(Mat)‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬, ‭23‬-‭24‬, ‭26‬ ‭CJB “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’ “So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand.”

What does God require? That question has become very personal for me.

My half brother is dying of cancer. I have shared with him his need to repent and place his faith in Jesus. He needs God’s pardon for his rebellion and reconciliation with God through Christ.

But he refuses.

He believes in God. He also believes he is a good person. For him, that seems sufficient for what God should require.

Many people believe the same thing.

They measure their goodness against the worst human behavior. I haven’t murdered anyone. I haven’t raped anyone. I try to be a decent person.

But not doing terrible things is not the same as doing good things.

Even the demons believe God exists. James 2:19 says they believe—and tremble. Believing that God exists is very different from believing in God by entrusting yourself to Him.

What Does God Require?

Jesus makes this frighteningly clear. Not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

A profession of faith alone is not evidence of saving faith.

So what does God require?

Jesus tells us in John 6:29: “God’s work is this: to trust in the one he sent.”

Salvation begins by admitting that we are not good. God alone is good.

We have rebelled against Him. We have ignored Him, disobeyed Him, and chosen our will over His.

We don’t need God to compare us with someone worse. We need God to pardon us.

That is why we need Jesus.

We repent and turn to Him for mercy and grace. We trust what Jesus accomplished through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection—not our own goodness.

But genuine faith does not leave us unchanged.

Real Faith Produces Obedience

Jesus describes two men. Both hear His words.

The wise man hears Jesus and acts on what He says. The foolish man hears the same words and refuses to act.

That’s the difference.

We are not saved because we obey Jesus. We obey Jesus because He has saved us. Obedience does not earn salvation. It is evidence of genuine faith and a changed heart.

Saving faith, then, is much more than mentally agreeing that God exists.

It is turning from our rebellion and entrusting ourselves completely to Jesus as Savior and Lord.

God pardons us. He reconciles us to Himself. He adopts us as sons. He gives us His Spirit and begins transforming us to become increasingly like Jesus.

Our lives should prove that something has changed.

Jesus said to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. We now seek to obey His commands and join Him in making disciples of all nations.

Not to earn His acceptance.

Because in Christ, we have received it.

Run Today’s Play

Stop asking, “Am I a good person?”

Ask a better question:

“Am I trusting in my goodness—or Christ’s?”

Then examine the evidence.

Does your life demonstrate that Jesus really is your Lord? Are you hearing His words and doing what He says?

Don’t merely say, “Lord, Lord.”

Repent. Believe. Follow. Obey.

Build your life on the Rock.