ship over Lordship are guilty of practicing “lawlessness”
revolting against the will of God. The Apostle Paul directly referred to this
passage in his letter to Timothy: “Nevertheless
the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who
are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity
(lawlessness).”
The
Lord’s Prayer, “Not My will but Your will be done”, was modeled for us in the Garden
of Gethsemane. This prayer should be on the lips of every saint as submission
to the Lordship of Jesus brings the “Knowing” of God: “I know you. You call me
Lord and do the Father’s will. Enter My Kingdom.”
Endnote: There is no
egotism in Christ’s sense of His position as “Lord”: He is simply the Son and
servant of the Father who is the source of all wisdom and power, whose will Jesus
and all who follow Him must obey. And doing God’s will is the condition of approval
and admittance into God’s Kingdom – the price of admission.
“YOUR KINGDOM COME
YOUR WILL BE DONE”
YOUR WILL BE DONE”
(Matt.7:21-23;
2 Tim. 2:19; Lk. 22:42; Matt5. 6:10)
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