Memorise: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 7:21
Read: Luke 6:43-46 (KJV)
43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Bible in One Year: 1 Samuel 2, Proverbs 2:12-3:12
MESSAGE:
There are those who know God and there are those who claim to know Him, but do not submit to His Lordship. They came to the presence of God, but their sins do not allow His glory to rub off on them. They are religious in nature and partake in every ritual of the church but it is only for the benefits of being seen as members of the community of saints. They depend on their own righteousness and not the grace of God. They read the Scriptures but the Scriptures do not reflect in the way they live. They understand all the letters of the commandments but there is no life in their spirits. Their hypocritical nature draws people away from Christ. Do you know God, or you are only claiming to know Him? Is your life in harmony with the message you preach? It is the conduct of your life that will be used in justifying whether you know Him or not. As a tree in the vineyard of God, are you producing good fruits or bad fruits. Is your life a good example to people or have you lost your salt? Everyone whose life does not conform to the requirements of the Master cannot enter into the kingdom of God. When you hear the Word of God, do you obey it? Are you motivated by love to obey Him? One cannot claim to love Jesus and not willing to abide by His standards. There is no other foundation upon which one's life can be fruitful eternally outside Jesus. It is not enough to know what is in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; what is require of us is to live by the Truth in His Word.
The people who are blessed are those who do not have a lifestyle of sin, because true joy comes from doing the will of God. You are to be defined by your desire to do that which is pleasing to God at all times. Your mind should be focused always on godly things. Let Jesus be your source of life so that you can truly live. The faith of a child of God is continually nourished by the Word of God. When you hear the Word of God, it should produce faith in you, and faith should compel you to do what is acceptable before Him. For those who know Him as Lord Jesus, they are blessed. If He is your Lord, there is no room for pride and arrogance in your life. You must empty yourself of self-reliance and submit to His Lordship. The one that is humble always look to Jesus and place all his inadequacies before the Cross. Your nature as a Christian who is under the rulership of Jesus must change for good; the focus is no longer on self. If Jesus is Lord over your life, you cannot seek the downfall of others. There will be no room in your heart for evil motives because your heart now reflects the pure nature of God. No room for hypocrisy.
A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.” - Psalms 15:1-2
Your heart should produce a holy life and be focused only on God. Apostle Paul said “that I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). Is He your Lord or ‘Lord Jesus’ is a mere slogan to you?
Key Point: If He is your Lord, you will do His will.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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