What Is It That Counts?

On the day of judgment, there are some things which will add up to zero. Jesus said so! “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 I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:22-23 RSV).

Some observations regarding the above passages:

• Saying “Lord, Lord” in worship is not enough.
• Prophesying (preaching) in the name of Christ is not adequate.
• Casting out demons in the name of Christ will fall short.
• Performing mighty works in the name of Christ is not sufficient.

As impressive as the above things may seem to us, they are not enough. Even when they are all added together, they are still deficient. They win the sad verdict, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.”

So what is it that counts on the Day of the Lord?

The answer appears in plain print in the Bible — so plain that all read. “Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9 RSV). How many times have we read it? Yet, we need to be careful lest “it flies forgotten as a dream dies at the opening day” (line from a well-known hymn by Isaac Watts).

What counts with God, is having the Spirit of Christ! That’s the ultimate test. If our emotions and actions do not reflect Christ, we are not His and there is no value in calling ourselves Christians. It is still “Christ in you” which is “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). —John Gipson

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets