nifty girl said:
Hi, all! I just came back to the Lord about a year ago, and since then I've been trying to study the Word. But I'm confused about the meaning of the verse Matthew 7:21 - "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
This verse has bothered/confused me because I'm not sure what the difference is between a true Christian and one who says "Lord, Lord". Could someone please explain the difference to me? Thanks a bunch in advance!
Blessings,
Buffy
That's a
wonderful commitment -- studying the Word!
It says in 2Tim 2. 16-17 that the Word of God is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the (wo)man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work!
Let's look at the whole paragraph this verse is part of, and then we'll glance at the paragraph that went before to see how they compare.
Mt. 7.21-23:
Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?
And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
In verses 21 & 22 , Jesus talks about a "group" that says, "Lord, Lord".
In
verse 21, Jesus makes it clear that this "Lord, Lord" group is NOT likely to get into the Kingdom of Heaven because they're NOT "doing the will of the Father Who is in Heaven". Not good. Not cool.
Then in verse 22, Jesus says the "Lord, Lord" group -- who are standing in front of the Judgment Throne -- will be crying out, "Lord, Lord, haven't we prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?"
If you look up the original Greek word for "many wonders" (or "wonderful works" in the KJV), it's
dunamis which is the SAME WORD used of
all of Jesus' miracles! So these "Lord, Lord" people are in fact not just TALKING, they're DOING MIRACLES "in Jesus Name!" (But they
still won't make it into the Kingdom of Heaven!)
Instead, Jesus say what they're doing is "LAWLESSNESS"!
What?
In other words, the "Lord, Lord" group in 21 & 22, are DOERS OF MIRACLES but NOT DOERS OF GOD'S WILL.
But if they're NOT doing God's will -- whose will are they doing?
Their own. They're doing these "ministries" according to their OWN will, not the will of the Father. Not even Jesus Himself did His wonderful works in His own will. Jesus said (more than once) that He could not do ANYTHING on His own accord. He said He ONLY DID WHAT HE SAW HIS FATHER DOING. That means, even Jesus Himself "did the will of His Father, Who is in Heaven".
Verse 22 shows us that people can do what THEY think are "good works" or even "God-works". They can even have the Spirit of God work through them (BUT DON'T FORGET GOD TALKED THROUGH THE MOUTH OF BALAAM'S DONKEY and it didn't make the donkey a saint! And if God can do miracles through donkeys, He can do miracles through rebellious, unsaved people who Jesus "never knew"!)
Basically, what Jesus is doing is making it clear that what God is looking for are not people to do religious stuff for Him. Now, Jesus DOES SAY that we WILL do the same, miraculous works He did and EVEN GREATER WORKS!...but He's not looking for people to "work" for Him. He's looking for people who will OBEY Him. Do His will.
Now, if THAT doesn't threaten you, you need to read it over again. Jesus is saying that you won't get into the Kingdom of Heaven
if you continue living for yourself and pursuing your own will. He only
knows the people who "do His Father's will, Who is in Heaven". (The others -- He "never knew...")
Not to put too fine a point on it -- but if I'm living MY will and not GOD'S will...what's going to happen? I'll find myself standing in front of a big Throne saying, "But Jesus! I taught Sunday School in Your Name! I collected money for the poor! Doesn't that count?" and He'll look at me and say, "Who are you? I don't even know you..."
NOT a really good start to Eternity, I think.
Now, if you look at the paragraph just
before vv. 21-23, you'll see Jesus was talking about FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADERS. He's trying to make something REALLY clear -- there's a LOT of people who LOOK like they're trying hard and doing "good things for God" -- but if they're not doing God's will for their life, they're racking up zero points in Heaven.
Doesn't this raise the question, "How can a fallen human being ever
do the will of the Father in Heaven?"
The answer is, NO ONE CAN. But when, by trusting Jesus, you've been made ONE with Jesus, when you submit your daily life to Jesus, then JESUS DOES THE WILL OF HIS FATHER, and He does it IN YOU and THROUGH YOU. Paul says, "It's no longer ME that lives, but CHRIST IN ME." Paul also says, "All those who are led by the Spirit, THEY are the Children of God." Those living and doing the will of their Father Who is in Heaven, these (and only these) will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Think about Mt. 7.21-23...and watch out! Even if you do the most fantastic, exciting spiritual works for God, if YOU'RE the one in charge, Jesus calls every "good" thing you do "LAWLESSNESS"! The only ones who enter into the Kingdom of Heaven are those who -- in Christ -- live their lives, daily DOING the Spirit-led will of their Father.
KingdomScribe
P.S A person COULD say, "Gosh darn it -- this is REALLY BAD NEWS." But the Truth is, THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS!
Instead of having to "make do" with lackluster, dull, flesh-bound, hum-drum lives -- WE GET TO LIVE LIFE CHRIST, in the POWER of His Spirit!
Instead of living as here slaves in Satan's "tyranny of darkness" -- WE GET TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM DARKNESS INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD'S OWN SON, and begin living in the Kingdom of God, NOW!!! (NOT AFTER WE DIE!!!)
Instead of letting our lives dwindle away in useless mediocrity -- WE GET TO SEE THE DESTINY GOD HAS GIVEN US FROM OUR BIRTH, FULFILLED -- HERE, NOW!
Thank You, Jesus!!! 
ks
but it ignores the point that Jesus is making -- which is really a simple, clear point.
