I Never Knew You...

"What in the world is that noise?!" It is three o' clock in the morning and someone is blowing a horn right outside the window. WHOOSH! All of a sudden something feels really weird. Your body feels... somehow... nonexsistant. All of a sudden you start levitating into the air; what is going on? You start looking around and it looks like everyone else is going through the same thing. It hits you: it's judgement day. Your life starts flashing before your eyes. You don't drink, you never even picked up anything to smoke, you've never committed adultry or fornication in your life. More importantly, you've gone to church every time the doors were open since you were a little kid and you've even been a daily Bible reader. In fact, you've even preached at your church a few times. Needless to say, you are feeling pretty good!
In front of you, there is a gigantic white throne. There is God in all His glory! You can't help but fall on your face and worship the Lord. After a while, you are told to move over to the right. The right, that's where the sheep go. You've paid enough attention in church to remember how this is going to happen and you are estatic! Then something weird happens: a mighty shout rises from your left side and then it hits you: YOU ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE. You realized that God was going to place the sheep on His right but, seeing as you are facing Him, you are on His left.
You start running, I mean running, to God's throne. You cry out, "Jesus, I've lived a good life. I don't do things that are wrong and I even preach your name." He loooks at you and simply says, "I never knew you." Your heart drops like a rock. "But... Jesus..." But you know He is telling the truth.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a second, what just happened? You see, sometimes we mistake discipline for discipleship. We think that if we don't do certain things and punch the sitting in the pew clock enough times, then we are okay. And for a little extra, we might lead a prayer a few times, preach a lesson, or even start a blog. Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for adding restrictions to the Law. The early church struggled so much with stepping back into their Jewish ways and trying to earn their salvation. Why was this? It was because it was easier and more comfortable for them because they felt like they could just do what he Law says, and they would be okay. Paul wrote so many times trying to convince them otherwise and teaching that Jesus saves. He taught that through Christ, out heart's become transformed. (Romans 12:2) Jesus taught us to follow His will with our hearts, not only with our actions (ex Matt 5:27-28). And there is something that He wants from us. In fact, he said it is the MOST important thing:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." (Luke 10:27)

We're supposed to love God AND keep His commandment, (Deut 11:1) not just keep the commandments. Somehow we think that if we have our act together then we are okay. This is just not true. When are we going to stop this show we put on and be real about Christ? When are we going to run after God with heartfelt prayer, worship, fasting, giving, sacrifice, and DYING TO OURSELVES instead of just talking about it (I'm talking to myself here too)? When do we take "Pray without ceasing" seriously and have communication with Him? Jesus takes it seriously. He doesn't care what you, even if it is in His name, if we don't know Him (Matt 7:21-23). He wants us to talk to Him and build a relationship with Him. After all, how else are we going to know him.
God's people in Malachi were facing the same kind of problem. They weren't putting their heart into anything they did. They still sacrificed to God and did everything right, but there was a problem: they didn't give their all to Him. You know what God thought about that?

"Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle the fire on my alter in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand." (Malachi 1:10)

I wonder if God would say the same thing about our churches. I wonder if we mean what we do because if we don't, God would rather us not even show up. It doesn't matter what we do if there is no heart behind it. The only way to have any heart behind it is if we have a relationship with Him, if we know Him. I wonder if Jesus could really say that He knew me... I really don't want Him to say that He doesn't and I don't want Him to say that to you either. I wonder, do we give Him an opportunity to know us... just something to think about.