Daily Devotional For Friday, November 29, 2024
I hope your Thanksgiving yesterday was great being with family and/or friends. We are slowly coming to the end of the most famous and best sermon ever – Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount. Currently we are at the last part of it in Matthew 7:21-29:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (22) Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ (24) Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. (25) And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. (26) Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. (27) The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” (28) When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; (29) for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (NASB).
We have already seen in this passage and the verses preceding it that Jesus says that a good tree produces good fruit and that a life that professes faith in Christ but has not signs of righteousness, holiness, and godliness, but rather pride, no remorse or repentance over one’s sin, is not His – no ifs, ands or buts about it. Look at James 2:17, 19, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself . . . (19) You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder” (NASB). The demon's reaction should be our reaction.
Our Lord knows we still sin and stumble in our walk, otherwise in the Sermon On the Mount He would not have taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts (sins) . . .” (Matt. 6:12). And the good news is we have the promise of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (NASB). No Christian is sinless, but we can sin less. The fact that when we do sin, we are heartbroken over it, remorseful, repentant, confessional to Him and ask His forgiveness proves we are His.
So many people in the church today never seem to have this attitude with their sin. God calls this pride and He hates it. Those who will hear, “‘I never knew you; depart from Me . . .” are those who have accepted the lies from the devil and our modern pop-psychology that we are basically all good with a few flaws. Oh no, we are not evil even though Jesus says we are. If you think He doesn’t say that, I remind you of a passage in the Sermon on The Mount – Matthew 7:11, “So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (NASB).
Jesus is not asking His disciples to be perfect, but to be in a constant state of perfection – meaning maturing. Those who continually “practice lawlessness (vs. 23)” , however, give evidence that they do not belong to Christ. They do not recognize or confess their sins or hunger for righteousness, because they have no part of Christ. All religious activity, no matter how orthodox, great and fervent, that does not result from obedience to the lordship of Christ and the pursuit of His glory is rebellion against the law of God, which demands heart conformity.
This passage of Jesus’ denunciation and rejection of these is shocking in light in what these people claim they did for the Lord. They claim they prophesied in Jesus’ name. They claim they cast out demons in His name. They claim they did miracles in Jesus’ name. Jesus does not question or deny the factualness of their claim, just their false belief they are His. So, if their claims are true, how can that be?
Pastor and author John MacArthur gives us some insight on this:
- “It may be that they were allowed to do those amazing works by God’s power. God put words in Balaam’s mouth, even though that prophet was false and wicked (Num. 23:5). King Saul, after he became apostate had the “Spirit of God [come] upon him mightily, so that he prophesied” (1 Sam. 10:10). The wicked high priest Caiaphas unwittingly and unintentionally “prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation” (John 11:51).
- A second possibility is that those amazing acts were accomplished by satan’s power. Jesus predicted that “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24). The unbelieving sons of Sceva, for example, were Jewish exorcists, who made their living casting out demons (Acts 19:13–14). Mark 9:38–40 tells of someone outside the apostles casting out demons. Paul promises false signs in the last days, lying wonders of satan (2 Thess. 2:8–10). Acts 8:11 describes the work of a satanic sorcerer. Today there are miracle workers, healers, and exorcists who claim to work for Jesus Christ but are satanic deceivers.
- A third possibility is that some of the claims were simply false. The prophecies, exorcisms, and miracles were fake and contrived. No doubt all three will be represented. The words of an engraving from the cathedral of Lübeck, Germany, beautifully reflect our Lord’s teaching here:
`Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us, You call Me master and obey Me not, you call light and see Me not, you call Me the way and walk Me not, you call Me life and live Me not, you call Me wise and follow Me not, you call Me fair and love Me not, you call Me rich and ask Me not, you call Me eternal and seek Me not, if I condemn thee, blame Me not’” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 480).
Questions To Consider
- One of the proofs you are saved, redeemed and in the kingdom of God is that you have a heart that is broken when you sin, that is remorseful, repentant, confessional and seeks God’s forgiveness. When you sin, does this attitude describe you? Sin is primarily against God. Do you even acknowledge what God calls sin in your life?
- Do you have an attitude that you are sinful and evil or do you tend to think you are not as bad as others? What would Jesus say to you about this? The only way you can take seriously your relationship to Jesus Christ is by taking seriously your sin against Jesus Christ. Do you or do you ignore it, rationalize it and excuse it? Why or why not?
- God’s children are humble. They have the attitude of what God says in Isaiah 66:2b, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word” (ESV). This same attitude is affirmed by King David in Psalm 57:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (NASB). No child of God would approach Him with arrogance, pride and an attitude that their sin is not an offense to Him. Does this describe you? Why or why not? If not, you may not be in the family of God. So, take heed because you have been warned. Jesus said this in Revelation 2:7, “The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says . . .” (NASB).
Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are ]crushed in spirit over their sin” (PAR).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I never want to be presumptuous and arrogant before You. I am an evil sinner saved only by the grace of Jesus Christ. I was created from dust and to dust one day I will return. Please forgive me when I think and/or act that my sin is not an offense to You. Lord, I understand that the only way I can really take seriously my relationship to You is by taking seriously my sin against You. Please forgive me of my sins and restore to me the joy of my salvation. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly