As we pursue understanding the greatest Christian life, one thing we must dispel is that the greatest Christians were the most famous ones. Those who are most well-known on earth may be least known in heaven. Those who are the most highly esteemed in heaven may be little known on earth. Having great spiritual authority with men is not as high as having great authority with God.

        Many of the great men and women of history who were at the forefront of great moves of God may have only been there because of those little-known ones behind the scenes praying. We will learn all of this on the great Judgment Day when the Books of Life are opened. The Books of Life are God’s history books—accurate records of human history and every human life. These are the books Jesus said we should rejoice that our names are written in. Making it into God’s history books is far better than making it into man’s.

        How would our lives be different if we were focused more on being known by God rather than known by men? The Lord said many would come to Him on the Judgment Day boasting of how many great works they had done in His name, but He would say to them, “Depart” because He never knew them (see Matthew 7:22-23). Their problem was not that they did not know the Lord, but the Lord did not know them. How could that be?

        The Greek word translated as “knew” does not mean He did not know who they were, but it is a deeper knowing such as between a husband and wife. Great Christian lives are not based on what we do as much as what we become. Are we becoming more like Him because we are getting closer to Him and are being changed by His glory?

        The greatest Christian lives will be most like Christ. This happens as we draw near to Him, and as He promises, He draws near to us. We are changed by seeing His glory. As we see in the Gospels, the miracles and works of the Lord were often described as revealing His glory, so drawing near to Him includes being used by Him to do His works. Even so, the works are the fruit of our relationship, not just a matter of learning procedures, or being diligent.

         A fruit tree bears fruit because it is a fruit tree. It does not strain or strive to produce fruit. Producing fruit is the result of what it is, not what it does. A good tree planted in good soil will produce good fruit. As we keep knowing the Lord and drawing closer to Him, the fruit will naturally come. As He said in John 15, if we are not bearing fruit, it is because we are not abiding in Him. The works of the Lord are not what we do for Him, but what we do with Him.