Will Jesus Say He Never Knew You?
Balancing Grace With The Truth
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Preface “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who claims to be a Christian will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There, Jesus said it, and so did I. Many feel this to be true but are afraid to say it out loud. I recognize that this is no way to start a book, so let me explain myself. I’m a retired senior pastor of what would be considered a large church in Honolulu. I wasn’t always a pastor. The first half of my productive life was spent in the business world. I know first-hand what it’s like to live in a world where profit justifies sin. For many, sin is a means of survival. I left that life behind in the midst of my productive years. I never imagined that I would go as far as to become a pastor and serve Jesus in my second half. But then again, didn’t Peter say we are all ministers? Our church was blessed with many members who through their time and talent served their brothers and sisters. I would say about half the members of the church were engaged in church life, either in serving or some other weekday program or activity. It was wonderful to see their spiritual growth, their true joy, and their love for God and one another. But despite those wonderful feelings, I always carried a lingering concern for the other half of the church. I’m talking about the ones we saw sporadically. Who snuck in late to hear the sermon and left quickly afterwards. Who came only for Christmas and Easter services. Who had one foot in God’s Kingdom and the rest of their bodies in the world’s. They were missing out on all God had for them. They are the ones who should be asking, “Will Jesus say He never knew me when we meet? I go to church. I read the Bible. I know Jesus. But does Jesus know me?” They are the ones who need to hear that genuine faith in Jesus produces evidence of a life that’s transforming from sinful ways towards being more like Jesus. Jesus gave His life so that we may have life to the fullest - a life that begins in this world. As a pastor, I held onto the hope that one day they would truly believe, trust, rely, and commit the whole of their lives to Jesus. Now that I’m retired from leading the church, I still hang onto that hope. My hope is that this book finds its way to them and others like them who feel the same way about being a Christian. Before you dive in, let me warn you that the first few chapters will be tough reading. Jesus was very straightforward. In Him was a balance of grace and truth. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) Just look at His choice of words in verse 23 above – “I will tell them plainly.” I feel compelled to be straightforward as well because, in retrospect, I should have been bolder when preaching the Gospel. But let me also share that tough to read verses are not to feared. For example, when reading Matthew 7:23, our mind’s eyes gravitate to the phrase, “I never knew you.” It’s scary to think you can go through life thinking you’re obeying Jesus, then learn when it’s too late that it was all for naught and you’re destined for hell. But notice that Jesus opens the verse with words like - then and will. Both point to the future. His intent was not to condemn. His was to warn. He was asking that we turn from our old ways to His ways. A warning that emanates from His love for us. When Jesus spoke the truth, He did so in balance with grace. This book conveys that same sentiment that I have for you. All that is conveyed, including the first six chapters, were written to share the truth in balance with grace. And like Jesus who spoke out of love, all my words were written In Love Always. Once you find yourself through Part One, the first six chapters, the remaining chapters that make up Parts Two through Four of this book are filled with short stories and teachings about seeking, finding and following Jesus in everyday life, organized according to Jesus two commandments: Loving God, Loving Others, and Loving Ourselves. I also wrote this book for our grandchildren and their children. I want them to know their “papa” and the Jesus he loved and followed. I want them to know that following Jesus is not a burden. It’s fun, fulfilling and a whole lot more. I want them to know that trying to live life without Him is the burden, not the other way around. And to not waste their time searching the world for answers to all the questions about life. Everyone grows up having those same questions. Many spend their lifetimes seeking answers - to no avail. The answers can all be found in the Bible. I say this to you as well. Come and join me on this amazing journey with Jesus. My hope is that when you finish this book, your life will never be the same. In love always,
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About the Book
Have you ever wondered why you sometimes don’t feel like going to church, see no bene t in engaging in the community of church,orhave become completely disinterested and disengaged from the church? Why you nd it easy to accept Jesus as your Savior but struggle to commit your life to Lord Jesus? These feelings are real. When you view the statistics on how many churchgoers have stopped going to church in the past ten years, and the number of people whodidn’treturn to church once Covid subsided, it’s obvious that many are experiencing these same feelings about church. The Apostle Paul once wrote,“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). This plight of Paul is especially true for Christians in America today. This book examines the cultural barriers we must overcome to truly follow Jesus, then continues with a collection of teachings and devotionals designed to guide us back to becoming all that Jesus wants us to be.
About the Author
Dale Saito was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. After graduating from the University of Hawaii with a BBA in Accounting, Dale began his first career—as a Certified Public Accountant. After a few years with a local CPA firm, Dale joined Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co., later named KPMG, and was admitted to the partnership in 1988. That was a milestone year, but not for obvious reasons. Shortly after his promotion, the Holy Spirit quietly suggested that Dale retire at the age of fifty and spend the next ten years giving back to the community. Subsequent to his admission to the partnership, Dale rose to executive level positions within the firm, as a Managing Director in the consulting division and as Chief Administrative Officer of the Asia Pacific Region. Dale announced his retirement on his 50th birthday and set out to spend the next ten years volunteering with several non-profit organizations. Much of that time was spent serving at a newly planted church. It was during that ten-year span that Dale began his second career. Japan holds a special place in the hearts of Dale and his wife, Aileen. Their passion turned into compassion when the Tohoku region of Japan was overcome by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. That year was Dale’s second milestone year—Dale became a pastor to serve the tsunami survivors. Within days of the completion of his ten years of volunteer work, it turned out God was not done with Dale. God called Dale to become the executive pastor and then the senior pastor of the church where he served until he retired in 2020. Dale wrote weekly email messages to his congregation during his tenure. At the request of many congregants and friendly reminders that no one in the Bible ever retired, Dale continued writing weekly email messages after his retirement. He also continues to preach at several churches around the island of Oahu. Many of Dale’s weekly emails and messages are available at his website: PastorDale.church.