Matt. 7:21-23 21Not everyone who calls Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does what My Father in heaven wants. 22Many will say to Me on that Day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23Then I will tell them frankly, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who are so busy doing wrong.”
I think a lot of people get confused by this passage. They think Jesus is talking about doing works when he says, “only the one who does what My Father in heaven wants.” This understanding is taken in opposition to just saying, “Lord, Lord.” That is to say, people say Jesus is speaking against faith in Jesus alone saves you. However, Jesus is saying nothing of the such here. Jesus is not speaking against those who teach faith in Jesus alone saves. To believe that is to simply ignore the context. They don’t go to verse 22 which is key.
So what is happening in verse 22? People are claiming they should be saved because they prophesied in the name of Jesus. They drove out demons in Jesus’ name. They did many miracles in Jesus’ name. Seems to me these people are not operating on the faith in Jesus alone principle. They in fact are not just saying, “Lord, Lord” but are in fact doing a lot of things in Jesus’ name. Prophesying, exorcisms and miracles seem to be pretty good things most of the time. Yet Jesus says the most damning thing to these people, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who are so busy doing wrong.”
Can there be any more damning thing than for Jesus to say, “I don’t know you”? Who is the one who does what the will of Jesus’ Father? Who does Jesus know? Jesus says in Joh 6:40 (ESV) “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” In chapter 10 of John Jesus says, “26But you don’t believe, because you’re not My sheep. 27My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Doing the will of the Father is not a matter of lip service or doing things in the LORD’s name. It is the Father’s will that you believe in Jesus, that is to say, it is to seek to enter the kingdom through faith in Jesus alone. Jesus says in Matt. 7, “13Go through the narrow gate. The gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are going that way. 14But the gate is small, and the way is narrow, that leads to life, and only a few are finding it.” You don’t get much small and narrow that faith in Jesus alone. Those who have faith in Jesus alone know Jesus and are known by Jesus. They are the ones entering by the narrow gate. Faith in Jesus alone is not always an easy thing. Everything in the world, our reason and our flesh fights against it. Yet, when we are trusting him alone, his works, his righteousness and his promises are we doing the will of the Father. That is not to say, we who trust in Christ Jesus alone for our salvation won’t be busy doing things in his name. We simply do not appeal to them on the Last Day. We appeal to Jesus and his promises, his cross and resurrection.
Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit so we may do your will and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation and then be busy loving our neighbor as you have commanded us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.