Those who truly follow Him will do the same.īoth John the Baptist and Jesus taught that Jesus' arrival on earth meant that the kingdom of heaven was near (Matthew 3:1–2 4:17). That starts with sincere faith in Christ (John 6:28–29) and extends to humility in how we live our lives (John 14:15).įor the first time in this sermon, Jesus refers to God as "my Father." Jesus Himself did the will of His Father in heaven. Entrance to the kingdom of heaven is limited to those who truly, fully do the will of His Father in heaven (2 Corinthians 13:5). Neither are acts of supposed righteousness. In that same way, Jesus states in no uncertain terms that merely referring to Him as Lord is not enough. In prior teaching, Jesus indicated that mere words and actions are not enough-they must be motivated by sincerity and truth (Matthew 6:1, 5, 16). The title of "Lord" implies a master, a leader, and someone to whom the speaker submits. Jesus declares that not everyone who refers to Him as "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven. Specifically, Christ is warning those who hear Him not to fool themselves into thinking they are true believers, when in fact they are not. Here, He offers the other side of this two-part alert: beware of false followers. Christians should be aware of false leaders, and other people who claim to represent God when they do not (Matthew 7:15–20). Having warned His listeners to beware of false prophets, Jesus made it clear that it's possible for other people to "put on" a show of faith and fool us. In these few verses, Jesus explicitly explains that to do the will of God means something more than mere action-it requires genuine faith. In fact, those who primarily define their faith by what they've done for God have placed their faith in something other than Christ (Matthew 7:22–23). While this verse is commonly mis-applied by those who claim that good works are required to be saved, the very next statement Jesus makes destroys that interpretation. A similar tension exists in this passage-emphasizing that Christ, not deeds, is what saves (John 14:6), and yet submission to Christ is an expected result of salvation (Luke 6:46). ![]() However, God's Word also indicates that those who are truly born again will see that salvation reflected in their attitudes and actions (James 2:14–17 John 14:15). The Bible also strongly reminds believers that all people-even those who are born again-have sin which needs to be addressed (1 John 1:9–10 Hebrews 4:14–16). Scripture is clear that salvation is entirely by grace through faith, and not earned by good deeds (Titus 3:5 Galatians 2:16 Romans 11:6 John 6:28–29). This verse is deeply challenging, and the subject of many debates. Matthew 7:21, CSB: "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 in heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ![]() Matthew 7:21, NLT: 'Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 7:21, NASB: '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 will enter. Matthew 7:21, KJV: 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. Matthew 7:21, ESV: “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. Matthew 7:21 Parallel Verses Matthew 7:21, NIV: 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.
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