A Serious Question.

     "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"
                                        Luke 6:46 NASB

     Jesus asks a question of those who call Him Lord, but do not obey His words. In effect He is saying if we claim Him as Lord, if we claim to be Christians, but do not obey Him, we are frauds, there is not one ounce of salvation in us!
     In another place He tells us that if we love Him we will obey His commands. The one who does not love Him will not keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21, 23-24). It is the one who loves God with an obedient love, who is loved by God, and lives in fellowship with Him (John 14:21, 23). Take heed to this, for these are the very words of God!
     True faith will produce works of love in the believer, because faith works by love (Romans 13:8-10; Gal 5:6; James 2:22-26). Love, faith, and the works produced by them, cannot exist without each other. If any of these are absent, the spiritual life of the individual is in question.
     Jesus gives a warning to those who call Him Lord, but disobey Him.

     "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
     "Many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
     "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"
                               Matthew 7:21-23 NASB

     These were people who called Jesus Lord. They considered themselves Christians. They even claimed to have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in His name.
     What a shocking surprise many will have when they stand before Jesus and hear these very words. All along they thought that they were saved, and called Jesus Lord. Like the examples in these verses, many will claim to have done great deeds in the name of Jesus, but something was missing the whole time.
     Jesus emphasizes that His true disciples, those who really follow Him, will do the will of God. This is in contrast to those who are called workers of lawlessness.
     Sadly too many professing Christians today have cast of restraint, and live with little or no law. They view it as obsolete, irrelevant to the culture today, or unnecessary under grace. A look at the scriptures will show us however, that faith, in reality, upholds the law (Romans 3:31). The law is written upon the heart of a believer, causing him to walk in the law of God (Hebrews 10:16), and the life of the Spirit within us will produce the works of the law in our daily lives (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:22-25).
     Do not be deceived, Jesus gives us a stern warning. We do well to listen, and to heed what He says. Examine yourself in light of the scriptures, and see if you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). Someday we will all stand before Christ, and then it will be too late.