We finish our paragraph topic: (Obstacles to virtue) Part 5.
Christ continues to warn us about the Obstacles to Virtue with more examples of what we must do. In this final part of his sermon, he tells us that there will be those who will say to him at the judgement: 'Lord, Lord,'. They will also explain how they worked miracles in his name, how they prophesied in his name, and how they cast out devils in his name. Even with this defense Christ will say: I will declare to them, 'I never knew you.
Does Christ know me? How do I make myself acquainted with Christ such that I am sure that he knows me? Can I preach the word thereby getting him to know me? Can I perform miracles in his name and get his attention that way? Do I prophesy to believers thereby showing my wisdom of his truths? Does my ability to cast out devils show that I know him? Through my ability to heal the sick, will that make me known to him? What can I do to know Christ and to get him to know me? So he is giving us a warning of what not to say or do when that day comes. He is telling us, here is the test and here is the key to the test. Now, go out and and do not do these things. Now, go out and do not come to me at the end times with these words. For the final test to the question, will I enter the kingdom of heaven, is: "Does Christ know me or do I know him?"
In previous sermons Christ has given us example after example of what we can do so that our father sees what we do and will reward us. He has told us to not do our good deeds before men that they will see what we do and honor us. We are to do them when men are not looking so that our heavenly father sees and will reward us. He has said that we should pray in secret, that we should give alms so that no one else knows. He has told us to fast in such a way that we do not appear to our fellow man that we are fasting. For if we fast in private then our heavenly father will see and reward us. He has told us to not be anxious about tomorrow and what we should eat or the clothes we will wear. Our heavenly father know what we need and will provide. He has told us to ask, to seek, and to knock and all will be provided to us. We are to build up our treasures in heaven and not on this earth for by doing so our hearts will be in heaven and not on earth. All these things Christ has given us so that we will be noticed by God and he will know us. It is our intentions and our heart through which he will know us and not by what we will do in his name.
The final grade given by Christ will determine if we enter the kingdom of heaven. He will say to us, if he does not know us: "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity!’ For if we work to prophesy, to cast out devil, to work miracles in his name but do not know him, he will not know us. He will curse us as workers of evil. He will cast us out. He will remove us from the kingdom of heaven. For we did works for our own intentions and not through the knowledge of him.
There is power in the name of Christ. Through it many miracles can happen. Through it men and women can have the power to appear great on this earth. We must be aware of what we do. We must recognize that through Christ comes good works. Through Christ comes love, faith, trust, charity, forgiveness, peace. Through man comes, injustice, hatred, anger, lust, envy, doubt, fear, selfishness.
Without Christ our works are hollow. But with him our works take on the true purpose with which they were meant to create. It is only through a knowledge of Christ that we are able to reach a level of works that brings glory to God. It is only through Christ that the works that we do are completed, not for our benefit and edification but for the benefit and glory of God. He is our joy, our hope, our love, our salvation, and our peace. It is through the knowledge of him that we are transformed from death to life and become a new beings. It is through that knowledge and understanding that are hearts are transformed and we become one with him through the Holy Spirit. Then, when that day comes, we will know him as he knows us because our hearts are with him and not in the earth.
