Jesus’s Words:
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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23
Well, isn't that a scary thought? We always tell people how simple it is to come to Jesus, but we don't tell them that their lives must show a visible change as proof of their salvation. It's not a big show; it's a drastic turn from evil intentions to good works. I'm not saying you need works to get there; that rests solely on Jesus, it's not of yourself; it's a gift. Once Jesus calls you, your life becomes a lifelong self-improvement project, and you should show strides toward sanctification in the early stages of your salvation. The people Jesus is talking about in the scripture are those who have probably based their income on the name of Jesus, only use his name to make a buck, were insincere, and likely never believed in him. Even if you aren't making money off his name, but expect to enter heaven without any improvement to your life, he's talking to you. He doesn't expect us to be perfect, because he knows we aren't, but he does expect us to be serious about him, not using his name as a "get out of hell free card!" He's telling us here that it won't work. It might be a good idea to assess your life and get serious about Jesus. You don't want to come to the end and hear him say, "I never knew you, depart from me."
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