Know the Right Savior

21) Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22) On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” 23) And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” —Matthew 7:21-23

Sometimes, the people with the most exposure to the Gospel are the least likely to think they need the Good News. Oh, they may say that Christ is their Savior because it’s the right thing to say, but a personal relationship may be lacking. Because they have such knowledge of how they should live according to biblical principles, many times they think they are saved when in fact, they are not. It is very possible to live so “above” others morally that we don’t see how desperately we need a Savior. Why? Because people become their own savior without even realizing it.

You can speak the right language and not know your Savior. You can know the right biblical answers and not know your Savior. You can look and act the part of a Christian, bringing others to know their Savior, and still not have the right Savior.

It is just our natural bent to want to be our own savior. That’s why these verses in Matthew can be so convicting. Every time we read them, it should stop us in our tracks and make us evaluate just who or what is our savior. We must be mindful that how we live is a testimony or witness to who we serve.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:1, “To walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” The keys words are worthy and called. How we act is hugely important for the reputation of the Lord who called us. We wear His name on us at all times. If you are a parent, think of how you feel when your kids do something that is just awful. What’s goes through your mind? Right or wrong, you probably think of how their behavior makes you look. It’s no different with how our behavior can sling mud on the reputation of our Heavenly Father. This is one reason why behavior matters.

Now go back to the verses above. Read them slowly and ask yourself if how you live is for your own reputation or for that of God. If you call yourself a Christian, why you act the way you do, whether it’s good or bad, reflects on the true nature of that relationship. You just might need to know the right Savior.



Journal: What motivates me to live like I do?

What excuses do I give myself to act sinfully? Does my bad behavior ever make my Father look appealing to others?

Prayer –

 Dear Father, I truly want You to be my heavenly Father.

 I want to be desperate for Your grace all the days of my life.

I want to be motivated by an intense desire to see Your will lived out through me.

Help me not to make myself my own savior, and alert me when I begin to.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Via Trent Griffith)

Be Blessed!

Dawn