Jesus Said; “Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And
in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
When Christ spoke of this, it was pertaining to the
believer and not the non-believer. We know that unbelievers are not out there
prophesying and casting out devils. But Jesus is letting us know that not
everyone that professes him to be their savior will enter into the kingdom of
heaven…or better yet, the Rapture.
Many Christians fail to realize that just because
they read their bible and go to church, doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed a place
in heaven (with an exception of those who had just accepted Christ;
i.e."Babes in Chirst"). In today’s society, many churches are filled
with hypocrisy, gossip, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, idolatry,
compromise and greed; just to name a few. These very people are the ones
sitting in church, praising God every Sunday. They even come in for bible study
during the week, or maybe sing the choir or teach Sunday school. Or even worst,
they are the very ones we listen to in the pulpit. The sad reality is; some of
the very people sitting in church next to you are going to hell.
Jesus Said; “And because iniquity shall abound,
the love of many shall grow wax cold.” Matthew
24:12
Notice that Christ keeps mentioning the word
“iniquity”. There are two types of sins; transgressions and iniquities. Let’s
define each one for a better understanding.
Transgression - a
crime or any act that violates a law, command, or moral code.
Iniquity - a grossly
immoral act; wickedness.
So in other words, transgressions are sins
committed with action, or externally. Iniquities are sins committed within the
heart, or internally. Christ accused these people of being workers of
iniquities, not transgressions. This fits perfectly since the argument from
them is what was accomplished on the outside. And because of iniquities, the
love for Christ grows cold. Light and darkness cannot mix. Some Christians fail
to realize that Christ is not a God that you work your way to heaven to be
with; he is a God of heart.
The Lord Said; "I the Lord search the
heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and
according to the fruit of his doings". Jeremiah
17:10
Christ also stated in Matthew that he never knew
these people. Why is that? Well once we accept Christ as our savior, it is our
duty to build a personal relationship with him. Just like you would get to know
your spouse before you marry him/her or even an acquaintance before you would
call them friend. In the same manner, Christ wants us to get to know him. The
only way you can build a relationship with Jesus is by spending time with him.
But a lot of us get so caught up in the everyday life, that we don’t take time
out to get to know Christ. And yet we are quick to say that he is LORD of our
life. “Lord” means master; which means we are his servants. How can you serve a
master that you don’t find time for? How then would you know what he wants from
you in order to please him? It’s not possible. A minister quoted; “We are so
busy doing what we think God wants us to do, instead of what he told us to do”.
Others think that they got it all together and “God knows their heart”, so
therefore they don’t have to put forth the effort in prayer. This is not the
right way of abiding in Christ or building a relationship with him. We must
understand that we need Christ like a plant needs water. What happens when you
don’t water a plant? It shrivels up and dies. The same thing applies with our
walk with Christ. He is our living waters, and without him remaining in us,
we’re as good as dead.
The Psalmist David said; "O God, thou art
my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth
for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is". Psalms 63:1
"O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake
thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the
earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living
waters". Jeremiah 17:13
One thing that will help guard us from iniquity is searching our hearts.
Iniquities are sins that are committed deep within us. Most of the time they're
sins from our past that took root, and we have not sought deliverance from it.
Other times they are sins that have crept in the back door, so we haven’t paid
much attention to it. Bitterness, resentment, pride, lust, envy, covetousness,
anger and jealously are some examples of these sins. Iniquities will cause
major disruption in your walk with Christ. These sins do not allow God to be
God in our lives. Therefore our heart grows dark and we grow distant from the
Lord. And when we grow distant from the Lord, he cannot affectively use us for
his purpose. On the outside a person may still attend church, help others and
quote scriptures, but on the inside their heart is dark and full of wickedness.
Iniquities are defined as wickedness, and the bible says that the wicked will
not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Said; “So shall it be at the end of the
world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth”. Matthew 13:49-50
Make sure that you get to know the Lord. Time is
extremely short and there is urgency in the spirit realm for those who are
“lukewarm” to repent of their iniquities. Remember; no sin is too great the
Christ cannot forgive, but in the same token understand that there is no sin
that is hidden from God. Search your hearts and seek his face. Do not turn a
deaf ear to what the Lord is saying.
Jesus Said; "Behold, I stand at the door,
and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches.” Revelation 3:20-22
Jesus Christ loves you and his desire is that no
one should perish. I pray this word is a blessing to you and food for your
spirit.
Mena Lee
Faithful Walk Healing Ministries