YOU CANNOT PAY FOR THAT WHICH IS FREE

Perhaps the most horrible words which will ever be spoken are:  "...I never knew you: depart from Me...." (Mt. 7:23).  These words, given as a warning by Jesus, are even more terrifying when one looks at their context!  He was talking to a hopeful crowd that was looking for their Messiah, their Christ, their earthly King and Liberator from a continuing stream of Gentile empires.  The self-righteous of the group, wanting to find favor with Jesus, called Him Lord, and told Him of their religious activities.  They said they had represented Him as His prophets, they had cast out demons, and had even worked many miracles (v. 22).  They believed their works were their "ticket to get onboard."  His ego-shattering response to their prideful attempt to be included in His kingdom, as recorded in Matthew 7:21-23, says, 

"Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?  And in Thy name have cast out devils?  And in Thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."  [The will of His Father was that man place their faith and trust in His only begotten Son, Jesus (Jn. 1:12; 3:16; 6:29)!] 

Just a few verses earlier, as He was coming to the end of His "Sermon on the Mount" (Mt. 5-7), He explained how a person can enter His kingdom.  He said:  "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it" (Mt. 7:13-14).  And yet, instead of asking Jesus what He meant by this, they immediately started bragging about their worthiness to be included in His kingdom.

Not much has changed since then.  Man prefers to try to earn his right to eternal life in heaven.  He has gone to great extremes to do so, creating a multitude of religions to serve as vehicles to get them to their desired destination.  Unfortunately, as can be seen by this passage, religious works are called works of iniquity, they are works of pride, and therefore, even their "good works" are sin!

The Apostle Paul explained that God has offered man free access to God's kingdom, by faith in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection; it is a gift!  He wrote, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).

If you are born again, you know that all the credit belongs to God!