When God, Who defines reality, says: “Man CANNOT serve two masters” (Mat. 6:24), what He actually means is: “MAN CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS.” PERIOD. But today approximately 2.4 billion people in fact do serve two masters. This in spite of the fact that they claim to be the disciples of the ONE Who made the statement. He is the ONE Who cannot change (Mal. 3:6 ), Who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), Who is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). His name is Jesus Christ Whose Words 2.4 billion people use to “prove” that they are saved, born again and rapture-ready, courtesy of that ONE.

Such “believers” call themselves “sinners saved by grace.” Before we launch into this series based on Matthew chapters 5-7, known as “the sermon on the mount,” we need to take a “fine print” look at the word “CANNOT” in the Greek language in which the New Testament was originally written. “Cannot” is a conjunction comprised of two words, the first of which is “dynamai” from which we get the word “dynamite.” In the Greek language the word means to be able, to have ability, to have the power to accomplish. The second part of the word is “ou,” which means no, not, not at all, in no way, absolutely not. “Cannot” (dynamai ou) means that one CAN DO SOMETHING BUT REFUSES TO DO IT.

In Revelation 3:14-20 we find Christ prophesying about His “cannot serve two masters” Law as it would later apply to the Laodicean era church in operation in today’s world. Here the Lord prophesies that the end-time Catholic/Protestant Religion system WOULD INDEED SERVE TWO MASTERS: HIMSELF AND SATAN. Those in that church system would serve them by alternately obeying first one, then the other in a perpetual sin-repent, sin-repent cycle, all the while “knowing” that their belief in Christ’s death has saved them IN, not “FROM THEIR SINS” as the angel Gabriel told Mary in Matthew 1:21. As this series will reveal, what the church’s sin-repent, sin-repent theology proves is that they reject the Lord’s Words, and in so doing, prove that they “DESPISE” both Christ and His father (Lk. 10:16. Continuing to live in the cycle designed by their god prevents God and Christ from “knowing” them spiritually (Mat. 7:13,14; 25:1-12). Note in verse 12 that Christ will say to the foolish virgins (church people) that He HAD KNOWN THEM AT ONE TIME, BUT AT JUDGMENT WOULD NOT KNOW THEM BECAUSE THEY HAD LEFT HIM AND GONE ASTRAY). Note also that initially they were exactly like the wise virgins. Initially, Christ had known the foolish virgins intimately. At that point there was no difference among the Christians. The sins of the foolish five changed everything.

Relative to the ministers in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus will tell them that He had NEVER KNOWN them. This being the case with church leaders, what does this say about the people who listened to, believed and followed their teachings? Obviously, those people will have not obeyed God’s command to “try the spirits” of their leaders to “see if they were of the Lord” (1 Jn. 4:1). This is done by comparing their teachings to the Holy Bible. Read Is Forgiveness Automatic? Key word–Forgiveness.

ARE YOU LOVING GOD’S “FINE PRINT”? I hope so, because it will determine whether you spend eternity in paradise or as ash beneath the feet of those who live there (Mal. 4:3). The question of our future directly involves the most hated word in the Bible–IF. God’s “Fine Print” revolves around that little Word. For example, IF we obey God’s Word He will save us; IF we do not, He will not.

Christ knows church sinners (and all other people) because, as the “the Word”–the Old Testament God– He had created them (Jn. 1:1-4,14). However, as Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, He has never known those church ministers intimately even though they called Him their Lord, had preached, cast out demons, had partaken of the Lord’s Supper and communion and done “many wonderful works” in His name. Therefore, His future death would have no effect on their eternal future. Read The God of the Old Testament. Key word–Old. IF CHRIST IS NOT OUR LORD in the present He will not be our SAVIOR in the future. Read Born Again. Key word–Born. L.J.