THE DECISIVE ISSUE

Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21, NLT).

According to our Lord Jesus Christ, walking in obedience to our Father in heaven is the decisive factor in whether you will make it to heaven or not. He said, many will sound religious but they are not godly. He said that many will call Him ‘Lord’ but will not make it to heaven. Being religious is not enough. Claiming to be born again is not suf cient. Claiming to speak in tongues alone does not qualify you for heaven. You must be a true disciple of Christ indeed, walking in obedience to the Word of God (John 8:31).

Paul said that many would profess to know God, but in the way they live they deny Him. He called those people abominable, and to every good work a reprobate (Titus 1:16). In another place he called such people whose lives do not agree with the gospel of Christ “enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who minds earthly things” (Phil. 3:18b:19). Some uninformed preachers peddle what I would call cheap grace. They teach that once you are saved you are saved forever and it does not matter what you do because the grace of God has covered it all! Grand deception. The Bible is very clear that the grace of God teaches us to deny “ungodliness and worldly lusts,” and that it teaches us to “live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12a-13). 

In walking with God, obedience is the decisive matter. To make it to heaven obedience to the Father is the decisive matter. Not only is obedience the decisive matter in making it to heaven, it is also the decisive matter on whether you will be blessed on the earth or not. God said in Isaiah: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isaiah 1:19). 

Abraham our father secured the covenant blessing because he obeyed the voice of the Lord. (Genesis 22:15-18). Beloved, I want you to rededicate your life to God and make a quality commitment to obey Him, no matter the cost. And you will eat the good of the land, prosper in all your ways and make it home to heaven at last. It is well with your soul.

If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures (Job 36:11).

SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY
MATT. 7:15-29
FOR FURTHER STUDIES
GENESIS 22

Confession for Today: I am willing and obedient, I will eat the good of the land.

PRAYER POINTS

  1. Give thanks to God for His word to you.
  2. Rededicate your life to God, to love Him and to obey His voice.
  3. Ask the Lord to prosper you in all your ways.
  4. Give thanks to God for answering your prayers.

Nations’ Watch: Pray for Bulgaria