Rescue
Scripture
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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Mathew 7:21-23 (NLT)Observation
It has been said that Judas had a bad heart, but Peter had a bad day. The truth is, each of us was born with a sinful nature. Thankfully, because God gave us a free will, we have the opportunity to choose good or evil. From infancy to adulthood, the choices we make each day shape who we become. We watch our parents, brothers, sisters, peers, pastor, leaders and friends; and through these relationships and encounters, we learn. From these experiences, we learn who we want to be or who we don’t want to be — who we will become and who we will serve.
Judas was once a man who did great things in the name of Jesus, but He let darkness in. Judas, even though he did such great things, became a person God never knew. No man can have two masters. In the kingdom of God, there is no gray area, no fence riding or playing both sides. The Bible tells us clearly to ‘choose this day whom we will serve.’ That begins only in the heart.
As Pastor Julius said on Sunday, Jesus will never respond to a rebellious heart — However, He will always respond to a humble heart. The greatest work God will ever do is the work He does in one’s heart.
I often find myself wondering what would have happened if Judas repented. I truly believe that if he had humbled his heart and asked for forgiveness, God would have received Him into paradise. That’s where Peter was different. He had true repentance in His heart, and God not only forgave him, He used him mightily for the rest of his days on earth. Application
Do a reflection of yourself this week. What does your heart look like? Is it pure? Is it true? Is it loyal? Is it humble and contrite? Or, is yours a heart filled with jealousy, bitterness, slander, anger, or unforgiveness? It’s out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, therefore a good way to gauge where you are in your heart is to pay attention to how you talk and what you talk about. Does your heart reflect the goodness of God or does it reflect the evil of the world? Will you draw that line in the sand today and say ‘no more will I be lukewarm… no more will I allow evil in my heart?’ Prayer
Lord, we ask You to examine our hearts today. Let us truly be honest about who we are, in the here and now. Help us to reflect Your goodness in every aspect of our lives, including our relationships. Forgive us, Oh Lord, for any areas we may have sinned against You or Your people. Replace our stony hearts with Your pure heart or flesh. Wash us from the inside, so we can reflect Your holiness in our lives. Rescue us from the grip the evil one tries to have on us. We repent for all the times we chose the wrong things over You. Thank You for your mercy that has covered us, and please help us to have a true heart change from this moment on. In the name of Jesus we ask this — Amen.