When God Shuts the Door

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" ~ Matthew 7:21-23

These words of Jesus are probably familiar to many of you, as they remind us all of how thin the line is between those who are condemned and those who are saved. By all outward appearances, these folks who come to Jesus on the day of judgment touting their religious works are part of the "in crowd" heading for heaven. But Jesus declares that what truly counts is doing the will of His Father. Since none of us do it perfectly, the rest of the New Testament explains that we are saved by the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus. That means that Jesus is our only chance at escaping the condemnation we deserve, and no amount of good works will substitute for accepting Him as Savior and following Him as Lord. When our time of judgment comes, it's either believe in Jesus and all of who He is, or be condemned. This week at Friendship, we'll talk about what it means "When God Shuts the Door", as He did with Noah's ark. God alone is Judge, so He's the only One who can determine when and how the door is shut. Right now, it remains open for you. Will you take it? Join us to hear more about this opportunity and the consequences for rejecting it.