Matthew 7:21-23 are verses we should all commit to memory. This passage flat out causes me to shudder. I’ve read this verse countless times over the past 25 years of being associated with Christianity. In reading it I can actually remember thinking, “Wow, I’m glad that passage does not apply to me.” and then, “I wonder what people group Christ was addressing back then that would cause him to say that.” You see, I always thought it referred to people of Jesus’ time because the people were saying they were prophesying and casting out demons in his name. That was the part that blinded me to the whole. It was antiquated (out dated) and not in reference to me or anyone in our time for that matter. Boy was I wrong.

If you read that passage and understand that he is talking about the Day of Judgement at the end of days you will see that he is talking about potentially ALL of us. Don’t get me wrong, he is not saying that about everyone, but he qualifies it by saying “many.” Not some, or several, or even a lot. MANY. Many is more than half for sure. So consider this: do you want to be a part of the MANY that on judgement day are completely confused because you thought you were a Christian only to find out that Jesus tells you to depart from him and calls you a worker of lawlessness? Check out Philippians 2:12 where it says “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Don’t assume anything.

Remember, these people THINK they have an intimate relationship with Jesus. They call Him “Lord, Lord.” In Hebrew tradition whenever anyone is addressed using their name twice it means they have an intimate relationship with the one they are talking to. Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” – 2 Corinthians 13:5 Let’s consider how we can work out our own salvation with fear and trembling by constantly and consistently checking our fruit and our growth in our sanctification!

I encourage you to do a “fruit audit” as soon as you can to check to see if you are of the faith.