Spiritual Gifts Will Not
Produce Spiritual Character
Ashley Gronholm
“ Not everyone that saith unto me , Lord , Lord , shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doeth 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 .” Matthew 7:21 – 23
In January of 2020 , the Holy Spirit began to speak these verses to me , which led to weeks of praying and seeking the Lord about a verse that I could not ignore . The passage in Matt 7:21-23 began to weigh heavily on my heart as I wondered , “ What exactly is Jesus saying here ?” After seeking the Lord , I believe these verses reveal that good works , even the performing of miracles , signs and wonders cannot produce true faith , nor make us justified before God , nor can they qualify us for heaven ! Instead , we must have a revelation of Jesus Christ through faith and a by the power of the Holy Spirit . In other words , spiritual maturity and character are not proven by the demonstration of spiritual giftings or miracles , but rather through a heart encounter with Jesus , resulting in a transformed heart and a changed life ! From this place of true encounter with God ( Father , Son and Holy Spirit ) can we begin to die to self ( your selfish ambitions , fleshly desires and anything that is contrary to the will of God ) and live to give God glory !
Spiritual maturity and character are not proven by the demonstration of spiritual giftings or miracles , but through a heart encounter with Jesus .
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