Matthew 7:21-23

²¹ “Not everyone who is now saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom from the sky, but only the one who is now doing what my Father who is in the sky wants.

²² On that day (when the kingdom comes down) 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?’

²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who have worked against the Law.’

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The Sky Kingdom and what the Father wants

Jesus predicted that there would be a disconnect between the Christianity that some profess and that which they possess. He warned us in the preceding verses that there would be false prophets, and that it would be hard to tell because they would look like sheep. You would have to look at the kind of fruit they were producing to tell if they were genuine.

Now, he goes further. He teaches that those false prophets are self-deceived. They think they have a relationship with Jesus because of what they profess (Lord, Lord) and what they do (prophecies, exorcisms, miracles). But Jesus teaches that such actually do not have a relationship with him.

He says they worked against the Law. Jesus had taught that this same Law would not be annulled by his ministry. He would further explain and clarify it, but not abolish it. By following the commands of Christ, we can obey the Law as God intended it to be obeyed.

Remember that the sermon on the mount was delivered by Jesus to his disciples. He is not teaching salvation by works. He is teaching demonstration by works. The works, also, are a particular kind of work. Preaching, casting out demons, and performing miracles do not qualify as works which demonstrate a relationship with Jesus. We need to look deeper for proof of a real relationship with the Lord. This entire sermon on the mount gives us solid criteria for determining genuine obedience to Christ.

LORD, purge us of our self-deception. Draw us to yourself, and give us the courage to focus on doing what your Father wants. May we strive to know you, and demonstrate our relationship by obeying your commands.