In Whose Name?

 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-22

The above passage reminds me that not everyone who says they are doing work for the Lord are in His will.  In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” I think this is an important question and each Christian should ensure that we are not just calling Jesus Lord but also making Him Lord of our life and walking in His will. In addition, we must pray that the deceit in our heart does not make us think we are doing work in His name when we are in fact following our own will and desires.

“The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

A deceitful heart will fool us into thinking we are doing the Lord’s work when He has nothing to do with it. We must be careful to ask God to search our hearts to see if there be any wicked way in us because if we are out of His will, we will not only cause harm to ourselves, but also many others. We may go around using the name of Jesus, but we could be using it in vain like the seven sons of Sceva.

But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:13-16

Pardon me, but I usually have a good laugh at this story whenever I hear or read it as I think of these men knowing that there is power in Jesus’ name and having the bright idea of using it for their exorcism exercise without actually knowing Him. It became very dangerous for them quickly when the evil spirit pounced on them and stripped them naked because it did not recognize them. If we are walking in the authority of Jesus as His ambassadors, the evil spirits will know us as they will recognize Jesus in us. Jesus often had to tell them to shut up as they called out His name because it was not time for His identity to be revealed.

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. Mark 1:23-26

In whose name are we doing our Christian work? Jesus is the one who gave His disciples authority over unclean spirits and sent them out. God will empower us to do the work He has called us to do. We cannot assume that we should do certain work for Him when He has not called us to do it. We must stay in our lane. If a runner in the sprint races run out of their lane, they can be disqualified because they have infringed on another person’s area. We must be careful to know that God has called us to the work we are doing, and we are not just carrying out our idea of what we want to do for Him. It is not about us, but about Him. Truthfully, we may not want to do what He calls us to do, whether we feel unqualified, we are afraid or we may even feel it is not befitting us. However, when God calls us, He will equip us for what He desires us to do, and He will also prepare our hearts and even change our minds.

Then I said, “Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go,and all that I command you, you shall speak. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:6-10

Jeremiah could now go out in the name of the Lord because he was called and empowered by Him. The Lord chose him. He also chooses and appoints us to bear fruit in the area He has called us to.

You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. John 15:16

If we go around using the name of Jesus without being chosen and appointed by Him, then we will be in trouble. We lack power if we are doing what we desire, and it is not what God leads us to do. It may seem good, and it may even be God’s work, but for someone else not us. If we are doing what He has not called us to do but we say we are doing it in “the name of Jesus”, then we are doing it in vain.  We should always remember that God prefers our obedience rather than sacrifices that are not in His will.