*The Most Misinterpreted Scripture in the Bible*
*Matthew 7:21–23 (* NKJV)
Is Jesus saying that believers in Christ who do not do His will by following Him will be cast into hell, even though they had done mighty things in His Name?
My dear, Jesus was not referring to believers here. Jesus was referring to false prophets, especially the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes — *not* believers in Christ.
It is good to look at the context by going back to the verses that come before this statement so you will understand the speaker’s intention instead of just lifting one verse and concluding from it.
Going to *Matthew 7:15,* Jesus already told us who these people are:
“ *Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”*
Notice what He said: inwardly they are wolves. That means they were not born again. Outwardly they looked good and religious.
*In Matthew 7:16,* Jesus went further to help us identify these false prophets:
“ *You will know them by their fruits…”*
Jesus said you can identify them by their fruits, not by signs and wonders. This is because signs and wonders can happen through magic or sorcery, but the fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced through sorcery nor through serving God without being born again.
*Galatians 5:22–23 says:*
“ *But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”*
The fruit of the Spirit is the inward nature of the believer in Christ. The Spirit of God has to dwell in your heart before you can produce that fruit.
*Romans 8:9 says:*
“ *Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”*
For signs and wonders, a person does not even need to be born again for such things to happen around them.
*In Matthew 7:17–18, Jesus said:*
“ *Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”*
Jesus called these Pharisees and Sadducees a bad tree. Because they were already a bad tree, they could not produce good fruit.
So the people Jesus was referring to *in Matthew 7:21–23 are not believers.* They are unsaved and unbelieving Jews who thought they already knew God.
Believers are already branches of Jesus. *John 15:5 says:*
“ *I am the vine, you are the branches…* ”
They are a good tree because they are joined together with the Vine.
Did you notice that the bad tree, which could not produce the fruit of believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, was the one cast into the fire?
*Matthew 7:19 says:*
“ *Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”*
These were the same people Jesus called false prophets. It was not the good tree — the believer — that He cast into the fire, but the bad tree: the unbelieving, legalistic Jewish scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus also gave a perfect description of these false prophets: they are not saved (“inwardly they are wolves”), they are a bad tree, and they cannot produce good fruit because their nature is not good at all.
Now we can move to *Matthew 7:21–23.*
Why would these false teachers call Him “Lord” on that day? There are two reasons.
First, because on that day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
*Philippians 2:10–11 says:*
“ *That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”*
On that day, it will not take faith to recognize Jesus as Lord because He will appear as He truly is.
Second, calling God “Lord” was common among the Jews. The Jews believed they had a relationship with God and that they were covenant children through their father Abraham.
*John 8:39 says:*
“ *Abraham is our father…”*
But when God came to them as Jesus Christ, they refused to acknowledge Him as Lord. Instead, they rejected Him and killed Him.
*John 1:11 says:*
“ *He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”*
To the Jews — especially the Pharisees, priests, and Sadducees — they thought they were serving God, just like many religious people today think they are serving God. They call on the name of God but do not realize they have no true relationship with Him.
*Jesus said in John 5:23:*
“ *He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”*
These unbelieving Jews and false prophets called on the name of the Lord, offered sacrifices, and even worked wonders and prophesied. Yet they rejected Jesus as the Christ.
So on that day, they will finally see Jesus as He truly is — not as He was when He walked the earth. Then they will realize it was the Lord they rejected and killed.
“ _But Richmond, didn’t Jesus say only those who do the will of God will enter?”_
*Yes — in Matthew 7:21.*
So what is the will of God?
*John 6:40* answers it clearly:
*“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life…”*
The will of God is to believe in Jesus whom God has sent. He is the only way to God.
*John 14:6 says* :
_“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”_
The one who has believed in Jesus has done the will of God.
So these men were not believers because they had not done the will of God, which is to believe in Jesus as Lord.
*Therefore, Jesus said:*
“I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” — Matthew 7:23
They thought they had a relationship with God, just as many religious people today think they do. They called Him Lord because they thought they have Him as Lord.
Did you also notice how they boasted on their works, their achievements. They never mentioned anything like relationship with Him, how He spoke to them and comforted them, how He left them and how they preached in His Name. Instead they boasted in their works of miracles, not His work. It is clear that these people are not believers at all.
*But for the believer, Jesus knows you.*
*John 10:14 (NKJV)*
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
*Galatians 4:9 (NKJV)*
“…you have come to know God, or rather are known by God…”
God truly knows you.
My dear, you cannot lose your salvation. It is eternal, not temporary.
*Jesus said in John 10:28:*
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
*Selah
*Matthew 7:21–23 (* NKJV)
Is Jesus saying that believers in Christ who do not do His will by following Him will be cast into hell, even though they had done mighty things in His Name?
My dear, Jesus was not referring to believers here. Jesus was referring to false prophets, especially the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes — *not* believers in Christ.
It is good to look at the context by going back to the verses that come before this statement so you will understand the speaker’s intention instead of just lifting one verse and concluding from it.
Going to *Matthew 7:15,* Jesus already told us who these people are:
“ *Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”*
Notice what He said: inwardly they are wolves. That means they were not born again. Outwardly they looked good and religious.
*In Matthew 7:16,* Jesus went further to help us identify these false prophets:
“ *You will know them by their fruits…”*
Jesus said you can identify them by their fruits, not by signs and wonders. This is because signs and wonders can happen through magic or sorcery, but the fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced through sorcery nor through serving God without being born again.
*Galatians 5:22–23 says:*
“ *But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”*
The fruit of the Spirit is the inward nature of the believer in Christ. The Spirit of God has to dwell in your heart before you can produce that fruit.
*Romans 8:9 says:*
“ *Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”*
For signs and wonders, a person does not even need to be born again for such things to happen around them.
*In Matthew 7:17–18, Jesus said:*
“ *Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”*
Jesus called these Pharisees and Sadducees a bad tree. Because they were already a bad tree, they could not produce good fruit.
So the people Jesus was referring to *in Matthew 7:21–23 are not believers.* They are unsaved and unbelieving Jews who thought they already knew God.
Believers are already branches of Jesus. *John 15:5 says:*
“ *I am the vine, you are the branches…* ”
They are a good tree because they are joined together with the Vine.
Did you notice that the bad tree, which could not produce the fruit of believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, was the one cast into the fire?
*Matthew 7:19 says:*
“ *Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”*
These were the same people Jesus called false prophets. It was not the good tree — the believer — that He cast into the fire, but the bad tree: the unbelieving, legalistic Jewish scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus also gave a perfect description of these false prophets: they are not saved (“inwardly they are wolves”), they are a bad tree, and they cannot produce good fruit because their nature is not good at all.
Now we can move to *Matthew 7:21–23.*
Why would these false teachers call Him “Lord” on that day? There are two reasons.
First, because on that day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
*Philippians 2:10–11 says:*
“ *That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”*
On that day, it will not take faith to recognize Jesus as Lord because He will appear as He truly is.
Second, calling God “Lord” was common among the Jews. The Jews believed they had a relationship with God and that they were covenant children through their father Abraham.
*John 8:39 says:*
“ *Abraham is our father…”*
But when God came to them as Jesus Christ, they refused to acknowledge Him as Lord. Instead, they rejected Him and killed Him.
*John 1:11 says:*
“ *He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”*
To the Jews — especially the Pharisees, priests, and Sadducees — they thought they were serving God, just like many religious people today think they are serving God. They call on the name of God but do not realize they have no true relationship with Him.
*Jesus said in John 5:23:*
“ *He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”*
These unbelieving Jews and false prophets called on the name of the Lord, offered sacrifices, and even worked wonders and prophesied. Yet they rejected Jesus as the Christ.
So on that day, they will finally see Jesus as He truly is — not as He was when He walked the earth. Then they will realize it was the Lord they rejected and killed.
“ _But Richmond, didn’t Jesus say only those who do the will of God will enter?”_
*Yes — in Matthew 7:21.*
So what is the will of God?
*John 6:40* answers it clearly:
*“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life…”*
The will of God is to believe in Jesus whom God has sent. He is the only way to God.
*John 14:6 says* :
_“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”_
The one who has believed in Jesus has done the will of God.
So these men were not believers because they had not done the will of God, which is to believe in Jesus as Lord.
*Therefore, Jesus said:*
“I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” — Matthew 7:23
They thought they had a relationship with God, just as many religious people today think they do. They called Him Lord because they thought they have Him as Lord.
Did you also notice how they boasted on their works, their achievements. They never mentioned anything like relationship with Him, how He spoke to them and comforted them, how He left them and how they preached in His Name. Instead they boasted in their works of miracles, not His work. It is clear that these people are not believers at all.
*But for the believer, Jesus knows you.*
*John 10:14 (NKJV)*
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
*Galatians 4:9 (NKJV)*
“…you have come to know God, or rather are known by God…”
God truly knows you.
My dear, you cannot lose your salvation. It is eternal, not temporary.
*Jesus said in John 10:28:*
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
*Selah
*The Most Misinterpreted Scripture in the Bible*
*Matthew 7:21–23 (* NKJV)
Is Jesus saying that believers in Christ who do not do His will by following Him will be cast into hell, even though they had done mighty things in His Name?
My dear, Jesus was not referring to believers here. Jesus was referring to false prophets, especially the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes — *not* believers in Christ.
It is good to look at the context by going back to the verses that come before this statement so you will understand the speaker’s intention instead of just lifting one verse and concluding from it.
Going to *Matthew 7:15,* Jesus already told us who these people are:
“ *Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”*
Notice what He said: inwardly they are wolves. That means they were not born again. Outwardly they looked good and religious.
*In Matthew 7:16,* Jesus went further to help us identify these false prophets:
“ *You will know them by their fruits…”*
Jesus said you can identify them by their fruits, not by signs and wonders. This is because signs and wonders can happen through magic or sorcery, but the fruit of the Spirit cannot be produced through sorcery nor through serving God without being born again.
*Galatians 5:22–23 says:*
“ *But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”*
The fruit of the Spirit is the inward nature of the believer in Christ. The Spirit of God has to dwell in your heart before you can produce that fruit.
*Romans 8:9 says:*
“ *Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”*
For signs and wonders, a person does not even need to be born again for such things to happen around them.
*In Matthew 7:17–18, Jesus said:*
“ *Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”*
Jesus called these Pharisees and Sadducees a bad tree. Because they were already a bad tree, they could not produce good fruit.
So the people Jesus was referring to *in Matthew 7:21–23 are not believers.* They are unsaved and unbelieving Jews who thought they already knew God.
Believers are already branches of Jesus. *John 15:5 says:*
“ *I am the vine, you are the branches…* ”
They are a good tree because they are joined together with the Vine.
Did you notice that the bad tree, which could not produce the fruit of believing in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, was the one cast into the fire?
*Matthew 7:19 says:*
“ *Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”*
These were the same people Jesus called false prophets. It was not the good tree — the believer — that He cast into the fire, but the bad tree: the unbelieving, legalistic Jewish scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus also gave a perfect description of these false prophets: they are not saved (“inwardly they are wolves”), they are a bad tree, and they cannot produce good fruit because their nature is not good at all.
Now we can move to *Matthew 7:21–23.*
Why would these false teachers call Him “Lord” on that day? There are two reasons.
First, because on that day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
*Philippians 2:10–11 says:*
“ *That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord…”*
On that day, it will not take faith to recognize Jesus as Lord because He will appear as He truly is.
Second, calling God “Lord” was common among the Jews. The Jews believed they had a relationship with God and that they were covenant children through their father Abraham.
*John 8:39 says:*
“ *Abraham is our father…”*
But when God came to them as Jesus Christ, they refused to acknowledge Him as Lord. Instead, they rejected Him and killed Him.
*John 1:11 says:*
“ *He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”*
To the Jews — especially the Pharisees, priests, and Sadducees — they thought they were serving God, just like many religious people today think they are serving God. They call on the name of God but do not realize they have no true relationship with Him.
*Jesus said in John 5:23:*
“ *He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”*
These unbelieving Jews and false prophets called on the name of the Lord, offered sacrifices, and even worked wonders and prophesied. Yet they rejected Jesus as the Christ.
So on that day, they will finally see Jesus as He truly is — not as He was when He walked the earth. Then they will realize it was the Lord they rejected and killed.
“ _But Richmond, didn’t Jesus say only those who do the will of God will enter?”_
*Yes — in Matthew 7:21.*
So what is the will of God?
*John 6:40* answers it clearly:
*“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life…”*
The will of God is to believe in Jesus whom God has sent. He is the only way to God.
*John 14:6 says* :
_“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”_
The one who has believed in Jesus has done the will of God.
So these men were not believers because they had not done the will of God, which is to believe in Jesus as Lord.
*Therefore, Jesus said:*
“I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” — Matthew 7:23
They thought they had a relationship with God, just as many religious people today think they do. They called Him Lord because they thought they have Him as Lord.
Did you also notice how they boasted on their works, their achievements. They never mentioned anything like relationship with Him, how He spoke to them and comforted them, how He left them and how they preached in His Name. Instead they boasted in their works of miracles, not His work. It is clear that these people are not believers at all.
*But for the believer, Jesus knows you.*
*John 10:14 (NKJV)*
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
*Galatians 4:9 (NKJV)*
“…you have come to know God, or rather are known by God…”
God truly knows you.
My dear, you cannot lose your salvation. It is eternal, not temporary.
*Jesus said in John 10:28:*
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
*Selah
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