ARGUING WITH GOD

Musick-al note # 230
Will you be among the number who will contend (argue) with the Lord on the judgment day concerning entrance into heaven? Having passed through life thinking that heaven will be their eternal home, yet be set on the left with the goats, one would certainly want to know why and even contend for a right to enter in. Listen to these in Matthew 7:22, “We have taught in your name. We have cast out devils in your name. Now why are we being separated from you though-out eternity?” We can almost hear them adding, “We have given our lives because of you and your promises. We have gone to other lands and taught others to believe in you and we even suffered ridicule because of you. We helped the poor and the sick and suffering because of you. We gave ourselves to doing good works because of you. Now WHY, Lord, WHY? Why are we going to be cast away? On and on these will go with their reasoning saying, “We called you Lord, lived our lives for you. You said that if we would give only a cup of water in your name we would not lose our reward. But Lord, we have given more! We have given up houses and lands and families and brothers and sisters because of you. Why, Lord, are we to be cast out? We believed we would be able to rejoice with your coming. Now why this?” Innumerable will be the reasons given by those on the left, seeking entrance to the heavenly city.
Listen to the Lord’s answer, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you”. Why? This answer seems so contradictory to the words of the contenders. Can it be that the Lord is two-faced, that He has respect of persons after all, choosing only certain ones to enter in? Such would be a terrible thought indeed – that we serve such a heartless and faithless Master. There is more to this situation than just the above words for the context of these words reveals His saying, “Enter in at the strait gate, for strait is the gate and few will find it.” Again, he exhorted by the parable of the builders, “The wise builder hears my words and does them.” This then would cause Jesus to say, “I never knew you” for they (the contenders) never entered the strait gate. They obeyed only the commands that they wanted to obey and added anything they wished. They called Him “Lord” but did not obey Him. They called him “friend” but as an enemy they taught disobedience and disrespect for His Words by teaching the doctrines of men for others to obey and follow.
How will you stand before the Lord? As a contender or as an obedient child? You are one or the other by your present obedience or neglect and setting the course of life for its final destination. When you stand before the Lord, the Lord Jesus will welcome you if you come to Him in obedient faith, but if you deny Him in this world He will deny you in the last day!
Gordon Musick