TD14-I never knew you
Will these (I never knew you) be the words you hear when you stand before God? The reality is….there’s a good chance you may. Why do I say that? I didn’t…..Jesus, did. He said, “Many are called, but few are chosen”. So, let me say it a couple of other ways. You can believe in God, go to church, pray and even believe in Jesus, and still not enter the kingdom of heaven.
There are many “believers” who identify as Christian, but are not. Calling yourself a Christian doesn’t mean that you’ve truly surrendered to Christ. And, in today’s chaotic world full of artificial intelligence and false information, discernment of truth can be a task. But, there is one unfailing place you can find it, and that’s in the Bible.
It’s sad to say, but you can’t even rely on a lot of pastors for unfiltered biblical truth. Today’s church may as well become part of the stock markets….who knows, maybe they already are. There’s a lot of pastors out there making their sales pitch from the pulpit so they can increase revenue. Those folks are false prophets, false teachers, and more than likely, giving you false hope and or confidence in the belief that “you’re good”. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of churches with Bible believing, Christ following pastors. But, it seems like those churches are becoming less prevalent because of the rise of the mega church. And, folks are pouring into these places…. because it feels good….and they give you a safety net.
It seems common these days to hear and see “Christian” folks give various types of “shout-outs” to God. And, it also seems that there’s an increasing trend in “bypassing” Jesus, and going straight to God. But, I’m going to say some things here that will anger a lot of folks….and that’s ok. I’m not seeking followers for myself. I seek to share truth so that others who may not currently understand, may reevaluate their own relationship with Jesus. So, here’s a bit of discomfort for some. The reality is, getting into heaven requires more than your efforts. So, here’s a poor example for those of you whose minds may process as slow as mine. Say for example you sponsor a child in need somewhere. You send money to take care of that child’s needs, think about that child, hope the best for them and continue this for many years. You even go as far as growing an emotional attachment. So, one day years down the road you decide to go to that’s child’s hometown to visit them. If you crossed paths in the street, would that young person know you? Would you know them? Though your efforts went to good use, you failed to build a relationship with them. Therefore, I suspect that young person may say, they don’t know you. Folks, the same principle applies to your relationship with God. You can go to church every Sunday, give large sums of money to the church and for other great causes, sing in the choir and even be a great encourager to others. And, one day you will pass and they will honor you at church and may say great things about you. All of that is great and good on ya for a life well lived. But, unfortunately, none of that matters when you stand before God. If you do not know, believe, love and accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, and the only pathway to the presence of God….he will surely say, “I never knew you”.
That’s a hard reality for many to face and unfortunately, there’s plenty of good hearted people who probably don’t believe that. But, all we can do is read what the Bible says. Look in Matthew 7:21-23…..Jesus said these words himself. Also, turn to John 14:6, where Jesus also said, “no one comes to the Father BUT through ME”.
Folks, we’re in perilous times. From the current world tensions between countries, world crises involving famine, disease, water, housing, security, finance and more….things aren’t likely to get any better. And….at the moment, I’m having a hard time identifying a world leader who serves Jesus, personally. Folks in politics….especially today, will not lead us according to God’s will. Most, lead according to their own….and see you as one who should serve them….not Christ. I can promise you this with great certainty and confidence….when you stand before God, he’s not going to ask how dedicated you were to your political party or to whoever is president. And at that time and place…you won’t be able to make a deal with God that will allow for you to bypass Jesus as your savior. And in that moment and time…..nothing else will matter besides your relationship with Jesus Christ.
There’s a lot of great investments one can make throughout life. But, those investments only carry you until your death…..and then what? Did you pour everything you have into 70, 80 or more years here on earth? That’s a pretty short amount of time compared to eternity. Investing in a relationship with Jesus will give you returns way beyond a lifetime. And then, only by the grace of God, will he invite you into an eternal life in heaven. But, also, don’t wait any longer. The longer you wait….the further out to sea the world will pull you.