My previous blogpost has some of Jesus’ teaching on why people do not listen to Him nor believe in Him.

Jesus has gone to heaven and left His people in this world to carry on His teaching. How are they progressing? It is relevant to follow up the previous blogpost with Jesus’ own opinion of many Christians.

We can read His assessment of some churches in Asia in the Book of Revelation, in Rev 2 and Rev 3, where He has some sharp things to say, although these Christians were within living memory of Jesus’ time on this Earth, in the first generation of Christianity.

Jesus told those who believed in Him to continue following His teaching and “you shall know the Truth and the Truth will make you free” Jn 8:30-32.

However, many Christians will not do so, and Jesus tells us what will happen to them at the Day of Judgment.

Jesus said: “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.”

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 7v23.

Selective Christianity

Many Christians quote verses from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount Mat 5-Mat 7. However, too many people are selective about which verses they quote. The above verse comes from the end of His sermon.

To whom is Jesus speaking? The context shows that He is speaking to active Christians who claimed to have done many things in Christ’s name Mat 7:22. So, where did they go wrong to merit such severe condemnation? They did not “observe all things” that Christ commanded them Mat 28:20. They “did their own thing” and chose what suited them in following Christ. Many of them did not even bother to read Jesus’ teaching on a regular basis.

Jesus explains it in context: “Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven” Mat 7:21 and He explains it further: “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up” Mat 15:13.

Eclectic Christians

These are eclectic Christians who choose only what they want from Jesus’ teaching, but in His Great Commission to the Christian Church Jesus told His disciples “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” Mat 28:20 – not only some of them.

So Jesus calls them “workers of iniquity” Mat 7:23, which is a common phrase in the Old Testament.

The good news

However, there is good news. Christianity will not always be like this, and it does not need to be like this around you. If you believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him and His Word, then your Christian light will shine around you Mat 5:16. You may find fellowship with like-minded Christians and change the attitudes around you. You will have the comfort of learning what Jesus is really like, of having communion with Him through His Holy Spirit teaching and guiding you through the Scriptures inspired by Himself. You will sleep easy in your bed, knowing that “There is now no condemnation to them who are in Jesus Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” Rom 8:1.

Self-examination

So how can one know where one stands? We do not wish to make mistakes in so important a matter. This being so, it is little wonder that the apostle Paul warns us to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith.

“Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Do you not know yourselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you are reprobates?” 2Cor 13:5.

Jesus gave many warnings to His hearers. not least is His parable about the sower Mat 13:3-9, in which He warns us how to listen to the Word of God. The potential in the Word of God is equally available to all who hear it, to bring them all the way to heaven, but many will come short because they do not use their ears. “If you have ears, then use them,” says Jesus in applying this parable Mat 13:9.

Jesus’ parable about the wedding feast Mat 22:1-14 and the failure of one guest to wear the provided wedding garment Mat 22:12 illustrates those who respond to the Gospel call but fail to respond properly.

“So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God” Rom 14:12.

Think carefully and study the Bible prayerfully.

Jesus has many things to say to churches, other religious people and even to the nations of the world. The nations have not followed the teaching of the Prince of Peace Ps 2:10, but this blogpost is about failed Christians as individuals, rather than about failing churches and nations.