"Not every one 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 they name?  and in thy name have cast out devils? and in they name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never new you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matt 7:21-23

Have you never noticed that just about everyone thinks and believes he or she is a Christian.  For example, a young couple living together out of wedlock in total disregard to God's Holy Word; suggest to them they may be displeasing to God and they reply, judge not lest ye be judged.  Then there is the homosexual who believes God loves him in his sin, never mind that fire and brimstone fell on Sodom and Gomorrah.  Today everyone is supposed to be a Christian, yet Judas was rejected after three years of close fellowship and personal instruction by the Lord Jesus himself.  Saul was Isreal's first king but at the end of his reign over God's people, he was rejected.

Now it is not my right, nor privilege to say who is saved and who is not saved.  Neither can I say who loves the Lord and who does not; it is God alone who will judge the hearts of men.  Yet, as a minister of the gospel, I fear that many may believe in a false hope, which is not in accordance with God's most sacred Word.  And to be completely truthful, being a minister is not a guarantee of eternal life either, because after many years in the position of a prophet, Balaam was rejected by God.

Because of this, God would like us to take the time to examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith, and are his people.  "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.  Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates." II Corinthians 13:5.

Today I would bring your attention to I Chron. 27:34, "...And the general of the king's army was Joab."  I have chosen this text and the relationship between king David and Joab to use as a guide in our self-examination, because, as a king, David well illustrates God's position.  As a servant of the king, Joab well illustrates our position to our King, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we study the life of Joab we find he is the son of David's sister, Zeruiah, making him David's nephew.  Even though related to David by blood, in the end, Joab will still be rejected!  It would be very unwise for anyone to think that they are Christian because they have relatives or friends that are Christians.

The scriptures reveal Joab as a thoroughly competent man; in every aspect a first class fighting man.  Few kings in all of history have had men as capable and loyal as Joab.  We find that Joab's apparent loyalty was so strong he was even ready to commit murder for David, his king (II Sam. 11:14-21).  "And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.  And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.  And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knoew that valiant men were.  And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some fo the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also." II Sam 14-17.  Some men in history have felt it necessary to murder other men for the sake of Christ, but in the end, Joab would be rejected!

The truth that God reveals to us is that Joab never really loved David his king.  Because, like Judas, his loyalty to David only lasted as long as it served his own personal interest.  "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour fo the ointment.  Then saith one of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the  poor?  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a theif and had the bag, and bare what was was put therein.  Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.  For the poor always ye have with you but me ye have not always."  John 12: 3-8.  Joab's relationship with David reveals a man who professes to be on his lord's side and for his lord's cause.  But in reality he was only serving the king for his own personal gain and glory.

The trial and failure of Joab comes to light as we watch him pass through three trials.  Each will reveal to us his heart while in service to David his king.  I would bring your attention o the fact that Joab was not rejected by David because he was a sinner.  The scriptures are very clear that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Even David the king was a sinner and Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Joab will be rejected by his king, just as Jesus will reject many and refuse to be their Lord and Savior, because their loyalty was with feigned lips and not with a true heart.  Look closely at the man Joab and let it not be you.  If you were to ask him he would tell you that David was Isreal's savior, Isreal's sovereign, and Isreal's light!  Likewise, many today profess Christ as Lord and Savior.

There had been in Isreal a long and bitter civil war between the house of David and the house of Saul.  The leader  of Saul's house was Abner, Saul's general, a great leader and soldier.  As in all civil wars, brother had slain brother, father had fought son and friends had died at the hands of friends, and the nation was ravaged. ( II Sam 3:17-39, II Sam 2: 18-24)

Now the heart of David the king was to unite the nation and heal it's wounds.  So when Abner came to David the king, to bring the kingdom and peace, David received him and sent him away in friendship.  Joab could not forgive and forget that Abner had slain his brother Asahel in combat, so he took Abner aside and slew him.

Years later another civil war broke out when David's son Absalom rebelled against his father.  It was David's desire to once again try to restore his son and heal the wounds of the nation.  But Joab with complete disregard fo David's love of his son and people, slew Absalom when he could have taken him captive. (II Sam 18: 5-17, and II Sam 18: 31-33)

As David grew old and prepared for death, it came time to look for a new king to rule Israel.  God instructed David that Solomon should rule in his stead.  Joab know this was the will of David and God!  Yet we find him in I kings 1: 5-10 attempting to establish David's eldest son on the throne in complete disregard of the will of the king and God!

David's final words to his son Solomon were,  "Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace." I Kings 2:6   Yes, Joab was a great man in Israel, the general of all the armies.  I doubt anyone questioned his loyalty to David the king, after all, did he not commit murder for his king?!  Yet his end comes swiftly and suddenly from the king's son.  " Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom.  And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.  And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the Lord; and, behold, he is by the altar.  Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.  And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, come forth.  And he said, Nay; but I will die here.  And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.  And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.  And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.  Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever form the Lord."  I Kings 2:28-33

Joab as Judas, Saul, and Balaam all appeared to love and follow the Laws of God.  But in truth, all they sought for was what would profit their own personal wealth and glory!  Why should they not be rejected?  They neither loved the king nor his kingdom!  "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap!"  Galatians 6:7