Wow. Reading Matthew 7 is a good way to end off a year and start a new one. Verses 21-23 is a good wake up call for all Christians.

²¹ “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. ²² 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?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

I pray we may test what we hear and ask the Spirit to search our hearts so that we may never be duped into thinking we truly know Jesus when we are actually far from him. Never do I want any of you nor myself to be told those horrific words.

2 Corinthians 13:5 says “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?”

I Thessalonians 5:21 also commands, “Test everything,” and I Corinthians 11:28 shows that “a man ought to examine himself before he eats the bread and drinks the cup.” I John 4:1 told early Christians to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Examining ourselves and what we believe saves us from being shunned one day by God. It also helps us to daily live in relationship with Christ. There is nothing more fulfilling. The Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. The Light of the World. He wants to be in friendship with us. And because we are all sinners. He made a way… through the cross.

Do you love Him more than anything else in the world? Does He know you?

May you one day hear these words: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23)

Before the New Year begins… test yourself.