Time for an examination

For my seminary class on counseling, I had to read a book about anxiety and worry.  In the book, the author, Archibald Hart, made the case that sometimes worry can be good.

He gave the example of worrying about an illness - in the case a spot on the skin that could be cancerous.  Since skin cancer is a very real, and deadly, possibility, your worrying about it should spurn you to have it examined.  In that case, it's a healthy form of worrying.  It's more natural concern than worry, even when we dwell on it.  It's our brain's mechanism to check out anomalous things.

For me, Matthew 7:21-23 is one of those "spots" you need to worry about.  In the passage, Jesus says many people who drive out demons, preach, teach and do miracles will not gain access into the Kingdom of Heaven.  They'll have all the outward signs of a believer but have no real, genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

That's a very scary proposition.  It addresses those of us who call ourselves believers in Jesus.  It calls us to an examination of our relationship and our salvation. Like the spot on the skin, we need to get it checked out because the consequences are deadly. 

It really comes down to this simple concept:  is Jesus Lord of your life?  That's not just a saying.  To be Lord, someone must exert control over your life.  I have a landlord who controls the property and house that I rent.  I have to seek his permission to make changes. 

In the same way, Jesus calls us to be in submission to him.  He is to be our Lord - in complete control over our lives.  Our thoughts and words and deeds should go through the prism of Jesus.  We can't claim to serve Jesus, and then seek after accomplishments for our personal fame and glory.  Jesus must be Lord.

We can't count on outward appearances or deeds.  Time and again, God has used non-believers to accomplish godly feats.  Just look at Balaam, Cyrus and Judas as examples.

It comes down to a heart issue.  Is Jesus Lord of my life?  Am I accomplishing things in my name or his?

Too often, as believers, we either ignore this passage or we dismiss it as talking about someone else.  Yet, it's hard to get past Christ's words that many who performed great service in the name of Jesus don't really know him. 

Could that be me? 

Could it be you? 

It's time for an examination.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 9, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    False prophets try to look like "sheep" instead of "wolves," but their bad "fruit" shows who they are (Mt. 7:15-20). So even when they prophesy in Jesus' name, if the "fruit" of their lives is contrary to "the will of the Father," Jesus will judge them in the end as evildoers (7:21-23). To speak, and hear, and know Christ's words (and commands) might make one appear wise, but only the one who does what Christ says is the wise one (7:24-27). This thus includes a relationship with Jesus as Lord, that involves our heart, our words, and especially our actions.

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