Words of Rejection

September 17

"And someone said to Him,
'Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?'
  Strive to enter through the narrow door;
for many, I tell you,
will seek to enter and will not be able.”
-Luke 13:23-24

"Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord,
will enter the kingdom of Heaven..."
Matthew 7:21

"Many will say to Me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name,
and in Your name cast out demons,
and in Your name perform many miracles?’"
-Matthew 7:22
 

"I never knew you,
depart from me,
you who practice lawlessness."
-Matthew 7:23

The old Church joke is that we will be surprised at who God allows into Heaven—perhaps especially that He allows us in.

We know ourselves.  We know the secret thoughts that go through our minds.  We know the longing of our hearts for temporal things like wealth and power.  We know they are passing away but our wish is to possess them while we abide in this tabernacle of flesh.

Have we ever considered how fully we long to be advantaged during our sojourn here in this place where we are not citizens but mere ‘passers through’?  Have we ever considered at what cost to our eternal account our longings have penalized us?

May the candle of the Holy Spirit light the darkest recesses of our hearts where we have hidden the earthly treasures that we love and may HE help us to replace them fully with the eternal treasure that only Jesus can supply to us, for only then can we know the words of rejection spoken by the Lord at that latter day will not be spoken to us.