But Lord! Lord!

But
Lord!
Lord!

Jesus Christ spoke the following words when He gave His disciples a glimpse
into the future judgment that everyone would have to face. . .
"Not every one 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. (22)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? (23)And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." MATTHEW 7:21-23
The people He describes had made a profession of faith at some point in their lives. They
thought they had gotten saved, but in reality they did not. Their profession turned out to be false,
and now they were facing an eternity in Hell. But:
How could such a tragic thing occur? Where did they go wrong?
Actually, it is so relatively easy to end up with a false profession that the Bible gives the
following advice to all that call themselves Christian:
"EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; PROVE YOUR OWN SELVES.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be
reprobates?" 2 Cor. 13:5
Perhaps you, the reader, have also made a profession of faith. In which case the above advice
applies to you as well. So please take the time to ASK YOURSELF the following questions,
because the last thing you want to do is end up among those people described in Matthew 7:21-23.
ü DID I FIRST HEAR THE WORD OF GOD?
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall
they call on him in whom they have not believed? and HOW SHALL THEY
BELIEVE IN HIM OF WHOM THEY HAVE NOT HEARD? and how shall they
hear without a preacher?" Rom. 10:13-14
You can't learn how to get saved unless you hear what God's word has to say about it first.
That's why the Bible goes on to say:
"So then FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, and hearing by the word of God." Rom. 10:17

ü DID I UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS HEARING?
This may seem like an obvious question but even Jesus stressed the importance of understanding
when He taught the parable of the sower. In it, He described four types of people (four soils) that hear the
word of God (the seed) and then react in different ways. The first three don't get saved, but of the last
one He says: "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that HEARETH THE WORD,
AND UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty." (Mat. 13:23) This fourth type got saved because they truly understood what
the Bible taught and accepted it. Among the things that you should have understood are the following:
ü DID I UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS A GUILTY SINNER BEFORE GOD?
As time went on, and you heard more and more of God's word, did you get convicted about your
sinful state? Did you feel a deep sense of guilt before God? You should have, because the Bible says:
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that
every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD."
(Rom. 3:19) Did you realize you are a sinner? You should have, because the Bible says: "As it is
written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE." (Rom. 3:10)
No matter how much better you feel you are compared to others, the Bible says: "For ALL HAVE
SINNED, and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) This means you are just as worthy of
going to Hell as Hitler was. And until you come to this heart felt realization, YOU WILL NEVER GET
SAVED no matter how many professions you make. After all, the Bible says: "Christ Jesus came into
the world TO SAVE SINNERS." 1 Tim. 1:15
ü DID I UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS LOST?
Jesus, describing His ministry, said: "For the Son of man is come TO SAVE THAT WHICH WAS
LOST." (Mat. 18:11) So, according to Him, only a LOST person can get saved. Or, putting it another
way, YOU CAN'T GET SAVED UNTIL YOU SEE YOURSELF AS LOST. But unfortunately, many
end up making a false profession because they assume that the word LOST means: in need of guidance.
(As when they are overwhelmed by their problems and don't see a light at the end of the tunnel).
These people when asked, "Did you see yourself as lost?" Will answer: "Yes, I didn't know what to do
next. I was at my wits end." BUT when the Bible uses the word LOST it means separated from God
and on the road to Hell. The Bible says: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: BUT HE
THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18
Did you see yourself on the way to Hell? If your answer is: "I was never bad enough to deserve Hell."
Then you never really understood that you were a lost, Hell bound sinner. And, according to Jesus, you
were not ready to get saved. After all, if you didn't think you were a Hell deserving sinner, then what
were you trying to get saved from when you made a profession of faith? Which brings us to the next
question. . .

ü DID I UNDERSTAND THAT I COULD NOT SAVE MYSELF?
As a lost Hell bound sinner you are incapable of saving yourself and you need a Saviour.
The Bible teaches that: "NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but
according to his mercy HE SAVED US." (Titus 3:5) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9
Did you truly understand that you could do nothing to save yourself? Referring back to Matthew
7:21-23, imagine yourself standing before Christ on that dreadful day of judgment. Imagine that he is
on the verge of casting you into Hell. In an act of fearful desperation, what would you say? What actions
or deeds would you trust, and mention, in an effort to justify yourself and save your soul from Hell? Be
honest with yourself. Would you say something along the following lines?
"But Lord! How could you do this? Don't you remember, I was baptized."
"But Lord! What about all the times I went to church? I was a faithful member."
"But Lord! Remember all the good deeds I performed?"
"But Lord! I made a profession . . . . . . . ."
Perhaps you can add a few things to the ones mentioned. But, remember, they all represent
something you are trusting in to save you. To which Jesus will say: "I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart
from me, ye that work iniquity." Matthew 7:23
ü DID I REPENT?
To repent means to CHANGE YOUR MIND and stop trusting in things such as baptism, church
membership, good deeds and self-righteousness to save you. Jesus said: "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15) Did you REPENT from
your practice of sin and disobedience toward God? Did you REPENT, and stop trusting in your hopeless
efforts to save yourself? Did you REPENT and place all your trust in Jesus Christ to save you?
Did you understand that HE is the only one that can save you from an eternity in Hell? The Bible
says: "But God commendeth [PROVED] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
CHRIST DIED FOR US. Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be
SAVED FROM WRATH [HELL] THROUGH HIM. For if, when we were enemies, we were
RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE DEATH OF HIS SON, much more, being RECONCILED, we
shall be SAVED BY HIS LIFE." (Rom. 5:8-10) If you did not repent, when you made a profession of
faith, you could not have gotten saved because Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT, ye
shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:3
Finally ask yourself: DID I BECOME A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST? The Bible says:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED
AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW." (2 Cor. 5:17) True Bible salvation results
in a supernatural transformation. The lost, Hell bound sinner that repents and puts his trust in Christ as
Saviour is spiritually born into God's family and will never hear Christ say: "I NEVER KNEW YOU."

IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven? The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).
BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps
you from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God," Isa. 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" Rom. 3:23.
And Jesus, referring to sinners, said that He:
"shall send forth his angels, and they shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity [sinners];
And shall cast them into
a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth." Mat. 13:41-42
SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast." Eph. 2:8-9 Baptism, good deeds,
church membership, self-righteousness are all
examples of good works that cannot save you,
because: "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he [Christ] saved
us," Titus 3:5.
THE ONLY WAY you can get saved
is through Jesus Christ. He said: "I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me."
(John 14:6) THAT'S WHY: "...while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
(Rom. 5:8-9) THEREFORE: You must REPENT
(change your mind); admit that you are a Hell
deserving sinner and can't save yourself. And
call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.
"if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus [REPENT], and shalt believe in thine
heart [TRUST] that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:9
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A Writing Ministry of Fargo Baptist Church

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