by David Flatt
Synopsis: Reflecting upon Jesus' sober warning in Matthew 7:21-23, David discusses the oft-misunderstood relationship between good works and doing the Father's will.
Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:21-23, KJV).
Jesus came into this world to offer everyone the opportunity of salvation. Numerous passages indicate His desire to save the entire human family, not just the nation of Israel. Consider the following:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:16-17).No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me (John 6:44-45).
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me (John 12:31-32).
In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes an essential acknowledgment: Although He wants to bring everyone to the kingdom, not all will enter the kingdom. This raises an interesting question: If Jesus wants to save everyone, why does He say that not everyone will enter the kingdom?
In this passage, Jesus anticipates the future and final judgment. There are people who are protesting their case before Him in shock and horror. They do not understand why they are not given entrance to the kingdom. After all, they had done so much good in the name of Jesus. This being true, why does He refuse them entrance? The answer is simple: they had not done the will of the Father.
Jesus often described the work He did as being an extension of His Father's will. Like the relationship of a father and son, God commanded Jesus in His work and Jesus obeyed. On one occasion, Jesus likened His relationship with God to an apprentice. He explained, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel" (John 5:19-20). Jesus executed the will of His Father with precision. The very words He spoke came from the Father: "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak" (John 12:49). Jesus did not act on His own; instead, He acted on behalf of His Father.
Jesus was fully obedient. At the end of His life, Jesus was satisfied with having finished the work His Father gave Him to do. Jesus prayed, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). Wrestling with the anxiety of the cross, Jesus prayed for His Father's will to be done: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42). While Jesus wished to avoid the horrors of the cross, He was determined to do His Father's will. In the end, Jesus accomplished all the Father asked Him to do. His dying words were, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
The relationship that Jesus had with His Father was one of subservience and obedience. A later writer would note, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:8-9). Understanding this relationship is critical for us to learn how we are to have a relationship with the Father. Jesus obeyed the Father; therefore, we must obey Him.
Those whom Jesus describes in this text performed many wonderful works in His name. In all likelihood, these people would have been good husbands and wives, good sons and daughters, good neighbors, and good citizens of their communities. They possessed some measure of spiritual understanding and civic responsibility. They considered themselves good people. They thought they had nothing to fear in death. They thought they were saved. Nonetheless, they were wrong.
The people of this text may well describe people we know. Today, the overwhelming majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians. They work and sacrifice to take care of their families. They are actively involved in their communities. They help their neighbors. When they die, their obituary catalogs their good works and reads, "Gone to be with the Lord."
Yes, we have been created to do good works (Eph. 2:10). However, our "good works" cannot substitute for obedience to the will of the Father. Good works are an extension of obedience to the Father's will. Our relationship with the Father is based upon obedience to His will. The people Jesus describes may have performed "good works" but did not do the will of the Father.
The importance of obedience is reflected throughout this history of Israel. King Saul was commanded to destroy the city and the people of Amalek. Instead, Saul spared the valuables of the city and the king. Like those Jesus describes in His sermon, Saul's disobedience cost him the kingdom. The prophet Samuel declared, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22). Sacrifice was important, but obedience had to come before sacrifice. Sacrifice was an extension of obedience, not a substitute. This principle is reiterated throughout the Old Testament:
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness (Prov. 15:8-9).Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice (Prov. 21:2-3).
For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6).
Good works have never been a substitute for obedience. This point was made earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus described brothers at odds with each other. If a problem arises between brethren, they should not bring their offering to the Lord. Instead, they must first reconcile with each other, and then bring their sacrifices to the altar (Matt. 5:21-26). Reconciliation is difficult. Sometimes we will try to substitute greater devotion in worship in the place of reconciliation. We might even become more charitable toward those in need in the hopes of atoning for the harm that we caused someone else. Wonderful works are no substitute for reconciliation. There is no substitute for reconciliation because reconciliation is the will of the Father.
There are those who think they will be part of the everlasting kingdom because of the good works they have performed. They have been deceived into believing they can be saved by their meritorious works. This is what salvation by works looks like in practice. Many people today disregard the will of the Father and try to earn their salvation by doing many wonderful works.
Paul wrote, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). God's grace saves us when it is coupled with faith, but faith in what? Faith in the will of the Father, which can only be evidenced by obedience to the will of the Father.
For example, Jesus had faith in the will of His Father. Jesus believed salvation would be offered to the world through His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection; therefore, Jesus gave His life trusting that God would raise Him from the dead. This is what God asks of us. God wants us to trust Him in life. In so doing, He has promised to raise us in death.
Clearly, in the text above, Jesus describes a depressing scene. None of us wants to hear God say, "I never knew you." If we want to avoid hearing these damning words, we must purpose in our hearts to do the Father's will.
The Sermon on the Mount would undoubtedly be an appropriate place to start learning what the will of the Father is for us. First, Jesus wants us to recognize our need for the will of the Father in our lives. Only the poor in spirit make such a pivotal recognition (Matt. 5:3). Second, the Father wants us to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees by being properly motivated by love for Him and our fellow man (Matt. 5:20-48). Third, the Father wants us to tear down the walls of self-righteousness, materialism, and anxiety that barricade us from Him and the kingdom (Matt. 6). Fourth, the Father wants us to manifest love and humility in our treatment of others. Through self-giving love, we can reflect the Father's glory into the world and grow His kingdom (Matt. 7:1-12).
The will of the Father has not been kept secret. Our Heavenly Father has expressed His will through His Son, Jesus the Messiah. The writer of Hebrews stated, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (Heb. 1:1-2).
In addition to teaching the Father's will, Jesus entrusted His message to the apostles. By sending the Holy Spirit, the apostles were divinely guided in understanding and communicating God's will to humanity (John 17:11-19). The apostle Paul wrote, "By revelation, he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)" (Eph. 3:3-4). Therefore, we must read the Scriptures to learn the will of the Father.
Too many people do not know God's will. They trust what someone else has told them instead of investigating the Scriptures for themselves. They trust in their abilities to earn salvation through their many wonderful works. Jesus is warning against such dangerous approaches to coming to the kingdom.
The will of the Father is understandable and accessible. Jesus wants us to purpose in our hearts to learn and submit to God's will. Earlier in the sermon, Jesus urged His disciples to seek, ask, and knock (Matt. 7:7-8). Thanks to what God has revealed through Jesus, the Spirit, and the apostles, we can learn and implement the will of the Father in our lives. In so doing, we can become His children and be welcomed to the kingdom of His everlasting Son (Col. 1:13).
Author Bio: David and his family have labored with the Thayer Street congregation in Akron, OH since 2008. David will soon start laboring with the Fry Road Church of Christ in Houston, TX. He can be reached at dflatt85@yahoo.com.
