Matthew 7: 21b
... The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in Heaven.
We need to know God.
We need to know His Word and His ways.
But just knowing is not enough.
What makes the difference is when we obey God. When we know to do good, but don't do it, it is sin (James 4:17). And when we go on our own understanding of what we think would be the best thing to do, we go astray (Proverbs 3:5); because His ways are not our ways, and our thoughts are not His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).
He has told us in His Word everything we need to know to live in this world, and to live with Him forever (II Timothy 3:16-17). But we need to listen to what He says, and obey all the laws by which our World operates, just like we will follow the Owner's Manual that came with our new car.
So, "The decisive issue is whether they obey." If you don't obey your car's Owner's Manual, and put gas in a diesel engine, it won't operate properly. And when we don't take into account God's instructions, then our lives won't operate well, either.
And if we don't see ourselves as our Maker sees us, we would be deceiving ourselves (I Corinthians 3:18). So we need to see our need, and God's provision for us in pouring out His wrath on His own Son, Who not only covers, but washes away all of our sinfulness. All the wrath we deserve, Jesus took in our place on the Cross as the Lamb of God.
And when each of us lets Jesus take our place in that death as our personal sacrifice (Leviticus 1), then God places us into His own Kingdom, and replaces our filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) with the purity of His own Righteousness (Revelation 19:8).
And He places His own Holy Spirit into our spirit, making our dead spirit alive, as His deposit on the Redemption Jesus bought for us (II Corinthians 1:22).
So if you, dear reader, have never considered yourself as deserving that death, then I suggest you ask God to gift you with the faith to believe what He says; and He will impress on you how much He loves you to do that.
He's coming soon.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
