“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.’” Matthew 7:21-23
I love the band Coldplay. Back in 2014, I got an email from the band that said, “Click here to enter to win tickets to our live recording of Coldplay Live at Austin City Limits.” I figured, “Why not? I will enter this contest. I am sure there is no way that I will win tickets.” Weeks later, I got an email letting me know that I had won two tickets to attend this show. At the time, Coldplay was playing sold-out stadiums, regularly playing to a crowd of fifty-thousand people, and here was my opportunity to be one of twelve hundred people at this intimate show. I was so pumped. I had to arrange my own flight and place to stay down in Austin, but nothing was stopping me from attending this show. I remember as I was walking up to the concert venue with my friend, this fear came over me. I could not help but think, what if they do not let us in? What if, when we get to the front, that bouncer looking at the list can not find my name on it? What if I misread the email, missed a step, never confirmed we were coming, or just overlooked some other simple thing? By the grace of God, when we went and checked in, my name was on that list, and we got to enjoy the concert.
- Have you ever tried to get into an event and, for some reason, been rejected?
In reading Matthew 7:21-23, I cannot help but think that this Scripture makes many people feel the exact same way that I felt walking up to enter that concert. At first glance, we may feel this overwhelming dread come over us. Could I really get to Heaven and possibly hear the Lord say to me, “Depart from me. I never knew you?” Jesus’ words here are very heavy, and I believe they are meant to catch our attention. This section of Scripture clearly lays out a warning for those who think they know Jesus but actually do not. It clearly gives us the understanding of how we can fully know and trust that we are true believers.
- At first glance, how does reading this section of Scripture cause you to react?
- Discuss the difference between the question “Will I get to Heaven?” and “Do I know Jesus?”
If you are asking the question, “Will I get to Heaven?” I believe you have already missed the point. Our focus should be on if we know Jesus as our Savior. If He is the Lord of our life, then eternity with Him is guaranteed. In verse 21, we see that just because someone says, “Lord, Lord,” to Jesus does not mean that they actually know Him as their Savior. Just because you say you know someone, does not mean you actually know them. I remember when I was in college, Michigan State had this star point guard named Kalin Lucas on their basketball team. He was the Big Ten player of the year and had an incredible college career. He was on the varsity team at my high school when I was on the JV team. So naturally, when anyone talked about Kalin Lucas I would tell them, “Oh yeah, I know him. I went to school with him.” Did I actually know him, though? I do not think I ever actually spoke one word to him. I tried to guard him once in a scrimmage and almost got dunked on. I think I was stretching the word “know” a little far.
- Do you have anyone in your life that you would claim to know in this way?
- Have you ever acted this way towards “knowing” Jesus?
Jesus is teaching us here that anybody can say they know Him, but that is not a mark of a true believer. These people were trying to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and they knew the right words to say, but Jesus knew their hearts. Salvation in Jesus Christ does not come from just saying you know Him.
- Do you often spiritually find your words not matching up with your actions?
I am sure that many of us understand those people who said, “Lord, Lord,” not actually knowing the Lord makes sense. It may be the next part in verses 22-23 that we get tripped up on a little more. Matthew 7:22-23 says, “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.’”
- Why were these works not evidence of their salvation?
Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly shows us that it is not by works that we are saved, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The problem here is that the first thing these people point to on why they should enter the Kingdom of Heaven is all of the things that they did. Their heart was in the wrong place behind those actions. Many people today, when asked if they are Christians, would very quickly say that they are, but their defense for why they are would have something to do with their actions. It may be they grew up in Church, their parents are Christians, they attended a religious service once, were baptized as a child, are a kind person, and the list could go on and on.
- Are you currently leaning on your own works as your assurance of salvation?
Our words and our works mean absolutely nothing without submission to Jesus as King. Jesus says, “The one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” will enter.
- What is the will of God for our lives?
John 6:29 says, “Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’” His will for our life is that we do the work of God, and that work is to believe in the Gospel. It is that we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It includes that we believe we are wretched sinners in need of a Savior, and we fully surrender our lives to Christ. It is not just that we say the right things or that we do good things to appear as Christians, but that our lives are actually surrendered to Him. Romans 10:9 clearly states, “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
- How has your life changed after becoming a follower of Jesus Christ?
It is not a mystery; we can have eternal assurance. In a sermon on this topic, Pastor JD Rodgers said, “Falling in love produces life change.” When you love the Lord, your words will change; you will declare Him to be the Lord of your life. When you love the Lord, your actions will change, and your life will grow godly fruit. These people that Jesus rejected from the Kingdom of Heaven were trying to just say the right thing or do a religious activity that would make them appear as if they knew Jesus, but they refused to actually commit their lives to His Lordship. In 1 Samuel 16:7, we read, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” Let this section of Scripture be an important reminder that we need to reflect on the content of our hearts. If Jesus is the true Lord of your life, then you do not have to fear hearing the words one day, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”