Jan 10, 2017 – Matt 7
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. Matt 7:21
It doesn't matter how
good we think we are, what matters is how obedient God thinks we are.
Some people may find this strange, but I have never been
bothered by attending funerals or showing up at a visitation. I find those moments to be some of the best
at connecting with people on a deeper level, and being a caring friend or
family member. As a pastor now, I find
true what many other pastors have told me: they would rather perform a funeral
than a wedding. Not that weddings are
bad, but the importance of ministry at a funeral can plant seeds and be
life-changing unlike any other setting.
However, one of the difficult things at a funeral is struggle
some have finding reasons to believe their loved one is in heaven. When the deceased didn’t live like a
believer, people default to “the list” (that list of good things they did, or
things they liked about the person). The
list of good deeds is wide & varied.
Here’s some examples of good deeds that earned a loved one’s entry to
heaven:
-
He made us laugh
-
She was always taking care of us kids
-
He played (you name the sport) and was part of
the championship with us
-
He gave me money when (you name the need)
-
He was good to his pet dog
-
She was a good friend
-
She/He was a good person
-
He didn’t pray much, but kept a copy of a prayer
I gave him
-
She didn’t attend church, but helped with the
local charity
All of those things can be good memories to hold on to when
people die, but our longing to know they live forever in eternity somehow
twists them into reasons for wanting to belief they were saved. Jesus made it perfectly clear that Salvation
is not based on works, salvation is based on accepting His death and living for
Him. It’s a relationship with Jesus that
is demonstrated in our works.
Jesus gives us a clear warning. Don’t base your security of salvation on
your works, base it on obedience. Do you
love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind & strength? Is that love being demonstrated by your care
for other people? Are you producing
fruits of the spirit in your life? Is
your life becoming more like the image of Christ? Just because you say a formula of words, or
do something good for another doesn’t qualify you for eternity in heaven. Your entry is through a relationship with
Jesus.
Don’t leave your loved ones in a quandary, trying to
desperately come up with enough good things you did to make their hearts have
peace about your eternity. Start your
life walk with Jesus, and leave no doubt that you continue to walk with Him in
heaven. It makes the funeral much less
difficult.
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