The Scariest Verse in the Bible:
Many people consider Matthew 7:21-23 to be the scariest verse in the entire Bible, because Jesus said that MANY who call Him Lord will not enter Heaven because He doesn’t know them. Many who call Jesus Lord, and believe they know Jesus because they attend church, sing songs, perform miracles, and more, will discover that Jesus doesn’t actually know them.
Let’s study this verse and find out what it means:
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
In this verse, Jesus identifies two groups of people who will not enter Heaven.
Group 1:
In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said that only those who do God’s will will enter Heaven. Therefore, those who do not do God’s will will not enter Heaven. This raises the question… What is God’s will?
Of course, when we read the New Testament, we know that it is God’s will that we listen to Jesus and do everything He commands us throughout the New Testament. We know this because, when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain in Matthew 17:5, a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son; with him I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Therefore, we know that we must do EVERYTHING Jesus commanded us to do, including loving our enemies, doing good to those who hate us, turning the other cheek, blessing those who curse us, not looking lustfully at women, praying for those who persecute us, giving without expecting anything in return, and much more. That is God’s will for Christians. Read the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 and see some of the things Jesus commanded us to do. Therefore, those who do these things will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and those who do not will not enter.
What else is God’s will?
There are three verses in the Bible that directly use the phrase “For this is the will of God…”
Let’s look at those verses:
1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication”
This is the large group mentioned in Matthew 7:21 who will not enter the Kingdom. The Bible says that God desires His children to be free from ALL forms of sexual sin. Having sex with anyone who is not legally married to you, pornography, masturbation, adultery, sodomy (having immoral sex even within marriage), the use of worldly toys, contraceptives, condoms, and things like these are all immoral. This is not God’s plan for married couples or anyone else.
Next:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
It is God’s will that we remain grateful, remembering that we have been saved from sin and knowing that eternal life awaits us. Give thanks every day, no matter what the circumstances. We all have more to be thankful for than we have to complain about. Remember how many Israelites in the wilderness were destroyed because of their grumbling and complaining.
Then:
John 6:28-29:
They said to him, “What must we do to work the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
It is God’s will that we put our faith completely in Jesus and trust in the finished work He did for us on the cross. Many still call themselves sinners, even though the Bible calls us saints, justified by the blood of Jesus. If you still call yourself a sinner, are you sure your sins have been paid for are forgiven by God? If we don’t believe our sins are washed away, do we truly believe in the finished work of Jesus?
One of my favorite teachers, Derek Prince, put it best: “It’s easy to convince people they are sinners; it’s hard to convince them they have been made righteous.”
Group #2: In Matthew 7:23, the original translation says that Jesus will say to those he does not know, “Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness”
What does transgressing the law mean? John tells us in 1 John 3:4.
1 John 3:4
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
The Bible tells us that those who transgress the law are those who continue to sin. They are those who take God’s grace for granted, those who think they can sin again and again as long as they ask for forgiveness in the end. But in fact, Jesus is telling us to sin no more.
John 8:11
“…And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 5:14 “Then Jesus pointed to the sacred bait and said to her, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you.”
In Closing:
Matthew 7:21-23 applies to two groups of people. Those who do not do GOD’s will and those who continue to live in sin. We are commanded in these things, and we are commanded to love. Love GOD with all your heart, mind and soul, and love others as yourself. Those who do not love are as much in violation to God’s law as those who live in sin.
That’s all for today friends.
GOD bless you all who are in Christ Jesus!
Eddie Fews