You are very active in your church and that is extremely commendable. Anytime there is any work to be performed, whether spiritual or otherwise, the pastor can depend on you. It is possible that the church has promoted you and you now have a title. Congratulations! But unless you pay attention to what God is saying, God might not know you at all.
You must know the story. These men were not just church members, they were ministry stalwarts in their own rights. Some of them had thriving deliverance ministries. A few used to raise the dead. I don’t suppose too many of us have raised the dead. They had great acclaim wherever they went and people invited them to their church programs. With their ministries, they commanded wonderful financial gains and why not, they were performing miracles right, left, and center.
And yet, when they died and attempted to get into heaven, Jesus did not know them. What!? Despite all their mighty works for the kingdom? All the onlookers at Heaven’s gate thought it impossible, among them some that these minsters healed and raised from the dead. How could God not know these great men of God? That is our own supposition but we must learn to put the greatness where it belongs.
To God belongs the greatness, as in a man or woman of a great God. That is the secret of real success on the Christian journey.
After declaring that He did not know them, Jesus called them a bad name: workers of iniquity. As if that was not bad enough, He sent them away from Himself, arguably into hell. The warning for us is quite clear. And Jesus made it easy for us to see what needs to happen or else God might not know you.
God Might Not Know You If You Have Been Playing Church
In Matthew 7.21, Jesus told us to quit playing church. You see, God is looking at our hearts, not our words or even actions. So, Jesus says that not everyone who calls Him Lord, Lord will enter into heaven. That means your hallelujah may be the loudest, your prayers may be the longest. Nevertheless, if your heart is not with Jesus, it is all useless to God. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, be you a bishop, God might not know you.
What are you going to do with this information? Does that mean you should quit serving in your church? Not at all. But instead of serving to please men and receive religious promotions, serve God and only God. And the way to do that is to ensure you give your heart and life to Jesus. Sadly, a lot of people in our churches have not taken that step before becoming workers.
And that is why Jesus calls them workers of iniquity. To leave that group, take time alone today to invite Jesus into your heart and then your work will be accounted to you as righteousness. God knew Abraham and accounted all his works to him as righteousness. But you need the one thing that distinguishes Abraham – faith. Have you placed your faith – really – in Jesus or are you just working in the church without having an account with God? If you do not have an account with God, God might not know you or your work.
Maranatha!
