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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew's gospel, Matthew chapter seven. Matthew 
chapter seven. I mentioned last week in the 
Sunday evening sermon that justification is a one-time act. It doesn't 
have the first part in life and then the second part when we 
stand before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. And I hope to 
demonstrate that to you tonight here in Matthew 7 at verses 21 
to 23. I do want to pick up reading 
in verse 13 and read to the end of the chapter. So Matthew 7 
at verse 13, enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and 
broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many 
who go in by it, because narrow is the gate and difficult is 
the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 
Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, 
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by 
their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn 
bushes or figs from thistles? 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. Every tree 
that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the 
fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. 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. 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? And then I will declare to them, 
I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice 
lawlessness. Therefore, whoever hears these 
sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man 
who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, the floods 
came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did 
not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who 
hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like 
a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, 
the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, 
and it fell, and great was its fall. And so it was when Jesus 
had ended these sayings that the people were astonished at 
His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority and not 
as the scribes. Amen. Well, let us again ask 
God's help as we look to this passage. Father, we thank You 
for the written Word of God. We thank you that it's given 
by inspiration of God, and we know its profitability in our 
hearts and lives. And we pray to that end now, 
that you would fill us with the spirit, that you would give us 
understanding into this passage. May it afford the comfort that 
I believe it is designed to do for believers, and may it speak 
fear and terror to those who are unbelievers. And may you 
work in the hearts of those who are outside of Christ and cause 
them to reflect upon their sin before a holy God. and cause 
them to reflect upon the reality that in Christ Jesus, there is 
everlasting life. Forgive us now for our sins and 
our transgressions and take away everything that would darken 
our understanding. And we pray in his most blessed name, amen. Well, as I said, this particular 
passage does not teach a second phase of justification. Justification 
is unique in that as soon as one believes on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, they are forgiven of their sins and they receive the 
righteousness of Christ. It's imputed to them and it's 
received by faith alone. We don't grow in our justification. Some aren't more justified than 
others. Paul and us are justified in 
the same way. We've received the same benefits, 
imputed righteousness and that forgiveness of sins. Now, there 
is sanctification, there is growth and grace. The Bible does afford 
a category for sanctity in the Christian life. But in terms 
of our final acceptance by God, what I think this passage teaches 
is oftentimes contrary to the way that it's taught. I think 
this passage is often used as a bludgeon against the people 
of God to try to get them to do more things. Well, the problem 
with these professors on that day isn't that they didn't do 
more things. It's that they didn't believe 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I hope to demonstrate 
that. So when I look first at the event described, secondly, 
the parties identified, and then thirdly, the verdict rendered. 
I think everybody likes a good court case. We're all sort of 
drawn to that. We're mesmerized. Back in the early 90s, it was 
the O.J. Simpson trial. I think many people were glued 
to their televisions while that carried on. There's something 
unique. There's something interesting about it. And I think that's 
the way we approach a passage like this. It's a courtroom. 
It's the Lord Christ presiding. He is the judge over the eschatological 
kingdom. And in the event, or the event 
rather, is that very thing. Now in terms of a larger context, 
this is the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five to seven. 
And then in the immediate context, what I read, Jesus is calling 
for action. Jesus is calling for decision. 
Jesus is calling for a response. He doesn't just present the material 
in the sermon. and sort of leave it out there, 
but now he issues these challenges and he highlights there are two 
ways. There's a broad way and a narrow way. He speaks of two 
trees. He speaks of two claims, which 
we're looking at now, and then two builders at the end of the 
message. He wants the people that hear him to respond, ideally 
in faith and with repentance. Now notice in terms of the actual 
event, the two future tense verbs point us to the future. Notice 
that Jesus says, will say and will declare to them. He's talking 
about a future thing. And most commentators are agreed 
that what's in view here is the judgment day. The judgment day 
wherein all men will stand before the Lord God Almighty and give 
an account of deeds done in the body whether good or ill. We 
see that in Acts chapter 17 in verse 31. The apostle Paul says 
that God has raised Jesus and Jesus will be the agent by which 
men are judged. You see it in 2 Corinthians chapter 
five, you see it in Romans two, 2 Timothy four, Hebrews chapter 
nine. That's the reality. There is 
a day appointed for us to die and then comes judgment. That'll 
happen on an individual basis, but then there is that great 
judgment day. where everybody will be raised, 
that general resurrection will all be assembled before the Lord 
Christ, and this is what this event is pointing us to. Christ 
is speaking about, rather, Christ is speaking about entrance into 
the Kingdom of Heaven. He is not speaking about sanctification 
in this life. There are passages that highlight 
that sanctification or the good works that believers do are fruits 
or evidences or consequences of the justification that we 
have received. That's not what's happening in 
this text. This text is dealing with those who enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. Now, secondly, we ought to notice 
the parties, and there are two here. There are false professors 
and there are true professors. I want to focus first on the 
false professors and notice in the first place their number. 
There does seem to be many of them. We see that also in chapter 
7 verses 13 and 14. Broad is the way and many there 
are who find that way. The narrow way, there are few 
who find that. And I don't think that means 
there's not going to be that many people in heaven. The Bible 
speaks of a great multitude that no man can number. The Bible 
speaks as well to the many whom Jesus shed his blood for. But 
in terms of the ethical impression that Christ is making, he wants 
you to consider your state before God. Are you on the broad way 
or are you on the narrow way? Are you a false professor or 
are you a true professor? Are you somebody that will enter 
into the kingdom of heaven or will you hear those words from 
our Lord Jesus, depart from me, I never knew you. He is making 
an ethical impression upon the hearers. He wants them to respond. 
He wants them to come to him in faith. But in terms of the 
number, the language suggests that self-deception is a reality. Notice in verse 22, they're surprised 
by the Lord's indictment. When Jesus says, 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. Verse 22, many 
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not? There is a 
surprise in their hearts about the verdict that is rendered. 
They are surprised that they are not entering into heaven. 
Self-delusion is a reality, and we need to be conscious of that 
fact, and this text indicates that. Many go to destruction 
by the broad way. The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 
6, he says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit 
the kingdom of God? He goes on to say, do not be 
deceived. Don't deceive yourself. Don't 
be deluded. Do not have this idea that your 
false profession of faith is somehow going to avail with God 
Almighty. Notice the profession that they 
make. Not everyone who says to me, 
Lord, Lord, these aren't Muslims. These aren't Buddhists. These 
aren't atheists. These are people who profess 
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now it's not real faith, but 
you get my point. They're not persons that are 
calling upon the Buddha. They're not persons that are 
calling upon Muhammad or Allah. They are persons addressing the 
Lord. That is their profession or their 
identification. They are not those who are caught 
unawares, but rather they expect this. They stand before Jesus 
and they actually address him as Lord. Now notice their argument, 
and this is the problem. Herein lies the issue. Notice 
at verse 22, after he has said, not everyone who says to me, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. He says, there's going 
to be those excluded, even though they've said, Lord, Lord, they 
will be excluded and not enter into heaven. He identifies, and 
we'll look at that in a moment, but he who does the will of my 
father in heaven, and then notice their argument. Many will say 
to me in that day, Lord, Lord, again, not Muslims, not Buddhists, 
not atheists, they address Jesus as Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied 
in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders 
in your name? They remind Jesus that they prophesied, 
that they exercised, and that they had done these wonders. 
Notice the ground of their appeal for their acceptance into heaven. It's not Jesus' blood and righteousness. It is rather the works that they 
themselves have done. And notice as well that Jesus 
doesn't deny that they had done these things. He doesn't say, 
you're fakes, you're frauds, you didn't prophesy, you didn't 
exercise, and you didn't do these many wonders. He doesn't say 
that. They had actually done this. Think Judas. Judas Iscariot 
had been one of the disciples of the Lord. Judas Iscariot had 
gone out. Judas Iscariot had prophesied. 
Judas Iscariot had exercised. And Judas Iscariot had done many 
wonders. So Christ does not deny the validity 
of the claim, but rather the problem is, is that they're banking 
their acceptance with God on what they've done. Our hope is 
built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. We sing 
in another place, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy 
cross I cling. These guys would sing, everything 
in my hand I bring, never to thy cross I cling. You see, the 
problem isn't works, the problem is a lack of faith in the Lord 
Jesus, and we'll see that in just a moment. The problem with 
their argument, as John Gill says, it may be observed that 
these men lay the whole stress of their salvation upon what 
they have done in Christ's name, and not on Christ himself, in 
whom there is salvation, and in no other. They say not a syllable 
of what Christ has done and suffered, but only of what they have done. 
You see that, right? This is problematic. Lord, haven't 
we done this? Haven't we done this? Haven't 
we done that? Based on what we've done, Lord, 
you should accept us into the kingdom of heaven. Their plea, 
their hope, their ground for their salvation or supposed salvation 
is upon their performance of the works of the law. Christ 
says, that's not gonna happen. Many will say to me on that day, 
but I will not allow them access. It is the one who does the will 
of my father in heaven. Now, again, the works of a true 
believer are fruits of justifying faith. I would never neglect 
that, and I would never teach otherwise. But this text is not 
the text we ought to appeal to, to try to prove and to try and 
demonstrate that. These persons are resting their 
acceptance with God upon their works. Michael Brown, not the 
charismatic one, a better one, says, some turn the New Covenant 
into a bastard covenant of works by adding their works righteousness 
to faith. That's the problem here. You 
have to appreciate it. It's not a matter of faith and 
works or faith with no works. It's a matter of faith versus 
no faith. That's the issue that Christ 
is dealing with with these two claimants with reference to acceptance 
by God into that kingdom. Now, note that Jesus highlights 
their true condition in verse 23. The very end, verse 23 reads, 
And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. It's not that 
they were saved and lost it. It's not that they were in and 
they were out. I never knew you. They were not of us. For if they 
were of us, they would have continued with us. But the fact that they 
left indicates that they were never of us. 1 John 2.19 highlights 
that reality with reference to apostasy. So he says, I will 
declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me. You who, 
look at the language, practice lawlessness. When you think about 
practicing lawlessness, real quick, what pops into your mind? 
Smoking crack, visiting prostitutes. Does self-righteousness ever 
pop in when we think of lawlessness? Do we ever consider that our 
attempts to broker favor with God by our actions is actually 
condemned as lawlessness by the Lord Christ Almighty? See, we're 
good at this. We're very, very polished when 
it comes to looking down our noses at those people who do 
those dastardly sins, and yet neglect the reality that our 
self-righteousness is a foul stench in the nostril of God 
Almighty. See, when we think lawlessness, 
we typically think of self given over to indulgence and to lust 
and carnality and wickedness and profligate living. We never 
stop and consider the reality that Jesus spoke to in Matthew 
21, when he condemned the Pharisees and the scribes of his generation, 
and when he says that the harlots and the publicans are entering 
into the kingdom of heaven before you are. What does that mean? It means that self-righteousness 
is a problem. It doesn't mean go out and visit 
prostitutes and smoke crack because God will love you more. That's 
not what it means. Please don't take it that way. 
But we need to identify that a self-righteous approach to 
God's kingdom is lawlessness in the language of our Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ. Lawlessness here is probably 
an attempt to use God's law unlawfully. Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 1.8 
that we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. 
There's stipulations placed on the law. It's like giving a child 
hair clippers and saying, okay, son, go ahead and give yourself 
a haircut. None of us in our right minds would ever do that. 
We don't plug something in that's sharp and able to cut hair and 
hand it to a little child. It must be used responsibly, 
and the law of God is that way. If we take the law of God and 
we try to use it as a means for our acceptance with God, we have 
used it unlawfully, and hence, we have become lawless. in the 
sight of a holy God. The lawlessness here is the self-righteousness, 
which is always and ultimately an attack upon the cross of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says in Galatians 2.21, 
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness 
comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. I mean, to hear 
these fellows in verse 22, Jesus should have said, well, by all 
means, you prophesied, you've exercised, you've done many works. 
Why would I have ever come into this world's centers to save? 
Why would I have ever gone to the cross? You're such sterling, 
upright specimens of human beings. Of course, come on in, enter 
into the kingdom of heaven. These guys are looking for a 
reward. And typically, brethren, if persons have this mindset 
on that day of judgment before they stand before the Lord Jesus, 
they have it presently in life. They're the sorts of people that 
we see in Luke 18 that pray thus with themselves. I thank you, 
God, that I'm not like other men. I thank you, God, that I'm 
not unjust. I thank you, God, that I'm not 
an extortioner. I thank you, God, that I'm not like this tax 
collector here. You see, that kind of arrogance, 
that kind of boasting, that kind of pride exhibited before the 
throne of God on the day of judgment is the kind of stuff that you 
hear from the self-righteous even now. You don't hear. Nothing 
in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. 
Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. You 
see, what the hymn writers suggest there is that our condition is 
pretty bad. Really bad. Horrible, to be sure. And the only way, the only hope 
of heaven is not based on our righteousness, because we ain't 
got any, not based on our performance of the law, because we always 
do it imperfectly, but it's based upon the performance of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. That's the emphasis in our passage. So far from using the text as 
a bludgeon to get the people of God to do more good things, 
This text highlights the problem when the people of God or the 
professing people of God rest on those good things for their 
acceptance with God. That is a huge issue that we 
need to be aware of. So the lawlessness in this particular 
passage is most likely using the law unlawfully. It is the 
lawlessness of self-righteousness. Gil, again, he says they were 
workers of iniquity. I mean, if you just look at verse 
22, they sound like pretty good guys. I mean, who wouldn't want 
these guys as friends? You know, they cast out demons. 
That's good. I'd want to hang out with that 
guy. He's a good guy. He casts out demons. He works wonders. He's a good guy. I want to hang 
out with him. He prophesies in the name of God. I want to hang 
out with him. They seem like good guys, but Jesus calls them 
practicers of lawlessness. Gil says they were workers of 
iniquity. It may be neither adulterers nor murderers nor drunkards what 
we typically think of workers of iniquity. And I think if I 
could encourage all of us to get this in our head, that our 
approach to God vis-a-vis self-righteousness, it's as bad as murder, it's as 
bad as drunkenness, it's as bad as adultery. Now again, for the 
civil polity, it doesn't affect people in the same way. I'll 
grant that. I mean, if I just am self-righteous 
sitting in my living room, it doesn't affect my neighbor. If 
I actually have adultery with my neighbor's wife, that affects 
him. So yeah, I guess there is that gradation there. But in 
terms of our position before God, We really think that putting 
on a suit or reading our Bible or carrying our Bible or just 
coming to church is somehow commending us to God? We somehow think that 
our acceptance with God is bound up in what we do? Now again, 
I'm not talking about sanctity in the Christian life. There 
is sanctity in the Christian life in terms of what's called 
sanctification. We're talking about acceptance 
with God vis-a-vis justification. And a self-righteous approach 
is condemned by God. It is condemned by Christ. In 
fact, John Gerstner, many of you don't know that name, but 
you know his most famous pupil. You know R.C. Sproul. His mentor 
was a fellow by the name of John Gerstner. And John Gerstner made 
this observation. He says, the main thing between 
you and God is not so much your sins, it's your damnable good 
works. That's good. That's good. It's not so much your sins. Christ Jesus came into the world, 
sinners to save. Now, again, we live in a day 
and age where if you comment on a neighborhood being dirty, 
you're a racist. So let me just qualify and make 
sure you understand what I'm saying. Okay? Let me just make 
sure everybody hears what I'm saying. Gershner's not saying 
go out and sin. He's not saying, go ahead and sin. He's saying 
the big problem isn't so much sin because Christ forgives it. 
It's the self-righteousness that keeps you from seeing that you 
need that forgiveness. It's the self-righteousness wherein 
you think that God's going to accept you because you've prophesied, 
because you've exercised, or because you've done many wonders. That self-righteousness blinds 
people to the reality of their need. Christ Jesus says, I didn't 
come into the world to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So Gershner is absolutely spot 
on. The main thing between you and 
God is not so much your sins, it's your damnable good works. 
When you trust in those things for your acceptance with God, 
that's your problem. If you're doing that tonight, 
relinquish it. Stop hiding behind, prophesying, 
exercising many works. Stop hiding behind, well, I was 
brought up in the church. My parents make a confession 
of faith. Stop hiding behind, my wife or my husband, they're 
believers. Go out and do tracts once in 
a while and you'll hear the response of people that are just bizarre. 
Do you think you're going to go to heaven? Do you think about, 
gee, well, my granddad taught Sunday school. Wow, there you 
go. You should be fine then. That's 
absolute craziness. And yet that is the default position. We won't come out into the open 
and accept what God has to say concerning our sin and concerning 
the provision He offers in the gospel, but we'll hide among 
the trees, we'll make those covers for our loins, we'll run, we'll 
cover, we'll do everything we can. And more often than not, 
that coverage comes via our supposed good works. So the problem with 
these people is that they were practicers of lawlessness. They 
use the law of God unlawfully. They bank on or they rested in 
their self-righteousness rather than in Christ's righteousness. Now let's look at the true professors. Notice what he says in 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. Now, I want to probably shock 
some of you here to suggest that what he's talking about is faith 
in Christ. You know, we see that language, 
do the will of my Father in heaven, and we think 10 commandments, 
and we should think 10 commandments. Again, in the category of sanctification, 
doing the will of God the Father means for us tomorrow morning, 
getting up and not committing idolatry. It means not committing 
blasphemy. It means today keeping the Sabbath 
holy. It means tomorrow and today honoring 
our fathers and our mothers and being subordinate to the governing 
authorities. It means not murdering people. It means not committing 
adultery. It means not stealing. It means not lying. It means 
not coveting. That is the will of God revealed for us as believers 
through the Ten Commandments. They are abiding for us today 
in toto. All ten of them are for the church 
in the normative application of God's law to his people. But 
remember what we're dealing with in this passage. We're not dealing 
with sanctification. We're dealing with acceptance 
into the kingdom of heaven. So what is the will of the Father 
in heaven? If you could obey those 10 words 
perfectly, if you could obey those 10 words exactly, if you 
could obey those 10 words entirely and perpetually, well then certainly 
you'd enter right into heaven. But a moment's reflection should 
cause you to know we can't do that, right? Right? Think with 
me, brethren. Nod your heads. You've got to 
follow this. Doing the will of my Father in 
heaven with reference to acceptance by God into heaven is not our 
obedience to the law because it isn't perfect. It isn't exact. It isn't entire. It isn't perpetual. But Christ's is. Christ is every 
jot and diddle of God's law Christ fulfilled. We've talked a lot 
about the imputation of Christ's righteousness, the crediting 
of our account with the righteousness of another. It'd be like if I 
went to the bank and I wrote a check and somebody had deposited 
a lot of money there to cover the check. Christ's righteousness 
is credited to our accounts. So Christ has performed the law 
according to God's will in a perfect manner. So the way of appropriation 
of that for us is to believe on Jesus. The issue in Matthew 
7, 21 to 23, isn't prophesy more, isn't exercise more, and isn't 
do more works, but it's to do the will of my Father in heaven. 
John's gospel fleshes out for us what that means. In John 6, 
28 and 29, Jesus, or rather, then they said to him, what shall 
we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered and said 
to them, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom 
he sent. And then in that same chapter 
in John 6 40. And this is the will of him who 
sent me that everyone who sees the son and believes in him may 
have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the 
last day. So again, Matthew 7 21 to 23. 
The emphasis is not. on keeping the Ten Commandments 
for entrance into heaven, because we have forfeited that. We forfeit 
it in Adam. We forfeit it by our own actual 
transgressions that proceed from that original sin. There is no 
way any of us could ever earn our salvation based on God's 
requirement, save the Lord Jesus Christ. And the way that we gain 
access based on Christ's righteousness is by faith. That's the emphasis 
in John 6, 40. Now to further stay off an objection, 
of course, when we believe the gospel, of course, when we're 
justified freely by His grace, there is sanctity. It is Christ's 
work for us and it is the Spirit's work in us, but our acceptance 
with God is ultimately Christ's work for us. When it comes to 
those works, it probably has to do with degrees of reward 
in heaven. There's other things that need 
to be taken into consideration. Again, that's not the emphasis 
of the text. The emphasis is entrance into the kingdom of 
heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 
Lord, Lord, didn't we not? And he will say, I never knew 
you. The emphasis is not, you didn't 
do enough works. Unfortunately, this passage is 
often turned on its head to try to tell the people of God to 
do more works. Can I just say it? Do more works, by all means. According to James, do more works. According to Paul in Ephesians 
2.10, do more works. There are texts that we can use 
to bludgeon the people of God to do more works. I just wanna 
make sure we don't think Matthew 7, 21 to 23 is one of them. It is not a passage designed 
to show us the effects of justifying faith. It is a passage designed 
to show us who enters in to the kingdom of heaven. It isn't those 
who rest their hopes on their performance. It is those who 
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what he teaches. The 
statement of our Lord underscores the necessity of justification 
by faith alone. I will argue in a moment, citing 
two of my favorite guys, that the purpose or one of the purposes 
of the Sermon on the Mount is to show us not why we should 
engage in self-congratulation, but it should show us our desperation 
before a holy God. Like we mentioned this morning 
in our Confession of Faith study, brethren, the Sermon on the Mount 
is law. When you hear people say, we just need to live according 
to the Sermon on the Mount, they have no understanding of the 
gospel. I mentioned this morning, Machen's book. You want to read 
a great book that's very appropriate today, just like it was in the 
1920s? Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresson Machen. He was 
dealing with theological liberals who just said, we need to live 
like Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Are you nuts? We don't 
live like Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. We never live like 
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Do you know that Jesus says in 
the Sermon on the Mount, be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect? Do any of us ever read that and 
say, oh yeah, that's in my wheelhouse. I can perform that. No, we're 
crushed. When he says in Matthew 5 20, 
that your righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the 
scribes and Pharisees. high standard in the context 
of the Sermon on the Mount. It's not to try to cause you 
to say, well, I can do better than them. No, you can't. The 
same self-righteousness that characterized them is the same 
sort of self-righteousness that characterizes a whole host of 
false professors in our own day. One of the aspects or one of 
the functions of the Sermon on the Mount is to cast us to the 
foot of the cross. And I think Matthew 7, 21 to 
23 is powerful in doing that. The works that believers do are 
not taken into consideration by our Lord as the basis for 
our entrance into the kingdom of heaven. He, they had it. He doesn't deny that they had 
it. If he would have said, no, you never did do that. You're 
lying. You're full of hot air here. You didn't really prophesy or 
exercise. Kids, when I say exercise, I 
don't mean bench press or jumping jacks. Exercise with an O means 
cast out demons. So just want to make sure I clarify 
that. We're not talking about the squat or running or cardiovascular 
stretching or anything like that. Exercise with an O means to cast 
out demons. He never denies that they did 
these things. If ever there was somebody that 
could have walked into heaven based on their works, it's these 
guys. Now, notice the verdict rendered 
as we move to the end of the exposition here. The verdict 
rendered. Verse 23, I will declare to them, 
I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. 
Jesus Christ is the judge on the day of judgment. This is 
a bit of high Christology, a bit of very high Christology. Christ 
is asserting. Now, he's a man in this particular 
context teaching the Sermon on the Mount. And he is saying to 
his hearers that I, the one you see now, will be that judge on 
that day. And it will be my declaration 
that either embraces or excludes men from the kingdom of heaven. 
That's a huge assertion. That is a massive statement. 
And that does indicate high Christology in Matthew's gospel. So the fact 
that he is the eschatological judge underscores his glory. In fact, turn to Matthew 10. 
I'm certain that, I would hope, the disciples made this connection. 
Because he mentions here in Matthew 7, 21 to 23, that it's he that 
will exclude men from entrance into the kingdom of heaven. And 
then notice in chapter 10 at verse 27, whatever I tell you 
in the dark, speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, 
preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill 
the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear Him who 
is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. You know what 
Jesus is saying, right? Fear me. Don't fear them, fear 
me. It's one of those things that 
we don't often think about. In Revelation chapter 6, when 
the judgment of God is coming, the strong men and the brave 
men and the soldiers are all crying upon the rocks and the 
mountains to fall and to hide them and to cover them from the 
wrath of who? From the wrath of the Lamb. The 
Lamb of God is the one who ultimately excludes people from the kingdom 
of heaven. And he says in 1028, fear me. 
I have the power, the ability to throw both body and soul into 
hell. So going back to Matthew chapter seven. In terms of the 
believers, he doesn't speak a lot concerning them, but he does 
identify them as he who does the will of my Father in heaven. 
They are those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows 
them. We know that for sure. He welcomes 
them into this kingdom of heaven. and he blesses them. What greater 
joy is there than for us to enter into the kingdom of heaven? I 
mean, the prospect of that day ought to fill our hearts with 
great joy and with great encouragement. I think at times we get mired 
down in this world. We get mired down in the political 
scheme. We get mired down in all the 
things that affect us and burden us and cause us to just find 
some sense of sorrow. We need to fortify our soul with 
that prospect of entering in to the kingdom of heaven. But 
then notice with reference to the lawless. He makes the declaration. They declare confidence in their 
works. He declares he never knew them. 
It's Christ that welcomes men, or it's Christ who excludes men. 
He never denies their claim. He states that He never knew 
them. In fact, turn to 1 John 2.19. 
Again, I think this is an idea that is out there, that people 
can be saved and then lose their salvation. Well, that, if it 
were true, reflects upon the Savior. Because if it were possible 
for saved men to lose their salvation, we most certainly would. You 
shouldn't doubt that for a moment. If you and I could lose it, we 
would lose it. That is absolutely positively 
true. If it were in your capacity to 
not end up in heaven after Jesus had saved you, you would not 
end up in heaven. The reality is, is that there 
are those who profess, there are those who make a claim, there 
are those who say, Lord, have we not, but were never of us. 1 John 2.19, they went out from 
us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they 
would have continued with us. But they went out that they might 
be made manifest that none of them were of us." A few weeks 
ago in our studies in the confession of faith, we looked at Hebrews 
6 and Hebrews 10. Those are apostasy passages. They're not passages concerning 
people that were actually saved and then fell away. These are 
apostates. They are defectors. They were 
never believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what we meet 
with. in this particular passage, he never knew them. As well, 
he condemns self-righteousness as lawlessness. If you take one 
thing away from this sermon, well, I hope you take some other 
things, but take that away. Your self-righteousness and mine 
is bad. When we, you know, fancy that 
we're in the state of grace by some goodness on our part, we 
are delusional. We have missed it by a long shot. Praise God that he even forgives 
self-righteousness. Praise God that there is forgiveness 
with thee that thou mayest be feared, even when it comes to 
our arrogance and our boastfulness and our thought that somehow 
God needs us or Somehow God has rewarded us according to our 
worth or merit. That is absolute unbiblical thinking 
that we need to dissipate. He excludes false professors 
from the kingdom of heaven. John Gill makes an interesting 
statement. He says, for as it is his presence that makes heaven, 
it is his absence that makes hell. I think that's fundamental. I've said before how people think 
that heaven's gonna be whatever they like on earth, magnified. It's gonna be a big kitchen if 
you're a woman. No, I'm just kidding. I just 
wanted to see if everybody was awake. It's gonna be a garage 
if you're a man. It's gonna be a shop. It's gonna 
be a basketball. It's not. It's where Jesus is. That's what makes heaven heaven. 
He's altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. Wherever Christ 
is, that's heaven. And that's where we're heading. 
And then Gil makes this observation, an awful consideration it is 
that men should be able to cast out devils and at last be cast 
to the devil. Did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not cast out demons in 
your name? Did we not do many wonders in 
your name? They're able to cast out demons 
on this side of heaven, but when it comes to that day of judgment, 
they are cast into the presence of devils. Sobering passage, 
but an encouraging passage because the emphasis is upon the gospel 
of free grace. It's upon belief on our Lord 
Jesus Christ. In conclusion, the two parties, 
the contrast is not between profession with works versus profession 
without works, rather faith in Christ Jesus for salvation versus 
no faith in Christ Jesus. That's the contrast. The text 
is not highlighting the place of good works subsequent to salvation 
by grace. Again, the Bible teaches that 
everywhere. Our confession of faith teaches 
that everywhere. Isaac pointed out that nagging 
help. We had a few more people at our Bible study this morning 
in the confession hour. I think we're gonna do it back 
to back and continue in chapter 11 next Sunday morning to see 
how the confession treats the subject of justification by faith 
alone, but that faith doesn't remain alone. It's always accompanied 
by other saving graces. So that what James says is absolutely 
consistent with what Jesus says, with what Paul says. We're saved 
by grace through faith in Christ, and then we do good works. But 
when it comes to our acceptance by Christ into the kingdom of 
heaven, it's all about what Christ has done. It's his life, it's 
his righteousness, it's his death that is the basis upon which 
any sinner will ever enter in to that heavenly kingdom. I mentioned 
the pedagogical function of the Sermon on the Mount. Pedagogue 
means child tutor. That's a function of God's law. 
We preach the law to show sinners their sin so that they then see 
their need for the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not neglect this in 
the Sermon on the Mount. Do not forsake that approach 
with reference to the Sermon on the Mount. It baffles me. It's not just the theological 
liberals that Machen was dealing with in the early part of the 
20th century, but it's today. Oh, we just need to live like 
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. And again, I agree we need to 
live like Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. I'm not suggesting 
we don't, but to think that we'll be accepted by God based on how 
we live according to the Sermon on the Mount, we are seriously 
deluded if we think that's our pathway to heavenly life. Listen 
to Machen. He says, the Sermon on the Mount, 
rightly interpreted then, makes man a seeker after some divine 
means of salvation by which entrance into the kingdom can be obtained. 
The Sermon on the Mount, like all the rest of the New Testament, 
really leads a man straight to the foot of the cross. Please, 
when you read Matthew 5-7, think that way. Yes, be good. Yes, don't commit adultery. Yes, 
don't murder. Yes, all the things that Jesus 
highlights there in the antitheses, but also think how much you need 
Jesus. And then Lloyd-Jones says, there 
is nothing Listen to this. This is powerful. There is nothing 
that so utterly condemns us as the Sermon on the Mount. There 
is nothing so utterly impossible, so terrifying, and so full of 
doctrine. Indeed, I do not hesitate to 
say that were it not that I knew of the doctrine of justification 
by faith only, I would never look at the Sermon on the Mount, 
because it is a sermon before which we all stand completely 
naked and altogether without hope. In other words, if you 
read the Sermon on the Mount and you feel good about yourself 
and your own righteousness, you're not reading it properly. It ought 
to cast you to the foot of the cross. It ought to cause you 
or evoke from you. Nothing in my hand I bring simply 
to thy cross I claim. Foul I to the fountain fly, wash 
me, Savior, or I die. And then one final aspect with 
reference to our text, the place of assurance. the place of assurance. How do we find assurance of faith? 
Well, it is by faith in the Savior, faith in the Lord Jesus. Now, 
certainly when we have faith in the Lord Jesus, when we have 
faith, that will be accompanied by all other saving graces. There 
will be a degree of obedience. There will be a heart for God. 
There will be a desire for the things of the Lord. As we saw 
this morning, behold, he is praying. The regenerate man is a praying 
man. Again, not a hundred hours a week, but there are those seeds, 
there are those things present. So those fruits help us to identify 
the presence of faith. But ultimately, it is that looking, 
it is that cleaving, it is that clinging onto our Lord Jesus 
Christ. another unknown theologian, that 
more people should know, by the name of Samuel Petto, said, I 
have often thought, if Christians did give more attendance to such 
direct acts of faith, that is, looking to Christ alone in the 
free promise of the gospel, and spent less time in questioning 
their conditions, or giving way to doubtings about them, they 
would find their interest in the covenant cleared up, yea, 
and consolation also coming in, as by the by. In other words, 
your assurance is tied up with Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Your assurance is tied up with 
that precious blood. Your assurance is connected to 
Him. So the lesson is, look to him 
in faith. Jesus said, this is the will 
of him who sent me that everyone who sees the son and believes 
in him may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the 
last day. That's what it means to do the 
will of the father in Matthew 7, 21 to 23. Well, let us close 
in a word of prayer. Father, thank you for your word. 
Thank you for this passage of scripture. Thank you for the 
consistency that we find in our Bibles. And God, I pray that 
this text would speak comfort to our hearts and encouragement 
if we are in Christ. If not, I pray that sinners would 
be shaken, they would be awakened, they would see their need for 
the Savior, and that by your grace they would believe on him 
whom you have sent. We ask that you would go with 
us now, watch over us in this coming week, and cause us to 
grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, 
Jesus Christ. And we pray in his most blessed 
name, amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation and then be dismissed.