“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. (Matthew 7:21 ESV)
What we do, and the way we behave, matters. I think most of us would say that we are far from perfect, that we could all “do better”. Jesus said some very tough things to His followers, and would-be followers. He set a very high standard for Christian behavior, and made it clear that He expected His followers to do God’s will on the earth.
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10 ESV)
Many of us feel conviction when our actions are put under scrutiny. Though we may not be “the worst of sinners”, neither are we “the greatest of saints”. We could all do better. And while it is not our good works that pay our way into heaven--only Jesus could pay for our sins--nevertheless, it matters what we say and what we do in our lives.
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:17-20 ESV)
We must all give an account of how we lived our lives when we stand before Jesus. And I don’t think He will be measuring our worth to Him according simply to outward appearances. I believe Jesus will be measuring our hearts, looking at the gifts and talents He gave us, and how we used such gifts. I also think He will be looking at our relationship with Him, did we really know Him? Did we fellowship with Him through prayer, time spent in His word, and sharing His love and kindness with others?
Though our human efforts are not sufficient to win us a place in heaven, it does matter that we live good lives here on earth, depending upon the Lord, following the leading of His Holy Spirit, knowing His word, so that we can be Christians in both word and deed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be better Christians. Help us to represent You well, and to live our lives in fellowship with You. Amen.
Karlton Douglas
Copyright 2016
What we do, and the way we behave, matters. I think most of us would say that we are far from perfect, that we could all “do better”. Jesus said some very tough things to His followers, and would-be followers. He set a very high standard for Christian behavior, and made it clear that He expected His followers to do God’s will on the earth.
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10 ESV)
Many of us feel conviction when our actions are put under scrutiny. Though we may not be “the worst of sinners”, neither are we “the greatest of saints”. We could all do better. And while it is not our good works that pay our way into heaven--only Jesus could pay for our sins--nevertheless, it matters what we say and what we do in our lives.
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:17-20 ESV)
We must all give an account of how we lived our lives when we stand before Jesus. And I don’t think He will be measuring our worth to Him according simply to outward appearances. I believe Jesus will be measuring our hearts, looking at the gifts and talents He gave us, and how we used such gifts. I also think He will be looking at our relationship with Him, did we really know Him? Did we fellowship with Him through prayer, time spent in His word, and sharing His love and kindness with others?
Though our human efforts are not sufficient to win us a place in heaven, it does matter that we live good lives here on earth, depending upon the Lord, following the leading of His Holy Spirit, knowing His word, so that we can be Christians in both word and deed.
Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be better Christians. Help us to represent You well, and to live our lives in fellowship with You. Amen.
Karlton Douglas
Copyright 2016
You share a good exhortation for us, Karlton.. . .depending on the Lord and following the Holy Spirit. That keeps us in good company for sure.
ReplyDeleteGod bless -
Lynn
Thank you Lynn :) It is a fine line between depending upon our efforts in the Christian life and just counting on Jesus with no effort on our part. With His effort and guidance we are both saved and can live a fruitful Christian life as we follow His example. Something I must continually remind myself about :)
ReplyDeleteBlessings.