Words You Never Want To Hear

One of the most terrifying scriptures in the Bible is Matthew 7:21, "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, who is in heaven."

I think about the person who has gone to church his whole life, quoted scripture, was careful to never do anything "unChristian", who stands before Jesus and hears the words, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." This person prayed, "Lord, Lord", righteous in his heart that he was on the God's team. Imagine the horror in discovering that Jesus was never "in" this person's life- as if he bragged about knowing someone famous that he had never met.

And like the disciples, I ask, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus said,"God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." If the Spirit of God is not involved, Jesus won't know you when it really counts. Yikes!

Romans 8:9 says,"But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." God is making it very clear. If the Holy Spirit is not in your life, you're missing the boat.

So what does it mean to have the Spirit of God dwell in you? It means that you have "received" Him. You can speak in other tongues and have a spirit language to pray in. You can hear the voice of God speaking to your heart and guiding your life. You can have revelation about other people that will bless and encourage them. You can have access to the great fruits of the Spirit that will shape your life and lead you into your own destiny.

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with us for a reason. To make Him an optional part of the Christian experience is to go way,way outside the plan that God has for you. Now is a very good time to stop and take inventory. Do you believe that the Holy Spirit lives in you? If not, there's an easy fix - just ask Him to come in. "Holy Spirit, I want you in my life. I want to hear Your voice and know that You are here to help me. Please come now." It's not rocket science, it's an invitation.

And then start to live. Don't put Him on a shelf. How rude is that! You invite Him in and then you listen Him. It's always wise and will be the best thing you ever did.