As Christians we believe that God through Christ Jesus has saved us from sin. This is the grace and mercy of God alone. One logical question that might arise is whether a Christian no longer needs to do good and be in obedience to His will. Of course not. In fact, according to Paul, we are actually freed to live in truth and in obedience to His will.

This is Jesus's warning to His disciples in the text we are reading. The soothing advice in the Sermon on the Mount series ends with a fairly strong warning. The Kingdom of Heaven is reserved for those who do the will of the Father. Those who merely cry out: "Lord, Lord" will not have a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps the Lord's rebuke also targets people today who claim to be Christians, even go to church every week, but whose behavior and thoughts do not at all reflect the teachings of Christ.

As an affirmation of this warning, Jesus applies it to the context of the final judgment. On the day of judgment, the Kingdom of Heaven will be prepared for those who truly obey and do God's will. In everyday language we might say that those who only “profess” to be Christians will be judged appropriately on the day of the final judgment. We do receive the gift of salvation from God, but He also imposes a high standard in behavior, thoughts and behavior for His followers. This high standard concerns how obedient we are in doing His will. Therefore, to be able to do His will, someone must truly persevere in His words and teachings. Being loyal to God's word and doing it faithfully is described as someone who builds a house on a solid foundation. The house will not collapse when hit by various disasters. Those who firmly hold on to God's word will also always withstand various kinds of storms of trials and temptations.

Bible friends, on this Christmas day let us reaffirm our commitment as His disciples. The birth of Christ and His work in the world occurred based on God's love for us. He does not want us to perish and be subject to sin. God desires salvation for His creation. Therefore, let's welcome His invitation by being faithful to His word and truly doing God's will in our daily lives.