Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly, [disregarding My commands] (Matthew 7:22–23 AMP).
You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder in terror (James 2:19 AMP)!
It’s one thing to say you believe something in your head and quite another to truly believe something in your heart. Head knowledge is transient. It can be swayed, changed, lessened over time, even forgotten. Heart knowledge is a reality to the person who believes it. It is a knowing that goes beyond knowledge. A truth that cannot change. This, I believe, is the type of saving faith Jesus spoke about in the Scriptures. Yet it is even more than that. It is a knowing that produces action. It is a knowing that transforms into a relationship with God that then produces a change in the person that manifests itself in outward works. What are these works? Simply doing the will of God.
And this is how we may discern that we are coming to know Him: if we keep His teachings, His commandments. Whoever says, I know Him and am acquainted with Him, but fails to keep and obey His commandments is a liar, and the Truth is not in him (1 John 2:3–4 AMP).
My fear is that on Judgment Day there will be many people who professed to know Christ who never truly knew Him at all. In shock and horror, they will be thrown into the lake of fire, simply because they didn’t take the time to find out the truth for themselves. Instead, they relied on what some pastor said or some church doctrine told them. Or even worse, they relied on a prayer they said one day at the altar.
I know people whose loved ones are living sinful, immoral lives, but because the loved ones “accepted Jesus as their savior” at age ten at a church service, these people aren’t at all worried about their loved ones’ salvation. There are hundreds, thousands of people in church whose lives aren’t any different from the world around them, but who believe they are going to heaven. Only God knows the state of their hearts, but I believe they are in a precarious situation. Paul said in Philippians 2:12 to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it (Matthew 7:13AMP).
Maybe that’s you? Maybe you said a prayer at an altar call many years ago, but you’ve never really noticed a change in your heart. Maybe you just go through the “church” motions with a smile on your face, but when people talk about their love for God and are excited about the things He’s doing in their lives, you cannot relate. Maybe you’re still on the dock?
But it’s not too late. All it takes is one turn in God’s direction, one honest plea from your heart to get to know Him personally, and He’s right there with you. Then it’s a daily walk with Him. A life of sacrifice and commitment, a life of adventures and miracles! So, hop on board. You’re in for the voyage of your life!
MaryLu Tyndall