Here we come to what is an incredibly sobering text — a word of warning spoken by Jesus to each one of us. Jesus speaks of the very real danger of being self-deceived — of thinking that we are among the redeemed when, in fact, we are not. On the day of judgment Jesus says there will be many who, to their surprise, find themselves on the outside. This sobering text is not aimed at instilling fear or anxiety in us as readers but in calling us to do what the scriptures say — to test ourselves. As we discover, there is a way to have assurance.
