When we die and stand before the Lord, there will be two phrases that could will hear. One will be, “enter in, well done thou good and faithful servant”; the other one will be, “depart from me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21).
Jesus states: “Not everyone 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.” That statement is clear. Some may think just because you say “Lord,” it automatically grants you entrance into Heaven. This is where we miss the mark. Just saying, “Lord, Lord,” doesn’t save us.
In verse: 22, Jesus further states, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” But when we do these things, do we do them for selfish reasons? Do we do them so people will look at us and say, “Look at what he did.” What is the real reason that we do these things in the name of the Lord?
We should do these things to further the Kingdom of God; it should not be for any personal gain. When we do the work of God, it should be with humility and love. If you are doing God’s work for any type of admiration, then stop, repent, and ask God to forgive you.
In verse 23 Jesus said, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” The dictionary defines iniquity this way: lack of righteousness or justice; wickedness—in other words, people who have evil tendencies, false teachers, people who reject God’s Word in favor of their own ideas.
If you are in a church that is all show, leave and find a church that preaches and teaches God’s word. God wants us to do His will. What is God’s will? It is anything that God wants us to do for Him. As an example, it is God’s will that we would be saved. God doesn’t want any of us to go to Hell. He wants us to be with Him. First John 3:22 says, “… and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” If anyone tells you that we don’t have to obey God’s commandments, he is a liar and there is no truth in him.
Another example of God’s will: we are commanded to believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and to love one another, as He gave us commandment. By doing these simple things, when we die we will hear, “Enter in thou good and faithful servant.” I want to hear these words. Do you?
God trusts us to follow Him and accept Jesus as Savior. I want to be known of God when I take my last breath. How can you be sure to hear those words? We all need to recognize that we are sinners and have come short of the glory of God.
Invite Jesus into your life and make Him Lord of your life. Live a godly life. Tell others about Jesus. Read the Bible. Love God more than anything that this world offers. Jesus said in Mark 12:30, “… and thou shalt love the Lord thy god with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul says upon his death, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” When you approach death, will you be able to say these words? Someday we all will finish our course, and I pray that you will be able to say the same. I have given you several thoughts on how to hear the words, “Enter in.”
A warning to those who continue to reject God’s Word and reject Jesus. You won’t hear, “Enter in.” You will hear Jesus say, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” What a sad day that will be for those who hear those words. It means that you will be cast into Hell to be forever separated from God.
The choice is ours to make—no one can make the choice for us. What will you hear when you die? If you are not a Christian, then simply pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins and accept Jesus as Savior.