“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4
21 “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.
22 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?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”
Explanation:
These verses are part of Jesus’ teaching during the Sermon on the Mount and address the theme of true discipleship versus false claims of faith. In this passage, Jesus explains that merely professing faith or performing religious deeds is not enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. True discipleship is evidenced by a life that does the will of God.
Here’s a breakdown of each verse:
Verse 21:
“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.”
- Jesus emphasizes that simply calling Him “Lord” (which signifies recognition of His authority) is insufficient for salvation.
- What truly matters is whether a person does the will of the Father. This means living in obedience to God, aligning one’s life with His commandments, and actively seeking to follow His will.
Verse 22:
“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?'”
- Jesus warns that there will be people who, despite their outward religious actions and miracles, will be rejected. They will claim that they performed remarkable deeds in His name (prophesying, casting out demons, performing wonders), but these acts alone are not what guarantees salvation.
- The “day” referred to is likely the Day of Judgment, when Jesus will separate those who truly followed Him from those who merely made claims.
Verse 23:
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”
- In this verse, Jesus makes it clear that He never had a genuine relationship with these individuals (“I never knew you”).
- Their actions were not in line with God’s will; despite outward displays of religious acts, they were living in lawlessness—disregarding God’s moral law and principles.
- Jesus’ rejection is based not on the external works but on their lack of authentic faith, repentance, and obedience to God.
Key Lessons:
- True discipleship is more than profession: It’s not enough to simply claim to follow Christ or to have religious activities; what matters is living according to God’s will and having a personal relationship with Him.
- Authenticity in faith: External religious actions without internal commitment to God’s commands are insufficient. The “will of the Father” is about living out the principles of love, justice, mercy, and holiness.
- Obedience is crucial: Salvation is not about performing miracles or doing good works in God’s name without being transformed by His grace. Genuine faith is demonstrated through a life of obedience to God’s will.
In essence, these verses are a warning about false security—relying on outward acts without the inner transformation of the heart and true obedience to God’s will. Jesus teaches that a real, personal relationship with Him, marked by obedience and faith, is what ultimately leads to eternal life.
