You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Matthew 23:26

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5).  Once we have purified our souls by obeying the truth unto the point where we can love for real, we should love each other fervently, as we ought to (1 Peter 1:22).

This is the point of the Gospel.  This is the work of the cross and the path of life.  If your gospel is not aimed at producing this life here and now, a life that is demonstrated by a visible, recognizable love (John 13:35), that does not tolerate sin so much to eat with an immoral brother (1 Corinthians 5:11), what are you living?

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Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Matthew 7:7

This is part of the good news Jesus came to bring.  If we ask for it, He will bring it.  If we look for it, we will find it.  If we keep knocking at the door, eventually, it will open for us.  This is Kingdom 101 quite often, and, whether it is accepted as such or dismissed from there, it can often get little investigation later.  However, as with many of Jesus’ sayings, they apply to multiple levels.

For instance, take the phrase “Seek and you will find.”  This, of course, applies to the Kingdom of Heaven, to God the Father, and to Jesus.  This of course applies to answers and deliverances and other such burdens we offer towards heaven.  But, let’s look at this another way for a moment.

Jesus ministered on the Earth in the power of the Spirit.  The gifts were evident yet not on display.  The Spirit was present, and the gifts were promised, but the primary focus of the teaching was directed towards the Father’s will.

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Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

Holiness must be our standard for all that we do.  At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes the distinction He will make on that day.  Those rejected will be those practice lawlessness, who work iniquity.

If there is one thing that is for clear from Western Christianity, it is that greater resources and greater audience do not guarantee a greater Kingdom impact.

We must be clear–not all that is done in the name of Christ is the will of the Father who is heaven.  Paul writes, in 1 Corinthians 3:12-13, that each person must build with either gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble.  Each man’s work will be tested by fire on that day, and only that which remains will be rewarded.  We should take care how we build, lest we run, or have run in vain.

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But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matthew 7:14

When it comes to revival, and revival meetings, in one sense, revival is easy…  Once the flow starts, the miracles happen, the atmospheres change, the going is good…  On another side, we sometimes don’t see a great degree of change in the people that are attending revivals in the short term.

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Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23

The Way is not power, it is faithfulness.  The path is not promotion, it is servant-hood.  The gift is not yours, it is theirs (2 Corinthians 1:6).  The road is not wide, it is narrow.

Jesus said plainly, unless you hate father, mother, sister, brother, children, spouse, even your own life, you cannot be His disciple (Luke 14:26).  He said quite distinctly that if you love someone else more than Him, you are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:37).

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