Many folks seeking the truth use all the wrong benchmarks to find a "good church" for their family to assemble with, and to worship with. Or to find a place to learn the truth and teach their children the truth - from God's word. They sometimes seek to enter by the "wide gate", for example, when Jesus told us to enter by the narrow gate.
They look for the biggest church buildings with the largest groups of people. They look for churches with varied and large social programs. They look for the church with the best social standing in the community. For the most charismatic and engaging speaker. Or for the church that is the most accepting of the most people, regardless of their situation. In fact, those entering through the "wide gate" probably is inclusive of many folks who don't go to church at all.
Some are looking for the most demonstrative examples of God's power - healings, and perhaps other miraculous things. Or for members that cry out, "Lord, Lord" in impressive speach that declares their service to and submission to God.
Jesus said that many will call to Him in the day of judgement, "Lord, Lord", and will talk about all the things they have done in His name. Jesus shows us here that it is not enough to call Him "Lord, Lord...", nor is it necessarily important that you have done wonderful miraculous works in His name.
What Jesus says next is really striking to me. He says, "I never knew you" and "depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!". So by God's word, His judgement is that calling Him Lord in name only, and practicing lawlessness at the same time is a recipe for disaster. These people indicate that they thought they knew God, practiced great works in His name, yet Jesus didn't know them and rejected them.
What actually is important is to (1) hear these sayings of His and to (2) do them. And it is important that God recognizes us and knows us.
The VERY NEXT thought presented by Jesus starts out saying "Therefore,..." or in consideration of this horrible state that some may find themselves in at the day of judgement - "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them..." will have built their house (or perhaps a metaphor for our life) on a solid rock.
In the epistle of first John, there is a similar thought...
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 John 1:5-10
And in 1 John 2:3-6 it says:
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
SO, what I have learned from this is that if I want to assemble and worship with "True Christians" it is not the most important thing to find those with the most impressive church building, or those with the most striking religious speech or manner, or the most demonstrative works in the Lord's name, but to find those that are willing to hear God's word and to do it.
And so in my life (and in your life too) the most important thing if we want to live as "True Christians" is to pay attention to the things that really matter. Hearing what God's word says, and doing it.
And if I do this, I will not be likely with the crowd (entering in by the wide gate), but will probably be with the few (entering in by the narrow gate). I may or may not always be following after the religion of my father or mother, or grandparents. Or the religion of my boss, or of the folks with the highest social standing in town. Or attending necessarily the largest and fanciest church with the best features and most people.
And it is not the creeds of man, the traditions of my forefathers, or the precepts of any particular church that matter most. It is God's word that matters. Jesus outlines the two things we need to do: (1) Hear it. Sometimes we don't want to hear it. Sometimes we may think we know better. Maybe we don't even want to take the time to "listen" to God's word, in our busy schedules. (2) Do it. As it says in 1 John 2, if we say "I know Him" and do not keep His commandments, we are "a liar".
By hearing and doing God's word, and by seeking those who do the same, I will be truely taking "the road less traveled". And only in true submission of our will before Him, to hear His word and to do it, do we truely declare Him Lord of our lives. And only in obedient living do we experience true Christian living.
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