After becoming a Christian, many lose sight of what they believed in in the first place. Churches today are almost littered with religious hypocrites. Many people claim to love the Lord, but then go home and don't even love their own families. We need to take the time to reflect on how we're living our lives. Are we living them for God, or for us? Matthew 7:21-23 gets to the point I'm trying to make:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Not everyone that says unto God, “Lord, Lord” shall enter the kingdom. First of all, what does that saying mean or indicate? For someone to say that would mean that they proclaim Christ as the ultimate Lord and Sovereign in and over their lives. The key word there, though, is “proclaim.” I can proclaim just about anything. That doesn't necessarily make it so. I may claim that I am healthy and skinny, but my blood pressure, weight, and eating habits would prove otherwise. I claim to be healthy and skinny, but the truth is I am not. The same is true of those who proclaim Christ as Lord. Anyone can say that He is their Lord, but the real proof is in how they act. Do they obey? Is His presence evident in their lives? It goes back to the previous verse, really. In Matthew 7:20, Jesus says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” There are people that will act religious out in the open. They'll go to church, they'll talk friendly with you—but an outward profession of religion, however remarkable, will not bring us to heaven. If you're going to talk the talk, then you have to walk the walk. James 1:22 - “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” We can claim “Lord, Lord” in our conversations and even our prayers, but if we are not living a life to mirror our claims, then it is a mere formality that really has no purpose. In fact, Jesus even says in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Have you ever been a situation in your life where you would come into contact with someone you didn't particularly care for (whether it be at work, school, family get-togethers, etc.) and even though you didn't like that person you pretended to when they were around? You'll speak pleasantly with them when you have to, but then when they're not around you might even complain about them or speak badly about them. If we claim Jesus as the Lord of our lives, but neglect to obey Him and live out our faith...then that's what we're doing to Him. As 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, our words are “as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

How can we avoid being a fake Christian? Christ tells us Himself in the second part of verse 21. We must do the will of the Father which is in heaven. What is God's will that we may follow it? Well, the biggest thing can be found in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” God would have us truly believe in Jesus Christ the Son, and to forsake the ways of the world. We are told in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” If we don't comply with the will of God, then to continually call Him “Lord” is to mock Him. If this is how we live, then we are NO BETTER than the men we are told about in Matthew 27:27-31, “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.” If we address God as the Lord of our lives, then it is imperative that the way we live reflect that.

There will come a day when every single one of us is exposed for who we really are, and God whom we are so quick to profess with make known the true state of our hearts concerning Him. In that day there will be many false believers who will claim to have worked under the name and authority of Christ. To have done good things in His name. When those people say, “in thy name” they claim to have worked under His authority. It is possible for false believers to have prophesied, cast out devils, or to have done works in His name. Look at Judas Iscariot. In John 12:1-6, “Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.” Many people, like Judas, will pretend to do holy things, but when they think no one is watching they corrupt any good deed with selfishness and greed. Judas was one of the twelve. When Jesus commanded the twelve in Matthew 7:7-8 He told them, “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Judas went with them to do those things. And yet, he turned out to be a wicked man. Jesus even says of Judas in Matthew 26:24, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” Wow. I read that and get chills down my spine. It would have been better if that man had never been born than to be Judas.

Jesus will tell every false believer to depart from Him. Matthew Henry says, “Secret haunts of sin, kept under the cloak of a visible profession, will be the ruin of hypocrites.” When Jesus says in that day, “I never knew ye,” He isn't saying that He didn't know about you or didn't have your information card. The Greek word for “know” here has an intense intimacy to it. Hypocrites who claim Jesus as Lord will find they never really took the time or energy to really “know” Him. What a frightening thought!

Picture in your minds the setting of the sermon on the mount. Christ is sitting there with his disciples (not just the main twelve) there with Him, listening intently. They have liked what He has said and done thus far in His ministry, otherwise why would they be following him? I wonder how many of them realized that this was being spoken to them and about them. I wonder how many of us today realize the same thing. I also believe that this portion of Scripture proves that Jesus Christ was no mere man. If He were just a man, I don't believe He would have said all these things that would have upset people, or deterred them from following Him. Think about it: this passage really challenges the faith and belief of His followers. Any mere man would not be so quick lose his following. Christ did not seek His own praise among men. He sought to make known the Truth of God, and He did so in a way that would make clear the true and false believers.

Scripture verses taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.