Empty Hearts

Holy Scriptures taken from the NKJV

mp3's by John MacArthur
Comments by Wade

Empty Hearts pt 1
Even sharp eyes can be tricked by a forged painting or fake money. And even a sharp person - maybe
even you - could be fooled by a false gospel . . . or think you've embraced the true gospel when you
haven't.

Empty Hearts pt 2
It's been said that the easiest person to deceive is yourself. And there's no deception with greater
consequences than to think you're a Christian when, truth is, you're not. So . . . where do you stand?

Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He
promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our
Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with
power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Through Him we have
received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among
whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-6 NKJV

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom
you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? Romans 6:16
NKJV

Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which
you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own
belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience
has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is
good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Romans 16:17-20 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest,
and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the
everlasting God, for obedience to the faith to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.
Amen. Romans 16:25-27 NKJV
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 NKJV

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is
righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of
God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not
practice righteousness is not of God , nor is he who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:7-10 NKJV

To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even
their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him,
being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Titus 1:15-16 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15 NKJV

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will
be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21 NKJV

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 NKJV

And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above
reproach in His sight if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not
moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature
under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. Colossians 1:21-23 NKJV

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 1 John 2:3 NKJV

This is not by any means, salvation by/through works ie "works based salvation". Rather it's
about the evidence of real saving faith.... the obedience to God's Word. As Paul says in
2 Corinthians 13:5,
Quote:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

To be faithful, is to be obedient. Faith always manifests itself in obedience to God's

commands. We all must examine ourselves and ask..... are we truly in the faith. Are we
obedient to God's Word? That's the evidence. If we claim Christ yet fail to be obedient to
Him, then how can we claim to be saved? As James 1:22 says....
Quote:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Are you deceiving yourself? Do you profess to know God, yet deny Him by your
works? Has the umbilical cord of the world been cut from your life?
What will the Lord say to you at the end of days....
Quote:
"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you
ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord"
or will it be....
Quote:
"I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

There is nothing more important then your eternal future. Examine yourself, test
yourself, are you a doer or merely a hearer? Is there evidence of saving faith in your
life? Consider the following passage of scripture.

Quote:
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and
there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to
life, and there are few who find it.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from
thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does
the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man
who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man
who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Matthew 7:13-29 NKJV
Is your faith founded on The Rock? Is there evidence of it? Are you obedient? Time is
short! These are all questions we must ask ourselves. Faith without works (obedience) is
dead. If we are not obedient to God's Word, to Jesus' commands, are not fervently
seeking to be more like Him, how can we claim salvation? It's not about what you did
way back when, or back when you made the altar call, the sinners prayer etc... The
question is.... what are you doing now? Is the foundation of your life built on the Word
of God, and do you live it? We only enter the kingdom of God by His terms, The narrow
gate.
"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve"

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