Bro. Jonah Ravinder spoke from Matt 7:21-23 “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth 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 iniequity”. The theme of the text under consideration is without any doubt a most solemn, grave and vital message. It is essentially a warning that precludes none and that serves as an awesome reminder to search and examine oneself , particularly if he thinks he is standing in the faith, which is in Christ Jesus. These are those who assume themselves as Christians and profess to be and take it for granted that they are so. Yet our Scripture text exposes their true character and divulges that in actual fact their nature and their works reveal otherwise; indeed they are contrary to what they profess. Hence thier profession is merely a delusion and they deceive themselves and perhaps, many other but certainly not God. They are judged to be workers of inequity.
It is clear from the text that our works, no matter how pious or religious or charitable they may be, cannot secure us the salvation of God. Consider what our Lord says here, that many are those who will be baffled and astonished at His disapproval and rejection of them on that Day. Wherefore, comparatively, a majority of those who now say that they embrace Christianity never meet the approbation of our Lord. They will be judged and manifested to be hypocrites, whose confession of faith is inconsistent and incongruous to their lives. Therefore only a few , a very small remnant will be proven to be faithful and genuine in their faith. There will indeed be many surprises on that Day but the most momentous, nerve -racking moment would be the inevitable turn when each one of us has to face the Lord Himself for the verdict. How shall it be with you then, my friends?. I beg you to be honest and objective and to beseech God to help you to search yourselves. My friends, do not defer nor procrastinate in repenting and turning to God from your idols to serve the living God.
Now is the time to determine and confirm by the help of God Almighty and by the light of the blessed Word of God to see if you are in the path of life. Is your faith ratified by Scriptural warrants? Does it conform to the requisite required of the Holy God?. Can your profession pass the litmus tests of the Lord Jesus Christ?. I adjure you, resolve to give yourself no rest and no peace until you ascertain for sure the answers to these vital questions. Finally, my friends, my brethern, be warned to avoid this greatest tragedy of all – to mistake a spurious religion for the real thing. Prove, beyond all doubt, that the faith that we possess is one that meets the approbation of God and will bring us to heaven. Remember that if we make a mistake in judging the nature of our faith, it will issue in unspeakable dire consequence that cannot be revoked eternally.