Mat. 7:21-23
Not Everyone that Says Lord Lord, Part 2
In the second part of his sermon on Matthew 7:21-23, Pastor Martin warns against spiritual self-deception, emphasizing that not everyone who professes 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He identifies two primary causes of this delusion: a false doctrine of assurance of salvation, which relies solely on a past profession or subjective feelings rather than the fruit of a changed life, and a failure to perform the duty of self-examination. Martin exhorts his hearers to diligently examine their lives against biblical tests of genuine faith, lest they be among the 'many' who will be tragically unmasked on the Day of Judgment.
Primary Texts
Topics
Outline 6 sections · 54 min
- Introduction: The Lord's Warnings and the Danger of False Profession 0:04
- Review: The Meaning of 'Doing the Will of My Father' 3:43
- Review: The Startling Revelation of Judgment Day 6:28
- The First Cause of Self-Deception: A False Doctrine of Assurance 8:11
- The Second Cause of Self-Deception: Failure to Perform Self-Examination 29:36
- Reasons for Neglecting Self-Examination and a Plea for Diligence 34:54
Key Quotes
“That these surely are in many ways the most solemn and solemnizing words ever uttered in this world, not only by mere men, but even by the Son of God himself.”
“It is not a sinless obedience, but a sincere obedience. It is not a forced obedience, but an obedience prompted by love. Not merely an external compliance with the divine command, but as the scripture says, doing the will of God from the heart. And my friend, if that's not a description of your life, you're not a Christian.”
“Not a few, but many. And it's not talking about liberals. It's not talking about the heathen. It's talking about people who've heard his name, who've embraced his name, who've proclaimed his name, who've done many works in his name.”
“If you're simply believing you're saved because you believe you're saved my friend you're in grave danger of coming to the judgment part of that grave group to whom he's going to say depart from me I never knew you're in grave danger”
“my heart tells me so you got it he said my assurance is based upon the fact my heart assures me all is well he didn't say I believe I have because I see the fruits of the new life in Jesus Christ manifested in me”
“frankly I fear for no person more greatly than the person who thinks he or she is beyond the duty of self examination what clear indication could there be that God has given me up to a lying deceiving spirit that I get to the place where I say I don't need to examine myself”
“I'm quoting from the first chapter of Proverbs it says the careless ease of fools shall destroy them the careless ease of fools shall destroy them the careless ease of fools shall destroy them”
“I would rather destroy your hopes now than to see your soul destroyed hereafter”
Applications
All listeners
- If your life is not characterized by sincere, love-prompted obedience to God's will from the heart, you are not a Christian.
- Bow before the word of Christ and acknowledge that salvation is not merely saying 'Lord, Lord' but doing His will.
- Do not put a cheap price tag on your soul; give undivided attention and earnest mental activity to God's word to know the symptoms of self-deception and avoid the disease.
- If your assurance is based solely on believing a text without discerning the fruits of faith in your life, you are in grave danger.
- Do not come to judgment self-deceived by resting on a false doctrine of assurance; seek an assurance based on a reflection of biblical Christian characteristics in your life.
- If you glibly profess Christianity but cannot name five things true of every believer, you lack sufficient acquaintance with biblical content and are coasting spiritually.
- Spend an honest hour on your knees with an open Bible, asking God to show you if you are truly His, using tests like those in 1 John.
- Be as honest now in self-examination as you will have to be on the Day of Judgment.
- Dedicate at least an hour on the Lord's Day to prayer and self-examination, putting aside distractions, to seek God's face regarding your spiritual state.
- Do not cherish your pride to the extent that you destroy yourself; do not refuse the light of self-examination.
- If you have serious questions about your spiritual state, face up to them now.
- Pray that God will attend His word with power, enabling the ignorant to perform self-examination, stirring the careless to diligence, and arresting those who deliberately refuse.
- Give diligence to make your calling and election sure, and for those with weak faith, let self-examination stir them to do their first works for new assurance.
A full transcript is available on the tab. 60 paragraphs, roughly 54 minutes.
Introduction: The Lord's Warnings and the Danger of False Profession
As we have seen in the past few weeks, from verse 13 until the end of the chapter of Matthew 7, we have what could be called in a very real sense our Lord's applications and exhortations in the light of all that he has previously declared. Having laid out the characteristics of the members of the kingdom of grace, having so forcefully set forth the rules, the standards by which those in his kingdom will be governed in all of their lives, Godward and manward, our Lord is not content that men merely be informed as to the nature of his kingdom, it is spiritual, as to the walk which will be characteristic of those in his kingdom, one of strict adherence to the spirituality of his holy law, one in which they seek to put first the rules of the kingdom of grace. First the interest of his kingdom, confident that all other things will be added unto them.
He is not content that they simply have packed within their minds this great wealth of tremendous truth. He is concerned that they actually enter his kingdom and that they beware of all the dangers that beset men and women who are in earnest about entering the kingdom of heaven. So, exhorting his hearers in verses 13 and 14 to enter the kingdom. The only entrance being the narrow gate of true conversion.
He then begins from verses 15 to the end of the chapter to give some very sober warnings. He warns of the false prophet, the one who would stand in the name of God and give directions about how to enter the kingdom of God. But if one will follow the directions of the false prophet, it will lead to destruction. And now we are studying verses 21 to 23.
And now we are studying verses 21 to 23. And now we are studying verses 21 to 23. The second great danger for those who would be in earnest about entering the kingdom of heaven. The first danger is the danger of listening to the false prophet.
The second great danger is the danger of making a false profession. And so we read in verses 21 to 23, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of God shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven, many will say unto 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 have done many wonderful works?
Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. I remind you in the words of one of God's honored servants. That these surely are in many ways the most solemn and solemnizing words ever uttered in this world, not only by mere men, but even by the Son of God himself.
Have you caught the solemnity of these words?
Review: The Meaning of 'Doing the Will of My Father'
Last Lord's Day we simply tried to expound their obvious meaning. We saw that there were two great units of thought in these verses, verses 21 to 23. First, the word of God. First of all, the simple affirmation of our Lord.
Not everyone who says unto me, Lord, Lord, there's the negative affirmation, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. And then the positive, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. A simple affirmation that the profession of Christianity, coupled with even some manner of zeal and correct expression of the doctrinal content, is not sufficient for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Second, our Lord said that the only persons who shall enter the kingdom of glory are those who are doing the will of God.
What does it mean to do his will? Certainly it does not mean a flawless performance in this life. It means that I have surrendered my heart and will to the claims of Christ so that I truly desire him to reign over me and to order my life. Third, it means that I have subjected myself to him.
To his authority. And that it is the prevailing bent of my mind and the constant endeavor of my life to honor him in all things. To do the will of God means that I genuinely aim to be both internally and externally conformed to his holy image and that it is my greatest grief when I do those things that displease him. To do the will of God.
To do the will of God. To do the will of God. To do the will of God. To do the will of God means that I truly seek that my thoughts, my affections, and my actions are regulated by his precepts.
It is not a sinless obedience, but a sincere obedience. It is not a forced obedience, but an obedience prompted by love. Not merely an external compliance with the divine command, but as the scripture says, doing the will of God from the heart. And my friend, if that's not a description of your life, you're not a Christian.
You're not a Christian. For Jesus said in his simple affirmation, not everyone who says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he and only he who is doing the will of my Father who is in heaven. And oh, that somehow the multitudes who say they are saved by Christ would bow before the word of this Christ who declared, not everyone who says, but he who does. And then the second.
Review: The Startling Revelation of Judgment Day
The second great body of truth in those verses as we looked at them last week is that startling revelation depicted in verses 22 and 23. The simple affirmation of verse 21, then the startling revelation of verses 22 and 23 that in the day of judgment, many will say, have we not been zealous preachers? Have we not been supernatural workers? And Christ will say to them, I was never savingly acquainted.
With you, I never knew you. And they will hear the terrible summons depart from me. I never knew you.
Now, in application of these two statements of our Lord, his affirmation and then that startling and terrible revelation, I want us this morning to at least begin, I don't know if we'll conclude our study, to consider the causes of self-deception. How is it that according to our Lord's word, many will come to the day of judgment utterly deceived? How can a thing like this happen? Now, remember, this is what our Lord said.
Not a few, but many. And it's not talking about liberals. It's not talking about the heathen. It's talking about people who've heard his name, who've embraced his name, who've proclaimed his name, who've done many works in his name.
How doesn't that do something to you? I tell you, dear ones, you can't live with these verses for two or three weeks without something happening. Something happening. Something happening.
Something happening. Something happening. Something happening. Something happening.
Something happening. What could cause such a terrible delusion?
The First Cause of Self-Deception: A False Doctrine of Assurance
That's what we want to study this morning. The factors that lead people to spiritual self-deception.
If a doctor were to come this morning and ask me to step aside, that he had a very sobering announcement to make to this people, if he were to stand up and face you with sobriety of countenance and with earnestness in his voice and say that many people in the community of the four-legged people, the four-legged people, the four-legged people, the four-legged people, the four-legged people, the four-legged people of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell and Fairfield, many within the next six months are going to die of a terrible disease.
And unless you people take heed, you may be involved in the many.
If he were to show his credentials as someone who was not just a quack or a nut, but someone who knew what he was talking about and he was to face you this morning with a sober face and serious tones, then he were to say these words. All of you who are interested. please stay for a few minutes while I describe this disease the first evidences of its symptoms what may be done to avoid contracting it what may be done to heal you of it if the symptoms are already present is there anyone here who has such a cheap evaluation of your physical life that you'd say can't be bothered doc and get up and go out no I doubt it I believe every one of you would sit here and you'd sit here with rapt attention and if someone coughed it wouldn't distract you if someone came in in the middle of the meeting and sat down it wouldn't turn you away you'd realize it's a matter of life and death if many people in these communities are going to contract this disease and are going to die I have enough sober concern for my own life, my physical life that anything I can learn as to the symptoms of this disease to see if I have it anything I can learn in the way of help to keep me from contracting it I'm going to listen I'm going to learn and I'm going to apply the advice given now in the realm of spiritual things this is all I'm attempting to do this morning
because one whose authority is absolutely trustworthy has said many professing Christians are going to contract the terrible disease of self-deception and it's only professing Christians who contract it for the many are made up of those who say oh look all I'm seeking to do this morning is to take the word of God and to say listen here are the symptoms here's how spiritual self-deception can be avoided here are the indications that it may already be present in your life do you put such a cheap price tag upon your soul that you'll merely mark mental time through another sermon or will you right now determine I don't care if anyone else in this room is going to contract this disease this place misses everything I'm going to allow nothing to divert my mind I don't care if the roast burns let the roast burn but I'm not going to allow my soul to burn I'm going to give undivided attention and earnest mental activity to the word of God that I might know the symptoms and by the grace of God avoid the disease I trust you have that much concern for your soul what then are the causes
of self-deception the word of God is full of such clear exhortations that we discover those causes for I read in the scripture deceive not yourselves Jeremiah 37 9 our Lord in Matthew 24 4 said take heed that no man deceive you in Ephesians 5 6 the apostle said let no man deceive you with vain words Galatians 6 be not deceived 2 Thessalonians 5 6 2 Thessalonians 2 3 let no man deceive you by any means here are the exhortations of the word that we know and discover the causes of self-deception and avoid them may I suggest that the first and great cause of this self-deception that led many of these people to come to the day of judgment professing his name but devoid of his grace is this a false doctrine of assurance of salvation a false doctrine they were victims of a false doctrine of assurance of salvation now let me first of all define what I mean by assurance and then describe the deception in this area for every person who takes seriously the teaching of the Bible about what man is for everyone who takes that seriously that we are part of a rebel race
which has fallen in Adam by one man's sin entered into the world and condemnation has come upon all when we take seriously the Bible teaching about ourselves that our hearts are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked that there is not a just man upon the face of the earth that doeth good and sinneth not that the wrath of God abideth on him that believes not when we begin to take seriously what the Bible teaches about our sinfulness and what sin is like in the sight of God then only two questions really matter at all question one is what must I do to have this condition changed what must I do to be saved and then a second question how may I know that I am saved of the Bible teaching on the sinfulness of man and the wrath of a holy God against rebel sinners and those are the only two questions that really matter anyway all political social and economic questions pale into insignificance the Lord God is the Lord of all things long after democracy and communism and every other ideology has sunk back into the womb of nothing the kingdoms of this world will have become the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ only one question will matter
was I saved by the grace of God and when you've asked that question then the second one is the all important question how may I know that I really am saved now the Bible gives two different answers to those questions the first question that's not our subject this morning God says what must I do to be saved the answer is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved the answer of the Bible is repent and believe now the answer to the second question is different how may I know that I have repented and believed how may I know that I am saved now the Bible's answer to that question is different different but the same Bible that gives us the answer to that question gives us a clear answer to the first question and points us to a crucified exalted Savior and tells us to bow at his footstool and embrace the offer of his mercy tells us if we profess to believe we may know that we truly have believed by three things by the promises of his mercy made real to our hearts by the Holy Spirit by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit concurring with the testimony of our spirits Romans 5 8-16 and by the evidence of a changed life hereby do we know that we know him
John says 1 John 2-3 if we keep his commandments 1 John chapter 3 we know we pass from death unto life because we love the bread and you have all those tests of spiritual life in 1 John you have them in 2 Corinthians 5 you have them in Galatians 5 Philippians 3 many sections of the word of God now many will come to the judgment saying Lord Lord have we not done this and done the other and he will say depart from me I never knew you and the reason they'll come deceived is because they did not embrace the biblical doctrine of assurance here's the deception follow closely the Bible says he that believes is saved I believe therefore I know I am saved and such people never ask these simple questions do I discern in my life what God says will be the ultimate fruit of faith do I discern in my life what God says will be the evidences of his grace they never ask that question whenever they get any disturbance about whether or not they're saved they simply go back to a verse that says he that believes is saved I believe therefore I'm saved and they pin all their assurance upon a text
of scripture dear ones that's only one sixth of Bible assurance for it's not a text that saves it's the Savior who's held forth in the text and only the Holy Spirit can enable us to embrace him as he's offered in his word if you're sitting here this morning convinced that you're a child of God simply because the Bible says all that believe are saved and you're convinced you're a believer but you've not faced the word of God where it says a believer will have certain characteristics he will love light chapter 1 of 1st John he will obey Christ chapter 2 he will be severed from this world system the middle of chapter 2 of 1st John he will love the brethren verses 9 to 11 and the entire almost the entire 4th chapter he will hate sin and practice righteousness chapter 3 if you've not sat down alone with God and faced yourself in the mirror of the word and asked this question do I discern in myself what God says will be the inevitable fruit of faith and of grace in a life if you're simply believing you're saved because you believe you're saved my friend you're in grave danger of coming to the judgment part of that grave group to whom he's going to say depart from me
I never knew you're in grave danger you see this was the great problem of the Jews in our Lord's day they had a doctrine of false assurance they had a doctrine he began to talk to them in Romans chapter 8 about true spiritual experience he said in verse 32 to those Jews that believed on him if ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed and you'll know the truth and the truth will liberate you and they said oh wait a minute now we don't mind being helped by the truth but the word liberation means bondage we don't have that evaluation of ourselves we've got a few problems but bondage why we've never been in bondage to any man they said Jesus turned and said he who commits sin is the very bond servant of sin he said you've never had a revelation that your bondage is an inner spiritual bondage and then they began to say but wait a minute we've got assurance they said we're Abraham's seed we've got assurance we're Abraham's children didn't God promise that Abraham's seed would be blessed we're trusting the promise of God to Abraham our assurance is based upon the word and what did Jesus say to them he said if you were Abraham's children you would do the works of Abraham he said if you had Abraham's faith you'd have the fruits
of his faith but I say to you this morning dear ones are you a child of God or you say I must be because I believe the promise the promise is he that believeth shall be saved ah yes but the same word of God says if any man be in Christ he is a new creation old things are passed away behold all things are become new the same Bible that declares by grace you're saved through faith says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works and the Jews crucified Christ and part of the contribution of that was their false doctrine of assurance listen to what the prophet Isaiah had to declare about the people of his day and how to use it to use the hackneyed phrase how relevant these words are to our day listen as I read from the forty fourth chapter of Isaiah in verse twenty he feedeth on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand what a picture the Lord says this man has so long believed his lie that he can't even recognize it that he's holding the lie in his right hand what was part of that lie turn over to chapter
forty-eight chapter forty-eight of Isaiah hear ye this O house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel they had the right profession they were identified with the name of Jehovah God they were not identified with the name of a foreign deity and are come forth out of the waters of Judah now notice which swear by the name of the Lord they said Jehovah Jehovah is our God now notice they make mention of the God of Israel they even talked about him now notice but he said not in truth nor in righteousness for they call themselves of the holy city and they stay themselves upon the God of Israel they trust in the God of Israel but God says it was a deceptive faith it was not in truth but it was or in righteousness here were people who believed in Jehovah they confessed their faith and God says they had a lie in their right hands multitudes resting in that cute little phrase since believers are saved I'm a believer because I say I am therefore I'm saved others resting in an act done in the murky past like the back of your power magazine this morning it's pathetic
that a young girl could even talk that way she said I'm 14 years of age I was saved notice past tense I was saved but since that time I've had sexual experience with 36 fellas I've got a problem can you help me what a pathetic thing that the church should spawn a youngster like that and say I was saved and living the life of a 14 year old adult read this right on your power don't read it now but you're able to go home why what she means is sometime in the past I prayed a little prayer and I professed to stay myself upon the God of Israel that's what she means but she doesn't mean what the Bible means by saved she doesn't mean that she was savingly joined to Jesus Christ and made a new creature John Bunyan depicted this so clearly in that section where ignorance comes up to Christian and to hopeful they don't like their company too well but he sidles up alongside of them and they ask him and they say come ignorance how do you do how stands it between God and your soul now
ignorance well I hope well for I'm always full of good motions that come into my mind and they comfort me as I walk I feel that all is well Christian what good motions pray tell us ignorance why I think of God in heaven Christian so do the devils and damned souls ignorance but I think of them and desire them Christian so do many that are never liked to come there for the soul of the sluggard desirous and have nothing ignorance but I think of them and leave all for them Christian that I doubt for leaving all is a very hard matter yea a harder matter than many are aware of but why or by what art thou persuaded that thou hast left all for God in heaven get this get the question now Christian says ignorance what's the basis of your assurance by what art thou persuaded thou hast left all for God in heaven you notice ignorance answer listen my heart tells me so you got it he said my assurance is based upon the fact my heart assures me all is well he didn't say I believe I have because I see the fruits of the new life in Jesus Christ manifested in me I see reflected in my life what the Bible describes as the fruit of grace no Christian's assurance was based upon his own heart's conviction my heart tells me so Christian says
the wise man says he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool ignorance that's spoken of an evil heart mine is a good heart Christian how dost thou prove that ignorance it comforts me in the hope of heaven Christian who told thee that thy heart and thy life agree together ignorance my heart tells me so oh do you get the thing that John Bunyan was driving at every time ignorance was pressed for some proof that his hope was genuine he just went back on the subjective testimony of his own heart there was no objective evidence in the light of the word of God oh beloved I fear all the ignorances did not die when John Bunyan died I fear and I say it in love that some of them are here this morning for the only reason you can give that you believe you're going to heaven is that your heart tells you you're going but when you read in the Bible that those who are on their way to heaven are walking the narrow road of biblical holiness their faith against the world and towards Zion the law of God in their hearts the son of God set before their eyes with glory counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that's not a description of you and yet that's a description of all those who are on their way to the heavenly city
I plead with you this morning don't come to the judgment self-deceived because you've rested upon a false doctrine of assurance that makes a Bible verse the basis of assurance or the testimony of your own heart rest rest not short of an assurance that is based upon a reflection in your life of what the Bible says a Christian you need if I were to ask some of you who so glibly profess that you're Christians tell me five things that are true of every believer you couldn't name them you couldn't do it and the Bible is full of them you don't have that much acquaintance with the Bible content that the work is done that you've nodded to Christ then you feel the work of a lifetime is past and now you but coast until that day when God will summon you into these eternal courts of glory it won't be done my friend it won't be done I move to the second great cause of spiritual deception self deception it's what I would call a failure to perform the duty of self examination how is it that our Lord could say many many many will say in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils
The Second Cause of Self-Deception: Failure to Perform Self-Examination
and in thy name done many wonderful works how could they be so absolutely deluded how can it be perhaps one of the great contributing factors is a failure to perform the duty of self examination now first of all let me establish the duty from the scriptures and then let us consider certain ways in which people fail to perform it where do I know my duty there's only one place for me to discover my duty as a creature of God and if I'm a Christian as a child of God only one place Isaiah 8 20 says to the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it's because there is no light in them the only rule of duty for me as a child of God is the book of God now what does the book of God say the book of God commands me and I just quoted a few of them at random again and again take heed to yourself let no man deceive himself let no man deceive you let no one deceive you by any means every command against self deception is a command to self examination if someone should issue a command don't count bogus ten dollar bills that's a command to make sure that the ten dollar bills I have are the real thing and the only way to discern it is by self examination by the examination of my ten dollar bills every command that says be not deceived is a positive injunction from the Lord God Almighty
to honest self examination we are not left to that inference from all of those commands we have these implicit commands of our Lord listen 2nd Corinthians 3 13 5 I should say explicit not implicit explicit right there on the surface examine yourself prove yourself whether ye be in the faith know ye not your own selves how that Christ Jesus is in you except ye be reprobates that's a command examine yourself prove yourself whether ye be in the faith oh but you say I'm so confident I don't need to obey God listen to the words of Christ not everyone who says unto me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he that do with the will of my father and part of his will is the duty of self examination frankly I fear for no person more greatly than the person who thinks he or she is beyond the duty of self examination what clear indication could there be that God has given me up to a lying deceiving spirit that I get to the place where I say I don't need to examine myself what more effective way to have one's eternal destiny seen that's a command from God that's my duty 2 Peter 1 10 my duty listen to it brethren
give diligence isn't that something you do when you're half asleep one eye on the light on the nightstand and one eye on the last verse of psalm 117 no no give diligence to do what to make your calling and your election sure that's a command give diligence I don't know whether it's a right sense of propriety or a sinful sense of the fear of man but I think it would be a shocking thing if I would start this morning and ask every one of you have you ever spent an honest hour on your knees with an open Bible asking God to show you am I really yours think of it you're bound for eternity every one of you every one of you listen you're eternity bound you're judgment bound there are many of you here this morning I would venture to say many have never spent an honest hour on your knees with a book like first John going over the test of a Christian saying God is that true of me God is that true of me
you say those that are born of God don't make a practice of sin Lord do I make a practice of sin or don't I is my face away from evil and turn to righteousness Lord is that true of me oh God help me to be as honest now as I'll have to be in the day of judgment you read on it is born of God love it him that is
performing the duty of self examination that's a criminal offense against your own soul I didn't put this in here the Lord did how could many people come to the judgment who have not just been what we would call the laity but they've been so outstanding apparently in life and in abilities that they've been elevated to places of spiritual leadership they've prophesied in his name they've performed mighty works
Reasons for Neglecting Self-Examination and a Plea for Diligence
here's one of the reasons they thought themselves too big for the duty of self examination why when we mention the name of Christ we've seen devils come out we must be his when we preach we're conscious of the divine anointing as we prophesy we're beyond examining ourselves and so feeling that they were exempt of the duty they went to the judgment to see , doesn't that shock you dear one? how can you sit there this morning without feeling God forgive me I've trifled with my soul now this is not some play acting many will say the reason many will come to see because they have not embraced the duty of self examination now why do people fail to perform this duty I think we have to ask ourselves that question let me seek to illustrate occasionally into our community there comes one of these mobile TV units chest x-ray units you've seen them down on Bloomfield Avenue and there will be an announcement perhaps in the local paper that everyone in the community
is urged to go for a free chest x-ray in order that we might discover whether or not we're carrying around a disease that could very easily kill us if not kill us leave us greatly impaired through life now in spite of the fact that those chest x-rays are free and that there is no barrier of distinction as far as who can go anyone in the community can go proportionally not many people go now why well I believe there are three basic reasons why people don't go first of all some people are just plain ignorant of the privilege some people just don't read the announcement of the paper they just don't happen to go downtown and drive by Bloomfield Avenue and they see the bus there and so someone will mention a week or two later did you get your chest x-ray well I didn't know oh I wish I knew ignorance second reason is carelessness people read the announcement of the paper bus is going to be there from May 10 to May 17 and they say oh my I got lots of time so the 10th comes and oh six more days get busy and middle of the week they say boy I just better get down there I'm going to miss it and lo and behold they wake up in the morning of the 18th and just didn't get down carelessly just allowing other things legitimate things just carelessly there's a third reason why some people don't go maybe they've been coughing rather hard with that telltale cough of a tubercular person maybe they've been losing weight and they've got some other
signs and they just don't want to be told that they've got TB they've got a sneaking suspicion maybe they do and there are people who'd rather go on trying to convince themselves that all is well when deep down underneath they know that in all probability all is not well but rather than be exposed they'll stay away from the instrument of exposure if it's a chest x-ray they'll stay away from it now what's true when a TB unit comes to town I'm convinced is true spiritually you know why some of you have not performed the duty of self examination it's a crime a terrible crime but beloved I say this without any rancor or bitterness of spirit one could be born spend 50 years and die in many of the average evangelical churches in America today and never once in those 50 years be solemnly exhorted from the word of God to examine himself isn't that a shame for the Bible is replete with commands be not deceived let no man deceive you examine yourself make your calling I fear that of the many who will go to the judgment deceived in that day a great number of that many will be found who have come out of the American evangelicalism of the past 50 years
that has looked upon the duty of self examination like some kind of boogeyman out of the pit I know the standard objections don't examine yourself that makes you morbid an unhealthy dwelling upon that which is distasteful that which is sad that's the best thing that could happen to a lot of people I know is to get sad about the terrible condition of their souls in their lives sure there's the incipient danger that people may go along and for years pick over the dirt of their hearts and never come to any solid assurance but that's not the practical danger in our day but you people are not ignorant of that duty though there are many areas of ministry where I feel so absolutely weak and feel that I've been a poor shepherd to your souls there's at least one area that I have a little comfort that I've exhorted you time after time don't take for granted that all is well because you think all is well examine your foundation the second reason is carelessness I believe there are others of you who are here this morning the reason you've not even once in your life come on be honest now your conscience might you let conscience do his work
you've not spent an honest hour on your knees remember what I did last week after we finished those three verses I exhorted you will you go home this is the Lord's day this is his
day if these verses are true and not everyone who says Lord Lord shall enter and many are going to say did we not preach and prophesy and cast out demons then it's only reasonable that I take at least an hour to go home this afternoon and putting aside Sunday papers and Sunday sports and Sunday drawings get into my closet of prayer and seek the face of my God and as you sat here your heart said that's reasonable I determined I'm going to do it what happened I went home and after you got that big meal on your stomach all your blood rushed there to work on it you got kind of woozy in your head and said catch a little nap first a little
while it's getting pretty close to the evening service I care less care less only I quote a text that I trust the Holy Ghost will send like an arrow to some heart listen I'm quoting from the first chapter of Proverbs it says the careless ease of fools shall destroy them the careless ease of fools shall destroy them the careless ease of fools shall destroy them just like that man who carelessness doesn't go to the TV x-ray bus six months later ends up in a TV sanatorium somewhere and is told that maybe has three months to live when he could have been checked carelessness destroys it and all the carelessness that destroys the souls of men yet I'm convinced there are others of you this morning that your problem is the third one deliberate refusal to examine yourself because you've got a pretty negative report card on yourself and rather than have God the Holy Ghost discover you for yourself you refuse to go to the x-ray machine
refuse when God in his infinite mercy has put the test of life in I fear that you might not dash your soul upon the rocks of self deception oh to such I plead this morning I plead with you in the name of Christ I plead with you in the light of the value of your never dying soul don't cherish your pride to the extent that you destroy yourself as one servant of God said who lived many generations ago I would rather destroy your hopes now than to see your soul destroyed hereafter you say pastor you delight in getting people upset no but I read that many are going to be upset in the day of judgment many are going to say where are they going to come from they've got to come from places where his name is exposed and his powers believed in the miraculous these are people who say we've seen the miraculous not only believe in it we've witnessed it you're here this morning with a sneaking suspicion and I'm confident at least I trust I have
that much confidence in the word the word some of you heard over the past months and three or four years it's been our privilege to be here and God knows how much longer before that you've got some real deep serious questions about whether or not you've got the real thing that you just haven't been willing to face up to that fact oh I plead I plead don't refuse the light for there is coming a day when there will be no choice in the matter for you'll meet him whose eyes was a flame of fire and he'll force you to a place of spiritual honesty this is why people fail to perform the duty of self-examination ignorance of the duty carelessness refusing after this morning you can't claim the first you can't claim ignorance you've seen the duty expounded from the word in the light of the second you've been warned and there's no sense in the third I'd hope to move on to consider a third reason but we'll have to wait on it just mention what it's going to be we're going to deal with the fact that some are defective in their performance of the duty of self-examination but maybe God has been pleased oh I trust he has to take just these two principles of truth in this world what are the causes of self deception number one a false
doctrine of assurance you say you know you're saved on what basis do you know is your answer like ignorance well my
so trusted in his own heart as a fool can you honestly say well I know I'm saved because as a penitent sinner promises of God's mercy to such who embrace them have been made real to me I suck sweetness from the promises of God's mercy his Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I'm his I know what it is to have access to him in prayer I know what it is for the eyes of the soul to glory in Christ Jesus and I say humbly I know what it is is this your testimony now I'm putting words in your mouth to say I see in me not as much as I'd like to and certainly not in the full development that I long to see but I see by the grace of God those birth marks of a Christian
has set forth in 2nd Corinthians 5 the Beatitudes has laid out in Matthew 5 I see a little bit of hunger and thirst after righteousness I see a little bit of heart purity sin is my greatest burden I think I know a little bit what it is to mourn my sin I think I know a little bit what it is to be poor in spirit and I have reason to
rejoice you better chuck it out now but God will make you throw it overboard in the day of judgment not everyone who says unto me Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name thy name cast out demons and in thy name
not one of this number will be part of the many of that number and it may not be if we'll examine ourselves and ask God to discover us now and seek him for his mercy while the door of mercy stands ajar let us pray often our Lord we have sung of the cross bring its scenes before me help me walk from day to day with its shadows o'er me of Lord this morning we pray bring the terrible scene of the day of judgment before us oh help us to walk this day with its shadow o'er us knowing that the hour is coming when before you we must stand and give an account of the deeds done in the body o'our Lord we pray that none here shall be part of the many there whose self deception will be unmasked for and will hear those awful awful words depart from me o'
Lord in mercy attend your word with power in your mercy for those who've been ignorant of this duty enable them to perform it even today for those who've been careless in the performance of this duty of self examination oh God stir them today they will determine that no temporal issue will crowd out the weighty issues of eternity and for those among us who flatly refuse because they know down inside that what they have will not stand the light of truth oh God arrest them today we plead with you Lord oh arrest them for their good and for your glory we ask you to help us to sanctify the remainder of this day help us oh God not to destroy ourselves by the careless beings of fools but make us diligent help us to give diligence to make our calling and our election sure we pray for that tender reed that you promised you would not break for that smoking flax that you promised you would not quench for that one who has weak faith and whose evidences of grace may be at
a low point keep the enemy from bringing discouragement to that soul but may the process of self examination cause them to be stirred up to do their first works and we know that with that there will come new assurance father we pray for that one who has been adamant whose heart has been like tempered steel against the arrows of divine truth our father we thank you that those arrows are
may they penetrate today we ask you now to dismiss us with your blessing the blessing of your restraining grace that will keep us from frivolous concerns that will keep us from light and useless talk give us grace oh father that this day may be to our profit as we seek to spend it to your glory now may the grace of our lord jesus christ and the love of god the father and the fellowship and the communion of the holy spirit abide upon each one who is savingly joined to christ we ask in his worthy name
This transcript was generated by automated speech recognition and may contain errors. It is provided for study and reference only; the audio recording is the authoritative source.
Passages Expounded
This passage is the core of the sermon, providing the Lord's solemn warning against false profession and the criteria for entering the Kingdom of Heaven.
Texts Expounded
Also Referenced
More from the archive