Perhaps you’ve heard that not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 7:21). And that Jesus will blindside such folks on the last day when he claims not to have known them, and he commands them to depart from him (Matt 7:23). Have you ever feared finding yourself among that number of woefully deluded souls?
Context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of isolated quotes or arbitrary threats—we’ll find that some of our most familiar sayings have more nuance or qualification than we typically assume.
The Text
The warning Jesus issues near the end of his Sermon on the Mount is, in fact, rather sobering. Anyone unmoved by it ought to be the first to fear:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ” (Matt 7:21-23)
It is clear that calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough, on its own, to gain a person entry into the kingdom of heaven. Neither is speaking prophesy, nor casting out demons, nor doing mighty works in the name of Jesus.
And these facts ought not surprise anyone who has read the Bible.
- Balaam spoke true prophecy from the Lord (Num 23-24), but did not end well (Num 31:8, 16).
- Saul had his demons cast out (1 Sam 16:23). Judas Iscariot, along with the other 11 disciples, was authorized to cast demons out (Mark 3:14-19).
- Solomon did mighty works of wisdom (1 Kgs 3:16-28) and temple construction (1 Kgs 6:1, 7:51). Yet he did not stay the course (1 Kgs 11). (Though it’s possible that Ecclesiastes represents Solomon’s repentance in old age.) We could also cite Jonah, Joab, King Uzziah, Demas, and Judas Iscariot as examples of those who did “mighty works” but arguably may not have entered the kingdom of heaven.
- Of course, Judas is our chief example of one who called Jesus “Lord” without membership in the kingdom.
So the warning is real, and particular examples can be given. But what does the warning mean, and who exactly should tremble at it?
Preceding Context
In the preceding paragraph, Jesus sets an expectation that his community, his kingdom on earth, will consist of a number of wolves dressed up like sheep. These are what he calls the “false prophets” (Matt 7:15).
Jesus says two times that “you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16, 20). The nature of the fruit matches the nature of the tree. Good fruit comes from good trees. Grapes come from vines. Thorns come from thorn bushes. You can’t pick up a fig and conclude it came from a thistle.
And the trees that fail to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt 7:19). This is exactly what John said when describing the coming judgment (Matt 3:10b).
So the argument goes like this: The new community of Jesus will have false prophets within it. You will recognize them by their fruits, which prove what sort of tree the person is. And the unfruitful tree will be burned.
This paragraph demands a “so what” question: So what kind of fruit signals that one presenting as a sheep is in fact a wolf? What exactly is the fruit of a false prophet?
A Preliminary Answer
Matt 7:21-23 begins to answer that question by explaining what we are not looking for. Jesus thereby flips the question around. Instead of defining the fruit of a false prophet, he first defines what is not the fruit of a true sheep:
- Calling Jesus “Lord”
- Speaking prophecy in Jesus’ name
- Casting out demons in Jesus’ name
- Doing mighty works in Jesus’ name
Such fruit does not guarantee that the apparent sheep is an actual sheep. There could still be a wolf lurking underneath the wool dressing gown. They are called “false prophets” for a reason!
A Fuller Answer in the Subsequent Context
So we look to the next (and final) paragraph of the Sermon to get the answer we’ve been looking for.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock… And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matt 7:24, 26)
Here is now something observable. Does the person not only hear Jesus’ words, but do them? This is the mark of a true sheep. Does the person only hear his words but not do them? This is the mark of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
And the “doing” he refers to cannot be the “doing” of theatrical rituals, such as naming Jesus’ name, speaking prophecy, or casting out demons. The “doing” almost certainly refers back to everything Jesus has covered in this Sermon.
Being poor in spirit, meek, peacemaking, etc. (Matt 5:2-16). Honoring God’s law from the heart and not merely outwardly (Matt 5:17-48). Avoiding ostentation in the practice of piety (Matt 6:1-18). Seeking the kingdom instead of money and possessions (Matt 6:19-34). Living generously and graciously in community (Matt 7:1-12).
These are the folks, the true sheep, who “enter by the narrow gate,” which is hard but leads to life (Matt 7:13-14).
And they know how to recognize the “many” who try entering through the wide gate that leads to destruction. The fruit of the false prophets is the outward exercise of religion divorced from the personal and private transformation of the heart to love God and love his people.
Conclusion
If this warning from Jesus doesn’t cause you to tremble, you are most likely in danger from it. Please re-examine whether your religion is any deeper than outward conformity to a set of public practices. If your life doesn’t change when you hear this word of Christ, yours will be a pitiable case on the day of judgment.
But if your heart quails at the thought of ever missing your Lord Jesus and his kingdom, you’re probably already well on your way down that narrow road toward eternal life (Matt 5:3-6).
Context matters.
Thanks to Bonnie S for the idea for this post.
For more examples of why context matters, click here.
This interpretation holds that by the phrase, “the will of My Father,” Jesus meant a life characterized by obedience to all that the Father has commanded. As a result, those who do the will of the Father would be people who live godly, holy lives.
May I suggest a different way of looking at this passage? I propose that this passage is actually warning against using your works to determine if you will enter the kingdom of heaven.
This necessitates looking first at Matt 7:13-14. Jesus tells us the way to enter—by “the narrow gate.” In fact, this is “the way which leads to life” and “there are few who find it.” On the other hand, “the way that leads to destruction” is “broad” and “there are many who go in by it.”
In Matt 7:15-20, He then describes one reason why so few will find that gate—because they are led astray by false prophets who promote that broad way. The false fruits are their false doctrines—the way is not broad, but narrow. Jesus warns us here to pay attention to their teachings; to use discernment and reject them!
Next, in Matt 7:21-23, Jesus returns to the subject of 7:13-14—entering, and gives us examples of these false prophets’ doctrines. First, entering the kingdom is not based upon calling him Lord, and second, it is not based upon the works you do. Instead, it is based upon doing “the will of My Father in heaven.”
Here’s the crux of the matter: you need not go all the way back to Matthew 5 to determine what is the “will of My Father,” you need only to look to where Jesus told us how to enter in Matt 7:13-14, “by the narrow gate…which leads to life.”
Jesus Christ is that gate, and one may only enter through Him, by believing in Him for eternal life, rather than depending on one’s own obedience. The will of the Father is to believe in the Son, as Jesus said in John 6:40, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Unfortunately, there may be many who do good works—baptizing, praying, witnessing and the like, but have never done the will of the father, that is, to believe in Christ alone for salvation. As a result, in Matt 7:23 Jesus rebukes them and denies them entrance into the kingdom. My prayer is that they believe the saving message of eternal life through Him!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I really appreciate what you have written, and I fully agree that salvation is found in no other name than Jesus Christ, and belief in him.
However, I do think the context of this passage suggests that Jesus is helping us learn how to “recognize them by their fruits.” Though justification is by faith alone, it is not a a faith that stands alone. And so, faith without works is dead. Without the works of obedience (fruit) to what Jesus has commanded in this sermon, one has good ground to question what sort of tree one is dealing with.
This reading fits with the argument of the entire sermon. Remember that all three chapters are a single sermon, so we should expect to see it fit together. Going to chapter 5 for help is not going “all the way back…to determine what is the ‘will of My Father.'” It is simply following Jesus’ train of thought through this unified discourse.
In contrast, you have imported ideas “all the way” from John’s gospel (that Jesus is the gate, that “believing” is the will of the Father) to reach your conclusion. Matthew may not have had John’s theology in mind; the context matters.
You will know them by their fruit necessarily means when they are not producing fruit you will not know them. You will not know they are Christian. Neither will they. There are times when a christian does not produce fruit. Example is when we are faithless, ex. 1tim2 13 If we are faithless he is faithful for he cannot deny himself. So we know it is possible to be a faithless Christian. Jesus says remain on the vine for without me you can do nothing. If you want to continue producing fruit then remain on the vine or in other words keep the faith. Paul was a disciple and he said i have kept he faith. However we know again from 2 tim 2 13 its possible to be faithless and et eternally secure. There are Christians who aren’t decipling like Paul who did keep the faith. They asked Jesus How do we do the works of God? Jesus said the work of God is to believe on the one He has sent. Thats it, its belief. If you remain in belief or keep the faith as in remain on the vine you will bear much fruit. The narrow door is when we receive eternal life the narrow path is descipling. Remain in the faith to be a disciple. As in 2 tim we dont have to remain in the faith to remain saved. But fruit does allow other Christians including ourselves to know that we are Christian. Christians go in and out of seasons sometimes, and at times bear little or no fruit. However it says in the Bible no christian can bear bad fruit, Ever! A christian can be having a hard time, not bearing fruit. But Jesus prunes us to produce even more fruit. If we are a desiple we bear fruit. A saved christian does not have to bear fruit, only a disciple does. The 2nd and 3rd soils also are saved. They heard the word with great joy. They received the word, what? That they are saved. Yet, the word either got choked out or due to cares of life. You have to have the word for it to be choked out in the first place.. The soil that produced much fruit is a desciple.. You can see if a christian is faithless he cannot produce fruit apart from the vine, what other explanation is there. Yet, he remains saved. You have ever gone through hard testing you will also be glad that we are under grace now. We access this grace through faith, But we know we remain saved if faithless. If you don’t feel God’s grace does not mean its not there. The Bible says Does our faithlessness nullify God’s faithfulness. And the answer it says in bible, it does not. I forget the exact words while I write this, but its so true God’s grace extends to far further than you can imagine.
Could you maybe flesh out these qualifications a bit. I enjoy the company of God’s people at church. I like being of service (cooking meals for folks, offering rides if they need them, etc), and helping others. And I *love* to encourage people. I feel more at peace when I am among my church family than I am my real actual family (I am the only believer in my family). Church is something I actutally look forward to. I am one of the “younguns” in my church, it’s average age being well above mine, but I love them like they are the godly grandparents I never had.
But – How much of this might I be doing just because I’m a friendly guy and I like being around friends, and enjoying their company?
Thanks for the excellent question, Robert. All that you described is wonderful and to be commended. The church is supposed to be a new family, with ties closer than blood.
I can’t really answer the question for you, as I don’t know you or your situation. But I would encourage you to consider whether Jesus is at the center of your church and your relationships within the church. Are you close to these people because each of you is following Christ? Or are you close to these people because you just like being close to each other?
Love and unity in a church community is like tuning an orchestra. The musicians cannot get in tune by listening to each other and trying to match pitch with one another. There must be one standard (usually an oboe). Everyone gets in tune with the oboe, and by default, they will then be in tune with one another.
In the same way, if you and each of the folks in church get in tune with the Lord Jesus, you will find yourselves also in tune with one another.
I’m puzzled by this article.
It SEEMS you are saying anyone who casts out devils and works mighty works you think is a sign of being an apostate?
Given a world around us of addicted, mental disease, a rise of children who exhibit every malady in which parents came to Jesus for help, and Jesus cast out devils.
Context does matter, and the gospels are abundantly clear, as are the prophecies given in the old covenant of what man’s right standing and relationship to God should and can be.
It’s not complicated either.
The only purpose of complicating our relationship, its perks and requirements, available through the blood of the Messiah was to create control over people via religion.
We see in Acts when the wizard came to the disciples to try to pay for the power. He had no relationship to God, indeed he had one to satan.
Moreover Jesus said devils don’t cast out devils.
No. I think it has to be the hardest job in the world to be a faithful pastor. The 20th century saw sin lure away a majority of Christians, false universalist doctrines and a culture that lied about Christianity to make it “uncool”. Holiness not only vanished but men tried to carve up the gospel to fit a cultural narrative and appeal to prideful humans.
The pressure to conform has heightened. Pastors are being arrested in western countries for speaking truth.
No one is interested in sects and divisions of mainstream churches and the old attendees are dying out.
Yet the resurgence of tribal witchcrafts has mushroomed. And those who claim to know the gospel are saying doing the very thing that would help them is a sign of falsehood.
That is the most damnable inference of those scriptures I could imagine.
The children of Israel saw God’s acts repeatedly. And the VERY next trial once again reverted to disbelief.
**The children of Israel knew God’s acts, Moses knew God’s ways.
The believer should seek. God, not power. With the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and truly asking God to help people, power is a part of the package. (I Cor)
The disciples ran back to Jesus to tell Him about the great things that happened – a beautiful example of keeping one’s eyes on Jesus not this world
When’s the last time you ran back to Jesus to share and learn about what just happened?
Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit you’ve got nothing anyone wants.
If you can’t get an addict delivered or a sick person healed, you aren’t obeying the Great Commission…
But as the book of Acts shows, you REALLY have to know what you’re on about.
One day I read Paul’s closing prayer in Ephesians…”pray for me that a door of opportunity would open for me to share the gospel”.
So a little lightbulb popped up over my head and I said: “Father! I pray for an opportunity to minister the gospel”….
Next day: bam – BIG WOW
so that night I prayed again
AGAIN
Thus I learned from the Holy Spirit and began a number of years like John wrote: The internet couldn’t hold them if written.
And… just like Acts, hell stepped in my life and it was heaven on the one hand and endless assaults for YEARS, on the other.
But I had a close and loving relationship to God forever before that. I read my bibles til they fall apart. Never been able to get enough. NEVER been able to put the God who delivered me into a church box. I mean I’ve gone and fortunately right away God moved me 700 miles to sit under a RARE minister who preached an un-compromised gospel. He ran a Bible college I sat under a year and some.
We are in the last days beyond any doubt. You can’t work your way to heaven, but you can’t please God without obeying Him.
The disciples barely knew Christ when He sent them out. Yet within that group He also had specific calls to specific personalities.
The power is without any contradiction to scripture available for Christs people who have a heart to help others. Are there wicked men in the ministry? Of course. Sometimes the finer the veneer, the worse the substrate. Many preachers lost faith but continue because they have no other means to make a living. Many to prey on sheep. Most of those exhibit no power whatsoever. The caution, or at least part of Christs warning in those verses, is not to loose your first love. (Rev)
The first century works are returning because the human race do desperately needs them. But not only must those works return to His body but holiness. Don’t forget the liars who had every right to the proceeds of their own property but lied to the church and God and dropped dead up front!
20th century churchianity with fat and rich Americans is passe. Dead organized religion isn’t going to get you in either.
The whole point of salvation was to return individuals to a relationship WITH God.
Food banks, charity drives, casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead, having Sunday schools, fellowships in accord, all the fruit, all the offices of ministry, a cessation of divisions between classes of people would be an amazing thing to glow through the body of Christ in the last days, all these things are perks of the kingdom- your relatives to not have to be addicts, crazed karens and Kens. Jesus with a touch healed minds. You CAN to in obedience to the Spirits leading.
But but but! ABOVE ALL those things, that we as individuals maintain our relationship to our loving Father. ABBA! and LOVE to our fellow man.
Pretty certain only satan has a vested interest in YOU thinking deliverance is a sign of an apostate. Good grief. Don’t single out a scripture for a ridiculous doctrine of powerlessness in the face of the one Christ told you to overcome.
I do not say in the article that casting out devils and working mighty works is the sign of an apostate. I say, along with Jesus, that *not obeying Jesus’ commands* is the sign of an apostate, regardless of whether a person casts out devils and works mighty works. In other words, Jesus argues simply that acts of “deliverance” (as you put it) is not in itself evidence that a person knows Jesus. Such mighty works are good things, not bad things. They’re simply not sufficient evidence, on their own, that a person is walking with the Lord.
I believe the people Jesus was speaking of in Matthew 7:21 were trusting in Jesus plus their many wonderful works to get into heaven. They were clearly boasting to the Lord saying, “look at what we did to deserve heaven”. The one thing they did not say to Him is, “we trusted that you died and shed your precious sinless Holy blood as full payment for our sins”. If they had trusted in that alone, Jesus would have said, “well done good and faithful servants”. All the many places in the bible that speak about salvation clearly state that it is by faith alone! All of our obedience to Christ is how we walk closer to Him and grow spiritually. You cannot serve the Lord effectively out of fear, but you surely can serve Him out of Love. When you know that Christ paid it all and it is truly a free gift and you cannot earn it, you enter into his rest and you have the peace that surpasses all human understanding. Having assurance of your salvation empowers you to serve God. Perfect love casts out all Fear. There is no fear in love because fear has torment. To be saved stop looking at yourself and start looking at Jesus! Salvation is not a reward you earn, it is Gift you recieve!
Best answer
Although Jesus is present deity he did not minister under the conditions of the New covenant after he became the high priest in the heavenliesi Bears thinking through and it could give us pause to some of these areas for one example believer does not backslide a born-again Believer can get into what we call the spirit of error one is a state another is a standing
Am I missing something here? As I understand the situation:
When Jesus was making these statements – the cross was a long way into the future, the possibility of loving God personally was NOT possible – and one could NOT be born again.
Was much of this NOT spoken of the Pharisees and their false religion?
It seems to new that Christians often spiritualize scripture with NO thought for its context . . . while everything you say is TRUE, its ONLY in hindsight we can make that claim – those he was speaking to would have had NO concept of the cross or salvation.
I propose that this is an attack on the Pharisees . . . who HAD the means to cast out devils, etc, but with impure motives.
But I may be wrong.
My understanding- The Pharisees who rejected Jesus claimed to be righteous under the law, and were offended at thought of needing to be saved by grace and mercy. They believed they had established their own righteousness under the law, when the truth is the law was never given to establish righteousness but to reveal the sinful state of a persons heart and their need for a savior in God. It was pride in their religion, an outward appearing of righteousness, while being spiritually dead inside that condemned them, and blinded their eyes to the truth.
So true. That was the audience. Their religion had grown into a culture based on non-scriptural writings and incessant nit-picking of them to get around the requirements; much of it was also ego based in believing great things of themselves instead of great things of God.
I began studying Hebrew during Covid and have encountered a number of these writings and some are directly the opposite of what God told them in the law, and little sneaky tricks on “allowable” ways to avoid any cost in this false righteousness.
The mental gymnastics in some of it are just profound.
At this juncture, Jesus teachings were entirely addressed to them. But gymnastics they preferred.
Until the rejection of their Messiah, and the resurrection, gentiles had no place. Acts, The apostle Paul and Revelation make the case of appropriately and reverently serving God in power of Holy Spirit and John’s books keeps our relationship to the Father on a proper and PRIMARY plane.
Expecting to walk in God’s power WITHOUT a right relationship IS witchcraft. Something in this day Christian’s must be careful to avoid. The Lord is a “gentleman” and we must invite Him but the wicked one is a destroyer and you give him an opening he comes in to kill.
Jesus defeated Him and Christian’s need to know how to overcome him.
Without the power of God and seeking wisdom daily, we ourselves suffer, let alone are worthless to help our fellow man.
Yes best answer!
Those were relying on their own works and self righteousness to gain access to heaven rather than the finished, complete work of the Saviour.
This Scripture seems a non-sequitur. How could a person that wasn’t operating in the power of the Holy Spirit perform “mighty works” or cast out demons? On the other hand, if they *were* operating in the power of the Holy Spirit, how could Jesus say “I *never* knew you?”
Whichever way you look at it, it doesn’t make sense.
Consider this, it is possible for a demon to “appear” to be cast out for the purpose of spiritual deception. It is also possible for demonic entities to perform miracles if allowed by God, also for the purpose of spiritual deception. The spiritual subversion may cement a persons self righteousness in their religion, and draw them further away from God.
Jesus himself said devils don’t cast out devils. He also said if the house isn’t kept clean, when cast out they’ll come back, always do, and bring more besides and the state of that person will be worse than before.
Because religious people, and Christianity did no better, produced slack, lazy men who ONCE had zeal but who did not have roots to abide.
The disciples mentioned this conundrum when disappointed, they said “where would we go? (If they left Jesus). They had left their jobs and families.
Maintaining an office with an “ichabod” lack of The Spirit isn’t rare in church leaders in the least. You’ll find the congregation will be just as lukewarm. Isn’t this how we ended up with the dozens and dozens of sects?
What must be inferred is if even the preachers who are “doing the works” aren’t going in, what of the bench warmers, the gossips, the idle and the arguing fools that tend to cling when the preaching is watered down so as not to offend the people with the cornerstone.
The WORD of God IS the power to save us. When you don’t understand a scripture, if you just put it in you and keep on reading the parts come together if you have a hungry heart towards God. Not all at once but just move on to things you get.
ASK. If ANY man lacks wisdom ask…
The Holy Spirit is THE teacher.
Here Jesus addressed the Jewish leaders of the people who were tasked with healing and deliverance via the law’s provisions.
This verse is NOT to gentile Christians.
However, Paul, revelations, writes enumerable things about maintaining your personal relationship to our Heavenly Father (your PRIMARY NO 1 goal in Christianity) and in rightly handling the WORD so as to help your fellow man. Don’t complicate it. It’s not.
It’ll ALWAYS require faith but if you’re a Christian and have come to KNOW your God, His Son, His Spirit was given to mankind that we first deliver ourselves to obedience, study let Him CHANGE you into His image which is again, numero uno – and requires the power of the Holy Spirit so you don’t live a defeated life bound to sins of the flesh…
Only then rejoined to your love for your creator would one expect to operate on the gifts. First: (the prophecy of being born again and the description of what God does in it) (John 3:16-17) The Ezekiel 36:26 get heart transplant! :D. Fruit second. Let the Word live in you and change you . THEN the gifts: healing, deliverance, etc.
Never choke when you hit one that flummoxes you. ASK the Spirit. (John 10). You may have to cover a lot of other issues and learn them before you’ll understand the one that throws you. Eventually, if you’ll cultivate a hunger … he’ll bring you back and tie them together.
The LAST thing you want is to be unreachable because you hit a road block. Don’t let the block be your unwillingness to learn. You’ll get out of the Word what you’ll put into it. I can get you this scripture if you need it and the several principles behind it if needed.
When I first began studying the scriptures a LOT of things were still mysteries that we know today.
Moreover. It was all HEAVY, EXPENSIVE books! Time consuming page flipping but OH!!! What an age we live in now! Click click click! A dozen answers on the first “page” alone!
I AM is greater than we will ever fully understand here. But it’s electrifying to find out how much He HAS shared with us!
One of the most remarkable things to me when I first began to study the word was to find that the human race hadn’t a single need that there aren’t promises or instructions to resolve or answers to find out about, EVERYTHING your heart and life need.
Christ was a living example on how to do the will of the father. Christ is the door. But just as Christ did, we must be obediant to god’s laws to do that. All have a choice, or there be no good or bad, Christ is still as this is being written, doing the will of his father. To do that will, we must follow Christ’s example. After all, who else would really be qualified, as an example. Love agape love.