What is the Will of God

Why will some who call on the name of the Lord NOT be saved?

The Specific verse that is mentioned is Matt 7:21

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.

This is a good question. It is asked in a multitude of ways:

How can I know that I am going to be let into heaven?

What is the Will of the Father?

Who are those whom God will turn away?

SO let’s dive in by looking at the context of this verse.

Matthew 7:13–23 CSB

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. “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. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

What is the Location of this teaching? Sermon on the Mount.

Primary Audience: Jews

Purpose: most Jews believed that just by being related to Abraham and Moses and by obeying the Law of Moses they were assured of their place in God’s kingdom.

Jesus counters that notion directly.

“Enter through the Narrow Gate”

Matthew 7:13–14 CSB

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

A repeated teaching theme of Jesus is that there are 2 ways. Here Jesus uses the term Narrow Gate as opposed to WIDE.

Many go through the WIDE gate and take the BROAD ROAD.

Jesus says the Narrow Gate has a difficult road - it leads to life - and few FIND it.

Intentionality!

Pay attention to the FRUIT

Matthew 7:15–20 CSB

“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

Be on Guard -

false prophets - wolves in sheep clothing

they LOOK right, but their ACTIONS prove otherwise.

Matthew 5:20 CSB

For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

See the Scribes and Pharisees LOOKED right, but their ACTIONS proved otherwise.

The people thought these were the measuring stick! They thought these were the ones who had it right, but Jesus knows otherwise!

A Tree produces it’s fruit - Good trees good fruit - bad trees bad fruit.

What kind of fruit are you producing. . . are you producing any fruit?

Know God, and be KNOWN by God

Matthew 7:21–23 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. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

This is the part that gets people.

There will be people who looked right, who had head knowledge, but never had the relationship that God so desired.

TO KNOW God and be KNOWN by God - that’s HEART knowledge. Its intimacy.

The WORD of God IS the WILL of God!

Matthew 7:24–29 CSB

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.