The Lord warned in Matthew 7:13,14 that the vast majority of those who would call themselves His people would reject His Word, and therefore reject Him. He noted that only a “few” would hunger and thirst for Him (Mat. 5:6)enough to seek and “find” His way, believe it and live it. “Many,” He warned, would choose Satan’s way, believe it and live it, all the while “knowing” that they were one with Him, saved, born again and rapture-ready. In this passage Jesus is referring to the two groups of people that would make up His New Covenant church whom He calls sheep and goats respectively.

The Lord went on to say that, prior to His physically separating them, those who had followed the devil throughout their church lives will be rejoicing, happily reminding Him of all the wonderful things they had done in His name and for His sake. They will wait in eager anticipation for Him to hand them the key to their heavenly mansion. Jesus addresses their deadly error in Matthew 7:20-23: “Wherefore by their fruits (obedience to His Word) you shall know them. Not every one who says to Me (in prayer), ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that (judgment) day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? and in your name cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?’ And then I will profess to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you that work iniquity (Lawlessness).'” See All That Glitters.

Several facts must be noted relative to the Matthew 7 passage concerning the Day of Judgment: 1) every church member will stand before Jesus Christ to be judged by His Word and to have his/her reward or punishment publically announced; 2) every church member will call Him their “Lord;” 3) every church member will believe that he/she is saved, born again and headed to heaven; 4) the vast majority of church members will be wrong.

But all is not lost. Having been a life-long Catholic or Protestant is not the unforgiveable sin. There is still hope. First, the true God-seeker must search for, find and enter the Lord’s strait gate (decide to follow Him regardless of the cost). Then the seeker must walk the narrow path leading to eternal life by doing several things. One must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), reject the religion of the Institutional Church (2 Cor. 6:17), commit and submit oneself to the God of the Holy Bible (Jn. 12:44-50), continually cleanse and purify oneself by studying that Holy Bible (Eph. 5:26/1 Jn. 3:3), overcome Satan as did the man Jesus (Rev. 3:21) and live one’s life as He lived His (1 Jn. 2:6).  L.J.