Those Who Will Be Saved

Intro

Recap

Ok, now everybody go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Matthew 7:21-23 for our Bible passage tonight. And a quick recap:

What is this section of Scripture we’re studying called?

Who gave the sermon?

Why is the mount significant?

Instructions given to God’s people on how to live in relationship with him

The indicative (what is stated about us) comes before the imperative (what we are told to do)

Scripture Reading

Matthew 7:21–23 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. 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.’

In this passage, we’re confronted with the challenging truth that there will be some who think they are right with God, but actually are not. They call Jesus Lord and they’ve even done mighty works in the name of Jesus, but in the end Jesus tells them to depart because he never knew them. They were “workers of lawlessness” and not genuine believers in Jesus. These people will not be saved in the end, and they never were saved to begin with.

What we see in this passage is a warning against “nominal Christianity”

Nominal Christianity is being a christian by name only. Meaning that you call yourself a Christian, but you aren’t really.

So we need to pay close attention to what Jesus is saying here. We are in danger of being deceived by ourselves, but Jesus offers us the antidote of truth.

First,

Its about Your Walk in God’s Will, Not Mere Words

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.

There are some who will say that Jesus is God, that will call him their Lord, but they aren’t doing the will of the Lord. You must LIVE with Jesus as your Lord, not just say he is with your mouth.

We know from Scripture that what God desires from us is repentance and faith in Jesus. Genuine, true repentance from your sins. Genuine, true belief that Jesus is the only solution to all of your problems. Genuine humility and submission to the will of God above your own will. Genuine holiness as you strive to destroy sin in your life and live in a way that honors Christ.

Those are the marks of someone who does the will of God. Those are the marks of the one who is actually saved. Its your walk in God’s will, not just your words.

It’s about your Proximity to Jesus, Not Your Powerful Works

Matthew 7:22–23 ESV

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.’

But so that we don’t get things confused, Jesus makes sure that we know that doing God’s will is not simply doing powerful things in his name.

Theres an unfortunate reality that MANY people will think that the big works they did were enough to save them. They thought that the works they did were evidence that they were saved.

But Jesus calls them workers of lawlessness. So they they weren’t really living obedient lives, but rather flashy and showy lives that “looked” Christian to the outside world because they were magnificent. But really they were lawless. They weren’t living in submission to Christ. I’ve heard of far too many people, and known some personally, that thought they were alright with God because there were a lot of these flashy, showy works being done through them. But behind closed doors they were living in sin and not in genuine relationship with Jesus. There are a lot of people who will turn out this way.

Jesus says the important thing, more than the powerful works, is your proximity to him. Are you drawing near? Do you know him and does he know you? Are you walking side-by-side with Jesus or is he far off from you, a stranger. I can’t answer that question for you. But it should cause us to pause, and ask God to search our hearts? Do we have a genuine relationship with him?

It’s About The Evidence of Your Faith, Not Earning Your Salvation

Don’t get this backwards.

The words done in verse 22 are clearly not earning anything. The only thing that matters here is your relationship to Jesus.

How do you know you have that relationship, it should be seen by the evidence of your life. Doing the will of the Father.

A life that walks closely with Jesus will be changed. It will look more like him.

Illustration about how you talk and act like the friends you spend time with.

Not necessarily flashy. But behind closed doors, when no one is watching, someone who is changed by Jesus will want to honor him then too, because they love him. Those people, those who love Jesus for who he is and what he has already done for them, those people are the one’s Jesus calls “brother” and invites into the kingdom of heaven in the end.