It Doesn't Matter: Who You Are Series

In our world today who you are means something, you hear it a lot from folks who think their family name and genealogy should mean something to someone. I think the phrase “Do you know who I am” comes out most often when those who think more of themselves than they should are struggling at a checkout counter and there is a problem or when they are pulled over by a Law Enforcement officer. We’ve all heard it and maybe even said it ourselves, “Do you know who I am” like it matters to someone and we should get special privileges because of who are parents are or how much money we have.

We do it in our churches to we act like we have a front row ticket on the train to eternity because of who we are or what we have. The truth is it doesn’t matter who you are. If anybody could have used their pedigree for eternal salvation it would have been the Apostle Paul. He was The Poster Boy for the Jews. Let’s look at his pedigree. (Read Philippians 3: 4-11)

Now if anyone could ever say “do you know who I am?” and get something done it would be Paul. I mean what a Pedigree He had. But did you catch what he was saying? Who he was meant nothing when it came to him knowing Christ and obtaining resurrection from the dead. It didn’t matter who he was…… all that mattered was who he knew and the relationship he had with Christ.

Now don’t get me wrong I think our heritage and who we are and who are ancestors are is something important to know and be proud of. The problem is sometimes we rely on who we are and should be more concerned about who’s we are. I can’t tell you how many times I have talked to someone and asked them where they went to church and they would say they were a member of the church where I was the pastor and so I would ask them who they were and say “I’m sorry I guess I have just missed seeing you there somehow” sometimes they will get a little huffy and out of sorts and say something like “Well you know my Momma n em. (That’s Mississippi for Momma and the rest of my family). But I aint been to church since I got outta school.

When it comes to our eternal salvation the sad truth is it doesn’t matter one iota about your pedigree, or who your momma is, or who your daddy is. All that matters is you and your relationship with Christ. Too often in our churches today people try to ride in to their salvation on the coattails of those who have gone before them. But I gotta tell you the truth you can’t get to where you need to be on your family heritage and pedigree, it don’t matter if your grandma and grandpa founded the church or not, your salvation rest on you and you alone. Your Daddy can’t get you in, your momma can’t get you in, your grandparents can’t get you in, your siblings can’t get you in, and your preacher can’t hand out free passes to get you thru the pearly gates.

It don’t matter who you are and it certainly don’t matter what you got. No amount of money in the world can get you a ticket to heaven but people act like it can. It’s a mindset in our world today, if we can’t get in because of who we are then certainly if we have enough financial gain we can buy our way in. NOPE, that’s not how God works. The debt has already been paid and it has been paid with the blood of Jesus. An extra twenty in the plate isn’t going to buy you forgiveness for your sins, an extra hundred in the offering isn’t gonna get you a ticket on that heaven bound train. The ticket has been bought, the seat has been reserved all you have to do is receive it by acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Oh I wish I could tell you that everyone will get to heaven, I wish that I could tell you that everybody would spend eternity in the presence of the Lord, Oh!!! I wish I could give you the golden ticket, cause if I told you that it was taken care of because of your pedigree or your finances I would be lying to you.

Scripture says the gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road is wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it (Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus tells us that Not everybody who says to me Lord, Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father will enter. Jesus goes on to say that on Judgement Day, many people will say to me, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and expel demons in your name and do miracles in your name?” Then I’ll tell them, “I’ve never known you. Get away from me you people who do wrong.” (Matthew 7:21-23)