Daily Devotional For Monday, July 14, 2025
Good morning. For some of you, you are either back to work or if you are retired, trying to enjoy your retirement. Aren’t we glad God does not go on retirement? Can you imagine what would happen to the world if He did? When it comes to modern day evangelistic techniques, nowhere in the Bible does it ever tell us to say to a person who is coming to Christ, “Now, bow your head, close your eyes and repeat after me a prayer to accept Jesus.” In fact, there is not one example in the Bible of anyone ever doing this.
So let me put it to you this way: Do you really think Jesus needs our acceptance? Isn’t it we who need His acceptance? When it comes to the Gospel and how we present it, we have to consider if we have responded to the Gospel the way Jesus wants. Based on everything Jesus says in the Gospels, is a prayer all it takes? Is belief all it takes? If it is belief, then what do we do with James 2:19? Since the demons believe, does that mean they go to heaven some day? The obvious answer is NO.
Besides a prayer, besides belief, doesn’t the Gospel require unconditional surrender to Jesus Christ? Is it possible we have reduced salvation to a prayer and belief? If you will take time to read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, you will see there is more. What do you think of Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23?
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (22) 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 [a]miracles?’ (23) And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (NASB).
When you look at the context found in Matthew 5:2, “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. (2) He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying . . .” (NASB). Who are the crowds? It’s very religious Jewish people listening. These are not the worst Jews, not atheistic Jews, not agnostic Jews, but very religious devout Jews who assumed and believed they were on the path to heaven. It was to them Jesus said Matthew 7:21-23. According to Jesus, many one day are going to discover that the path they thought would take them to heaven will not.
Now the reason I bring this up is: Does this scare you if you are one of those devout, religious people? These very devout religious people did some amazing miracles, but that was not enough. And for years Christians, when sharing with a lost person who seems interested in becoming a Christian, they tell them that a simple one time prayer they pray with their eyes closed, repeating out loud, the prayer being said by someone else is enough. Unfortunately, we give them the impression that once they do that, they have their ticket to heaven and to some, it means to them they can now go live their sinful lives however they desire. Is that what salvation really is? Is salvation that simple? Is it really up to the “believer” to determine their level of commitment and abandonment?
Biblical salvation starts with Luke 9:23 and includes Jesus’ words in Luke 14:25-33. What does this mean? Jesus is not a Lord we invite in and accept, He is God who desires our total surrender and abandonment of self. Salvation is never by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). When God gives us His gift of grace, it is not a license to do whatever we want. It is also a gift of a new heart, that comes with new godly desires, new holy passions, and like the Apostle Paul, we want Jesus more than anything else. We know that He is the One we go to for help, not just in a crisis. We know without a shadow of a doubt that He did not save and forgive us solely to take us to heaven one day. NO! We know He saved us so that for the rest of our lives our #1 goal is to get to know Him so much that we will give up anything and abandon all things just for this one purpose and goal. We want our lives Christ-centered, God honoring, and the Holy Spirit filling us to bring Him glory and honor. I pray this is your hunger and thirst.
Assignment: Take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23 above. If you serve and do good deeds, what is the real motivation behind that? Is it due to guilt or due to His grace? Is it due to obligation or is it due to obedience? Is it due to guilt or gratitude? Whatever you do for the Lord, is it with your whole heart or less?
Scripture To Meditate On: Philippians 3:10, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in His death” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Lord, please help me to abandon everything for all of You. Please forgive my attitude at times. I may be doing all the right things, but not always for all the right reasons. I know You see through my hypocrisy. Nothing is hidden from You. I don’t ever want to hear You say to me what You may say to some according to Matthew 7:21-23. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly