Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Not Everyone Will Enter the Kingdom of God

Today’s Reading:
  • Matthew 7:15-29
  • Psalm 9:1-12
Matthew 7:15-29
I love verses 15-20, which talk about good and bad fruit in relation to good and bad people. Just as you can tell if a tree is bad by it’s fruit, so you can tell if a person is bad by their actions. This is very true, isn’t it?

Verses 21-23 are quite scary versus for me, because I know it speaks truth. Here we are told that not everyone will enter the Kingdom of Heaven – all those people who call on the Lord but do not obey his laws will be turned away. We are given the example of those who do things in the Lord’s name. A good example these days would be a preacher who does work in Jesus’ name, but never actually knew the Lord.

I know I lack now in following God’s laws. I try to be good, but there are still things I do over and over again that need to stop. Passages like these make me scared – will I ever truly be good enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?  What is important is my salvation in Jesus Christ, and with him I can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but I still have to do my part and live a godly life.


Psalm 9:1-12
Here David praises the Lord, thanking him for helping him to overcome his enemies. The Lord judged fairly, with vengeance, and David came out triumphant, for the Lord “does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.” (9:12) 


Conclusion Again I am left with more reflections on my life and what I can do to improve it. It’s hard to read these passages because I see so much need for improvement, but I’m also happy that I’m forcing myself to open my eyes and take notice. Ignorance is no long an option or a refuge -- ignorance kills.

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