DOING GOD’S WILL

by Dan Goddard

How do we make sure that we are among the few who are saved and not among the many who are lost (Matthew 7:13-14)? Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” If we believe and call Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” we are still lost if we have not done God’s will.

On Judgment Day many will be pleading with Jesus, call him Lord, Lord, and reminding him of the many wonderful works that they had done in His name, but He will say unto them, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” Why? Why? They had not done the will of the Father in heaven. The worst thing that will ever be said to an individual is when the Lord on Judgment Day says to the majority of people, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” There will be no appeal to this decision. We have to get it right the first time.

These people in the above scripture seemed to be honest, but they were honestly mistaken as the majority of people are today. Apparently, they were good people, because they had “done many wonderful works.” But they had not done the will of the Father, which is in heaven. No single condition that God imposes can be ignored. God has no non-essential commands. When we fail to obey a command of God, we have just broken it. We must obey God by doing what God says to do, when God says to do it, how God says to do it, and for the reason God says to do it. Nothing is more important than pleasing God by doing His will so that we can go to Heaven. God’s will is found right in our Bible.

The Plan of Salvation

Hear the Gospel—Romans 10:17; John 8:32

Believe the Gospel—Romans 1:16; Acts 16:31

Repent of Past Sins—Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 3:19

Confess Faith in Christ—Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9, 10

Be Baptized (Immersed)—Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38

Continue Faithful unto Death—2 Peter 1:1-11; Revelation 2:10