Hunters and fishermen have trophies
of their successes hanging on the walls, but more often than not the stories they
tell are about the one that got away. We believers, as fishers of men, sometimes
have a trophy experience when we are trying to make disciples, but it is only
Jesus who can tell the story of the ones who got away. Jesus said, “Not
everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he 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 perform many miracles?’ Then I
will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers’” (Matt
7:21-23)!
1 comment:
Gail;
-----It would certainly seem that prophesying, driving out demons, and doing many miracles in Jesus’ name would fit the “…will of My Father” thing far more than doing nothing right at all. Yet Paul affirms that a person who builds wood, hay, and straw onto the foundation of Christ instead of gold, silver, and precious stones will yet be saved from the judgment fire. “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” (I Cor 3:15) I think the distinction between the two could not be more clear. Paul is referring to those who build actually upon the foundation of Christ. “The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfils the desire of all who fear him, he also hears their cry, and saves them. ” (Ps 145:18-19)
-----I spent many years pondering what it is to call upon the Lord. Certainly it is to pray to Him. It is also to set expectations and hope upon developments being effected by Him. But it is also to learn His principles and procedures and to use them in our practices and performances. It involves searching for His information to weave in us understanding and wisdom. But amidst it all is us who must move our hearts and minds and bodies to desire and understand and do. We are not puppets. Prayers to Him, expectations, hope, principles, procedures, information, understanding, and wisdom can all get lost in our translations. Therefore, more important than our translations are our fear of Him and our cries to Him. For our imperfect doings can taint what we have, yet His righteousness remains pure regardless of our yearnings.
-----“No man living is righteous before thee.” (Ps 143:2b) I believe, except for the simplest of concepts, like, “Jesus is the Christ” and “His Father is our Father”, that nothing we do, think, or feel is perfectly free of error. It seems that building upon the foundation makes you right regardless of how rightly you build, because it is a yearning pattern, not an information pattern, to which we are held.
-----So what might we say about those who built with the gold, silver, and precious stones of prophesying, casting out demons, and performing many miracles in His name, yet perished? Does fearing the Lord and desiring His righteousness have anything to do with the foundation? This is where it gets tricky. Fearing death and desiring eternity are not the same as fearing the Lord and desiring His righteousness.
-----Self is sand. Christ is rock. Christ is the fear of God, read Revelation. He is the righteousness of God. In our present circumstances, self and Christ are the only two foundations available for building projects. One bears no effect against the fire regardless of the good that is built there. The other shields completely against the fire regardless of any amount of errors made. Are we really putting our old selves to death? Or do we just dream well before awakening into a nightmare? It is more important to desire the truth with all your heart than to know it with all your certainty, “If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.” (I Cor 8:2-3)
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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