“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 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 deeds of power in your name? Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell – and great was its fall!” 

- Matthew 7:21-27

Reinforcing His desire for relationship with us, Jesus urges us to hear His words, act on them and do the will of the Father. Hearing, acting and doing are essential to our relationship with Jesus Christ.

I enjoy comfort and find peace and discover hope in many things Jesus says, but Jesus’s statements above cause great inner turbulence. We know belief precedes following, following requires action and relationship with Jesus Christ is the essence of the kingdom of heaven. We also know that our words and actions reveal the crevices of our spirits and souls. With these thoughts in mind, if we claim association with Jesus Christ but our actions suggest otherwise, we should pause to consider the reality of our condition.

His words shake me to my core. I know I deserve to hear “away from me, you evildoer,” but will I? The answer depends on my relationship with Jesus Christ. The questions are simple: do I hear and act on His words, am I doing God’s will, does Jesus Christ know me? God is love, He showers us with His holy grace, and I pray for mercy not the justice I deserve, I pray for relationship with Jesus Christ and I trust in His promises and I know He promises that when we seek we find. But am I genuinely seeking relationship with Him?

Relationship with Jesus Christ lies at the heart of this teaching. A few chapters later, Jesus points at the disciples and says, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). Once again, He connects doing the will of the Father to relationship with Jesus Christ. Relationship with Jesus Christ is connected to and determined by our choices – whether we choose to do God’s will.

Jesus explains that many people call Him “Lord,” prophesy in His name, cast out demons in His name, and do all sorts of good deeds in His name; yet still not have relationship with Him. We may call ourselves Christians, carry around our Bibles, attend Bible studies, go to church all the time, do amazing deeds in His name and otherwise project the appearance of association with Him, yet still not have relationship with Him. In fact, if that describes us, Jesus calls us “evildoers.”

What separates “evildoers” from people who enter the kingdom of heaven? The same choice that separates people who enjoy relationship with Jesus Christ from everyone else – whether they do God’s will.

Relationship with Jesus Christ is the kingdom of heaven. When we engage in relationship with the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, we enter the realm of His influence, surrender to Him, receive His power and join the kingdom of heaven. Who enters the kingdom of heaven? Who has relationship with Jesus Christ? The one who hears Jesus’s words and acts on them is like a house built on rock. Hearing Jesus Christ and acting on His words establish a solid foundation of faith, enable relationship, and through relationship the Father’s will is revealed, opening the door to the kingdom. Who enters the kingdom, who has relationship with Jesus Christ? The one who does the will of the Father. 

We should pray and study and meditate on Scripture and pray more. These are vital to lives of faith, they are vital to our relationship with Jesus Christ and essential to discerning God’s will, but we must also act and do (while acting may include merely going through motions, doing entails accomplishment). We are not called to cloister ourselves away, hiding from the world in prayer and study. Jesus calls us out into the world, acting as His agents, involved in His great mission. We are called to be salt and light. We are called to be His branches connected to Him and bearing fruit. We are called to hear and act.  We are called to do the will of the Father.

Each time it occurs to me that the Creator of the universe, the One unbound by time and space, the One who created all matter by speaking, almighty God desires relationship with us, I am struck again by awe and wonder. We, who are “evildoers,” we who often have thoughts inconsistent with the presence of God’s glory, we are objects of His holy, pure, divine desire. Jesus Christ desires relationship with us, He desires that we become holy, and that we allow His Holy Spirit to transform our minds that we may discern God’s will. He urges us to seek Him and He promises that, when we do, we will find Him.

May you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and may your heart be fertile soil in which His holy seed grows. May you know His holy will and may you be filled with His holy power, courage, energy and confidence to act and accomplish His will. May your relationship with Jesus Christ grow today and each day, forever.