The Scariest Words

When I was seven, I “gave my life” to Jesus. Honestly, I never really understood what that meant. All I knew was I didn’t want to go to the place with fire and brimstone. I was told that if I said the sinner’s prayer and accepted Jesus in my heart, I would be saved. It sounded like a good deal, so I prayed in the back of the car in the parking lot of a grocery store and “accepted” Jesus as my savior. I was seven. Did I have any idea what any of that meant? No! I never really understood what it meant. I thought I was good to go because I prayed the prayer. Sadly, that is not what the Bible teaches. I have only recently discovered what it truly means to “accept” Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23). 

Have you ever considered these words from Jesus? His words are very disconcerting. Honestly, I find these words to be some of the scariest words Jesus ever spoke. Jesus is saying that people will go throughout their lives testifying and proclaiming the good news all in the name of Jesus, all the while never being known by Jesus Christ himself. I NEVER want to be this person. When I die and meet Jesus, I want Him to look at me and say, “Hello, son. I love you and am so proud of you.”

I grew up thinking, once saved, always saved. However, the older I get, the more I question this theology. I don’t see this theology taught by Christ, especially with the verse above. If all we have to do is pray the “sinner’s prayer” to be saved, then there is no genuine desire to obey Christ and His commands. I’m left questioning how I can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am not like one of those in Christ’s scenario. How do I know that God knows me? 

Before Christ came, the prophets taught Israel they would be saved through righteousness. This was a way of living. This was following the commands of God with all their heart, soul, and strength. It wasn’t something they said but then went on living contrary to how God called them to live. When they chose to follow after idols and take on the religion of the surrounding nations, they were destroyed and taken into captivity. Only after they returned to God with a repentant heart was it counted to them as righteousness, and they were saved. Salvation is not only an acknowledgment of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. It is an act of obedience to live the life God has called us to.

The Apostle James speaks of this with faith and works:

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2:14-26)

How can we say that we are Christian but live contrary to the ways of God? The word “Christian” literally means Christ follower. To say we follow Christ means we do as He did and stand for what He does. If Christ said to follow His commandments, then we do that. If we are called to be in the world but not of the world, we should live contrary to how the world says to live. If we profess Christ as our Lord and Savior, then shouldn’t our action and life represent full and unwavering devotion and submission to Him? If we say that we are Christians, our actions should mimic God and His word.

To those who say that Jesus was all about love and acceptance, you are not seeing the whole picture. Christ was loving and accepting but did not accept people’s sins. This is why He repeatedly stated, “Go and sin no more.” To those who say that Christ was against the religious sect and was more gracious to those not in the religious sect, I bring to mind Nicodemus. He was a prominent individual in the religious sect. Christ spent time answering his questions and invited Nicodemus to follow Him. When the religious sect gathered common people to stone the woman caught in adultery, He called out everyone’s sin, not just the religious sect. Jesus called out the religious sect for not being true followers of God. He called out their hypocrisy as leaders. John the Baptist did the same thing toward Harrod because of his lifestyle. He and Jesus called all to repentance. Neither of them accepted sin.

To be a Christian is to leave the ways of the world behind us and live according to the ways of God. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). What are His commandments? The same ones that were given to the Israelites in the desert:

“You shall have no other gods before me. Do not have or make any graven images and worship them. Do not misuse the Lord’s name. Observe the sabbath (give honor and time to God and enter His rest). Honor your father and mother. Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, and don’t covet” (Deuteronomy 5:7-21 paraphrased).
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“Fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy. 10:12)
“Love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 11:13).

The Apostles call believers to live a “Holy” life. This means our life is set apart from the ways of the world. We cannot be friends with the world and also be called Christians. This is why Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13). Jesus also stated, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:14). To call oneself a Christian and live a life contrary to the commands and words of God, is to be the one in which Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'” (Matthew 7:21-23).