True Discipleship: Not Everyone Who Says Lord, Lord Will Enter the Kingdom of Heaven
The book of Matthew is one of the synoptic gospels that chronicle the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. in Matthew 7:21, Jesus talks about the importance of true obedience and submission to God as a fundamental requirement for entering the kingdom of heaven. The passage warns us that, although many claim to be disciples of Christ, not all will be true followers.
The importance of true discipleship
The phrase “not everyone who says Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven” is a warning to all Christians. Jesus is not saying that it is wrong to call Him Lord, but that only those who obey God’s will will enter the kingdom of heaven. Indeed, being a true disciple of Christ means more than just uttering words, it is a matter of heart and action.
Jesus emphasized the importance of living according to God’s will in other parts of the New Testament as well. In Luke 6:46 , He asks, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I say?” and in John 14:15 He says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
What is a true disciple?
A true disciple of Christ is someone who follows Christ in all aspects of life, obeying God’s will. In Matthew 16:24 , Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” This self-denial means abandoning our own desires and desires to follow God’s will. This includes being faithful in prayer, reading the Bible, pursuing holiness and loving God above all else.
Furthermore, in Matthew 22:37-38 , Jesus says that we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. A true disciple is someone who loves God above all things and seeks to live in obedience to Him.
The importance of obedience
Obedience is an important theme throughout the Bible. In Deuteronomy 11:26-28 , for example, God speaks about the blessings that will come to those who obey his word: “ Pay attention! Today I am setting before you the blessing and the curse. You will be blessed if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am giving you today; but they will be cursed if they disobey the commandments of the Lord their God, and turn from the way I command them today, to follow unknown gods .”
Jesus emphasizes the importance of obedience on several occasions. In John 14:21 , He says, “ He who has my commandments and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and reveal myself to him.” Here, Jesus is showing that love for God and obedience to his commandments are inextricably linked.
Another example of obedience is found in James 1:22 , where he exhorts us to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving themselves.” It is easy to hear the word of God and agree with it, but it is necessary to put it into practice in our lives in order to be true disciples of Christ.
The importance of faith in action
Faith is an important theme in the Bible, but faith without works is dead (James 2:17). In other words, true faith is demonstrated in our actions. Jesus emphasizes this in Matthew 7:24-27 , when He talks about the parable of the two builders: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers overflowed, the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, because it had its foundations in the rock. But whoever hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the rivers overflowed, the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell. And great was his fall.”
In this passage, Jesus is showing us that it is necessary to put His word into practice in order to be true disciples. Those who build their house on rock are those who hear the words of Jesus and do them, while those who build on sand are those who hear the words but do not do them.
Conclusion
In Matthew 7:2 1, Jesus reminds us of the importance of true discipleship, emphasizing that not everyone who says Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of God will. To be a true disciple of Christ, it is necessary to obey God’s will, love Him above all things and put His word into practice in our lives.
Obedience is a fundamental part of discipleship, and true faith is demonstrated in our actions. May we strive to be true disciples of Christ, following his will in all areas of our lives. May love for God and obedience to his word be the foundation on which we build our homes, so that we can weather the storms of life and enter the kingdom of heaven.
