Matthew chapter 7, our focus will be on verses 21 to 23, but I'll begin reading in verse 1. So Matthew 7, beginning in verse 1, judge not that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me remove the speck from your eye, and look, a plank is in your own eye. Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces.

Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds.

And to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets. 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.

Opening Prayer

Well, let us again ask God's blessing upon the Word. Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You that You've given it to us. and that it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. We pray again for the ministry of the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us into all truth.

We know that in some ways this passage is mishandled, misunderstood. Pray that you would give us clarity of thought concerning this judgment day to come and the basis for our acceptance with our blessed God. Forgive us again for our sin and unrighteousness and be glorified now, we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Introduction

Well, at first glance, verses 21 to 23 may seem like a pretty discouraging way to treat the Lord's Supper. But I hope that you'll see by the end of the message, it's a very encouraging passage that stresses once again, the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Now in this latter part of chapter seven, which is connected to chapters five and six, which we call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gets very practical. So after the prohibition against judgmentalism that we saw last Sunday night, He then gives that emphasis or that message concerning asking and seeking and knocking.

And then from verses 13 to the end of the chapter, he gives various ways of self-examination. He gives four warnings that conclude the sermon. He speaks of two ways, verses 13 and 14, the broad and the narrow. He speaks of two trees in verses 15 to 20, a caution against false prophets.

He then speaks to two claims, which we'll look at in verses 21 to 23, and then two builders in verses 24 to 27. So for Jesus, the preaching of the gospel isn't simply theoretical. He brings it down for practical consideration. In other words, where are you with reference to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ?

So verses 21 to 23 point us to the judgment day to come. So we'll look first at the event described, secondly, the parties identified, and then thirdly, the verdict rendered.

The Judgment Day Described

So first of all, look at the event. 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. And then he says, many will say to me in that day. Many will say to me in that day.

The two verbs that are utilized by the Lord Jesus are both in the future tense. So he's pointing to a future event. And when he describes it as that day, we take it as the day of judgment. The Bible teaches that if we are to die today, then our spirit departs and goes to be with the Lord, but our bodies go into the grave.

But at the final day, Jesus will resurrect all the bodies out of the grave, and then body and soul will be reunited, and there's a great judgment to come. In fact, Hebrews 9 tells us it's appointed for men to die, and then comes judgment. You often hear the old adage, there are two things that are inescapable, death and taxes. You cannot pay your taxes if you're okay with going to prison, but you cannot escape the judgment to come.

That is a reality, and that's the event that our Lord Jesus is speaking to. So the two verbs, future tense, they will say, and I will declare to him. And the emphasis here is on Christ's role in the judgment to come. And this is not an isolated incident.

You see Christ's role in judgment in Acts 17, 31, Romans 2, 16, 2 Corinthians 5, 10, 2 Timothy 4, 8, and then again in Hebrews 9, 27. It's high Christology. In fact, if you look back or look forward to just a moment into chapter 10, notice what Jesus says to the disciples in verse 27. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light.

And what you hear in the air, 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. He's speaking about Himself in that particular reference. So Christ is supreme on the day of judgment, and all of us will face Him on that day.

The Parties Identified

So now let's look at the parties identified. There's two groups. There's false professors, and then there are those who are true believers. Let's look first at the false professors.

False Professors: Their Number

Notice in the first place their number. There's not a few of these people. There are many that will say, on that day. The language suggests that self-deception is a reality.

In other words, there are people out there that may delude themselves into thinking that they are heaven-bound, when in reality, they are not. Self-deception is a reality. Paul speaks of that in 1 Corinthians 6, 9. He says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

He says, do not be deceived. Now it's one of those things where we always like to think the best of ourselves, don't we? We always like to think that everything's going to work out for us. We're going to get the good job.

We're going to get the degree. We're going to meet the good woman or the good man. We're going to have lots of happy and well-adjusted children. We always like to believe the best about ourselves.

But with reference to self-delusion concerning entrance into heaven, we ought not to do that. We ought to be very careful with reference to this particular thought or this delusion. The language as well suggests that many are susceptible to this deluded way of thinking. Look back 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.

Same with reference to verse 22, many will say to me in that day. So the number of false professors is not a few, it's not just a handful, but there are many to be considered.

False Professors: Their Profession

Now notice secondly, their profession on that day, verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, He is dealing with Christian profession. He's not dealing with Buddhists. They wouldn't say, Lord, Lord. He's not dealing with atheists.

They wouldn't say, Lord, Lord. He's not dealing with Hindus. They wouldn't say, Lord, Lord. He is dealing with professing Christians.

That's why these are cautionary statements from our Lord to make sure that we are not suffering the damning delusion of a false thought that we're heading into heaven when we're not.

False Professors: Their Surprise

And then notice thirdly, they're surprised. They seem to be taken off guard when Jesus says, you're not going to enter in. Look at verse 22. 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?

They're surprised. Lord, why would you not let us in? Why would you not bring us into this heavenly kingdom? Why would you exclude us from heaven itself?

Why would you send us into hell when we've done all these things? Again, it's better to be surprised now and believe the gospel now than delude yourselves into thinking that you are saved and you're not, and on that day be caught by surprise. But Lord, I thought because I did this, or I thought because I did that, or I thought because I went to church, or I thought because I was raised in a Christian home, or I thought because I went to a Christian school. No, that's not the time to sort of figure these things out.

Remember this morning in the prophet Isaiah 55, six, seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. The implication is obvious. There may be a day coming when he's not near, when he can't be found. when you are ultimately consigned to everlasting destruction.

So these people are surprised.

False Professors: Their Argument

Now notice, fourthly, their argument. Their argument. So 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. Verse 22 is their argument.

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? Notice that Jesus does not deny this. Jesus doesn't say, oh, you're lying, you're false, you're deluded. He doesn't do that.

He deals with them on a basis that we'll see in just a moment, but he never denies the validity of their claim here. And notice what they say. Have we not prophesied? Have we not cast out demons?

Have we not done many wonders in your name? Turn over to Matthew chapter 10. You will see one of these particular persons that will be very much surprised on the Day of Judgment. Well, actually he won't because he found out earlier than the Day of Judgment that he was indeed a wretch.

But if you look at Matthew chapter 10, verses one to four, it's the selection of the 12 apostles. And if you look specifically at verse four, Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And then in verse five, these 12, Jesus sent out and commanded them saying, Do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts. nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs, for a worker is worthy of his food." We have no indication whatsoever in any place in scripture that Judas didn't participate. Judas did participate.

He went out with the other 11 apostles. He did wonders in the name of Jesus. He did exorcisms. He participated in those things.

The problem with the particular argument that is utilized here in Matthew 7.22 is at odds with a hymn that we sang this morning in our confession study, that blessed hymn concerning our attachment to Christ. It says, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. These men don't say that. These men say simply to my works I cling, I have utter disregard for the Lord Jesus.

Their appeal as to why they should enter into heaven is not the finished work of the Savior. It is not the doing and the dying and the rising of the Lord Jesus. It is their own performance. It is their own works.

Christ does not deny that they did these things. The problem with their argument is that they emphasize what they did and not what Christ did. That is faulty. The apostle Paul deals with that very clearly in Galatians 2.21.

He says, I do not set aside the grace of God, the grace of Christ, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. If we could stand before God and say, I exercised demons, I prophesied in the name of Jesus. I healed sick people. Let me into heaven.

Then why did Jesus have to come to live, to die, and to rise again the third day? John Gill makes the observation, 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. Typically, this text is turned over on its head, and it's made to teach that you need to do more works.

That's not the problem here. The problem is, is that they invoke their works as the ground of their acceptance with God Most High. We learned this morning in our confession study the purpose of our good works as believers. They function as the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith.

That's not how they're functioning here. They're bringing these things before Christ and say, let me into heaven based on my virtue, based on my accomplishments, based on my doing, and based on my law keeping. Does everybody see the problem here? Again, this passage is utilized to teach that believers need to do more.

There are passages in the Bible that teach believers you need to do more. There are passages in the Bible that emphasize, stress, and encourage more good works on the part of the people of God. This ain't it. This is not a sanctification passage.

This is not simply giving evidence or fruit concerning your saving faith. These men are arguing based on their accomplishments for entry into the kingdom of God. So again, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. The hymn writer also says, foul I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die.

These guys would never sing that because they're upright. They're good. They're pious. They're holy.

They're wonder workers. They've actually healed people. They're not like the rest of us who haven't done anything in similar fashion. Their argument is faulty.

Their argument is a rejection of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The works of a true believer are the fruits or consequences of a justifying faith. These professors are appealing to their works as the reason for their acceptance with God. That's the problem.

That's the issue. They are not resting upon the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ.

False Professors: Their True Condition

Now notice, fifthly, their true condition. Look at what Jesus says in verse 23, and then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Now, these are pretty good guys.

They exercise demons, they do wonders in the name of Jesus. What does he possibly mean by they are lawless people? I would suggest in the first place, they are using the law unlawfully. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1, we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully.

We're not to use the law as the means by which we're accepted with God, because we're sinners. We're depraved. We're dead in our trespasses and sins. God awakens us.

God regenerates us. God gives us the graces of faith and repentance so that we receive the blessings that Christ has secured in His doing and dying and rising. With reference to lawlessness, when we use the law unlawfully, we've embarked on a pathway of lawlessness. But as well, I would suggest that lawlessness, and hold on to your seats here because I think we're going to, you know, have to be challenged a bit, also includes self-righteousness.

See, we often think of the lawless as the crackhead, the guy who visits prostitutes, the people who sleep outside the church at night and they're whacked out on drugs. They're the really lawless ones. The lawless ones are false professors in churches that are banking on their own accomplishments, that are righteous in their own sight. Again, Matthew 10.

We looked at this passage this morning. Matthew 10, verse, I'm sorry, Matthew, where was it? 21, sorry, 2110. No, not 2110, 21 somewhere, I'll find it. 2128, but what do you think? A man had two sons, he came to the first and said, son, go and work today in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not, but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise, and he answered and said, I go, sir. But he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?

They said to him the first. Jesus said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you." Don't we usually think that tax collectors and harlots are the really lawless people? Well, yeah, they are. But God saves them, justifies them freely by His grace.

Why don't we think of the self-righteous as lawless? Why don't we think of persons that bank on their own good works to the exclusion of gospel grace as being lawless individuals? Notice verse 32, For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But tax collectors and harlots believed him, and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

In other words, they are lawless individuals. Lawless self-indulgence is what we typically see as lawlessness. But lawless self-righteousness is lawlessness as well. John Gershner was the mentor for R.C.

Sproul. Everybody here probably has heard of R.C. Sproul. He was a fantastic teacher of scripture. a wonderful theologian.

He took the high and lofty doctrines of Scripture and he brought them down to every man. I mean, he was a real benefit, a real gift to the church. Well, his mentor was John Gershner. John Gershner was a major influence in his life.

Listen to what Gershner says concerning this issue. He says, the main thing between you and God is not so much your sins, it's your damnable good works. Think about that. We don't think that way, brethren.

He says, the main thing between you and God is not so much your sins, it's your damnable good works. When you rest upon what you've accomplished, when you rest upon the demons you've exercised, when you rest upon the wonders that you have worked, the healings that you have wrought, I mean, those are really, really good works. The most of us, you know, can't even hold a candle to those particular things. But when we rest on the performance of that, that's the problem.

Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. That's what he means there. It's not so much your sin That's the business of the Savior, to save you from your sin. It's your damnable good works.

It's your trust in something other. It's your resting upon those performances instead of looking to and receiving and resting upon Christ alone and His righteousness. That's the problem, and that, I would suggest, is rampant in the professing church today. Again, if a tax collector or a heathen or a harlot walks in, we're all gonna look and say, wow, that lawless one has entered in the house of God.

But how many times self-righteous people are among us, and we never think twice about that lawlessness. When we reject the Lord Jesus Christ, when we reject the offer of grace and mercy by him, That is to undertake lawlessness.

The True Professors

So that's the false professors. Now notice the true professors. He describes them in one simple phrase in verse 20, uh, 21. He 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.

And it's usually here that people say, well, here it is. You need to do more works. You need to go out, perform, you know, everybody else and, and have all these things. That's not the point.

Doing the will of the Father is to believe the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we can't rest upon the works performed, who must we rest upon? It is Christ and Christ alone. Listen to John 6, 28 to 29.

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 John 6, 40, very clearly, brethren, a little comparison of passages will underscore or illustrate what Jesus means here when he says, he who does the will of my Father in heaven. He's not saying you need to do more, you need to try harder, you need to get better.

Again, there are passages that teach that under the auspices or in the compartment of sanctification. But in terms of our acceptance with God, whether or not we enter into heaven above, The will of the Father is to believe the gospel. 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.

Same language. This is the will of him who sent me. So verse 21. But he who does the will of my Father in heaven.

So the works that believers do, and if you are sort of unsure on this, I would encourage you to attend our study in the confession of faith. Now you'll have to wait for, I don't know, a couple of years till we get back to chapter 16. But nevertheless, we're in chapter 16 this morning, and it deals with the place of good works. It's not the case that a believer believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and then supplements that belief with his own good works.

So we have a bit of faith, we have a bit of works, and when we present that unto God and we're accepted. No, that's not how it works. It's either all of Christ or it's none of Christ. It's either all of grace or it's none of grace.

The moment we try to mingle in our works or our faithfulness, we are an affront to the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Again, I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. If you can work your way into heaven, then why the cross? Why the shame of the cross?

Why Isaiah 53? A man of sorrows, unacquainted with grief. We esteem him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God. Verse 11, it pleased Yahweh to bruise him, to crush him.

This was all the initiation by the initiative of God Most High. So why all that if we can work our way into heaven? We can go exercise demons, we can do wondrous things, and we can heal a few people along the way. Well, that'll be enough to get a pat on the back and an acceptance into heaven.

The will of the Father is to believe the gospel of our salvation. These good works done in obedience to God's commandments are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith. They don't think in that category. When asked, or rather when they hear they're being excluded, they say, but Lord, didn't we do great things?

Lord, didn't we do wonderful things? Lord, aren't we awesome individuals? Aren't we polished persons? Aren't we the kind of guys that you're looking for to populate heaven?

This is a perennial problem in biblical religion. Look at Matthew chapter 9. We looked at this passage several weeks ago. Matthew chapter 9, the salvation of Matthew himself.

Matthew was a tax collector. He was hated by everybody. He was most likely a thief. He was most likely a traitor.

Remember that there were Jews working for the Roman government, taking taxes from fellow Jews and giving it over to the Roman government, typically keeping a little back for themselves. But notice in Matthew 9, 9, as Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. Brethren, never forget that the gospel came to regular sinners just like you and I in those days. In Luke 15, 1 and 2, it says that all the sinners and the tax collectors drew near to hear Him.

They had the same sorts of sins in those days. They had lawbreakers, they had idolaters, and blasphemers, and Sabbath breakers, and those insubordinate to authority. They had murderers, they had adulterers, they had thieves, they had liars, they had covetous people. So when these sinners come to the Lord Jesus Christ, they find salvation, just like Matthew.

In fact, Matthew himself illustrates what we see in the previous section. Notice in chapter 9 at verse 6, But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. Then he said to the paralytic, Arise, take up your bed and go to your house. I want you to know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins.

Well, if we ask the question, what kind of sins? Is it just a few sins? Is it just the little sins? Is it sort of the garden variety sins?

Or does He really forgive the big ones? Well, Matthew was considered one of the big ones. Matthew was a vile offender of God's holy law. And yet, Jesus says, follow me, so he arose and followed him.

Verse 10, now it happened as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? This was an affront to them. This was an offense to them.

Why does he do that? They're not like us. They're not righteous and holy and pure and pious like us. These men are full of sanctimony.

These men are full of self-righteousness. These men condemn others. When Jesus heard that, he said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means.

I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Turn over to Luke 19. Luke chapter 19, same sort of an emphasis that we see there.

It's not based on our works or a combination of faith plus works. It is God's grace and God's grace alone. To get a full sense of Luke 19, you need to go back to Luke 18. And if you look at Luke 18, 18, now a certain ruler asked him saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

So Jesus said to him, why do you call me good? No one is good, but one that is God. You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother. And he said, all these things I have kept for my youth.

So when Jesus heard these things, he said to him, you still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me. But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

Jesus is not saying that if you do this, then you'll be saved. Jesus is using the law lawfully. He is showing the man that he's a covetous man, and that in his covetousness, he needs Christ to save him. But notice the response of the disciples.

Verse 24. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, he said, how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. And those who heard it said, who then can be saved?

They associated riches with the blessing of God, right? Seems to make sense. you know, all the cars and all the, you know, summer homes. He has the favor of God. That's how they were thinking.

Who then can be saved? Verse 27, he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Now turn to Luke 19. So he says it's almost impossible for a rich man to enter into heaven, but it's not impossible because with God, all things are possible.

Look at chapter 19, verse one, then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and he was rich and he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down for today I must stay at your house.

So he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained saying, he has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner. See, that self-righteousness, that condemnation. We bank on what we've done.

We have no need for Jesus. We're good, we're holy, we're pious, we're righteous. They look down upon these people like Matthew, the tax collector, and like Zacchaeus, the tax collector. Notice in verse 8, Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Lord, or look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor.

And if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. Jesus said to him, today's salvation has come to this house because he also is a son of Abraham. Notice, for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Those people who are righteous in their own sight, those people who are righteous in their own eyes, those people who will stand before God on the day of judgment and say, I gave money to the poor, I walked old ladies across the street, I mowed my neighbor's lawn, I did all these things, let me into heaven.

That is a rejection of God's grace. That is a rejection of the gospel of our salvation. It undoes everything that God in Christ has done in the reconciling of the world to himself. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes to the law, then Christ died in vain.

Back to Matthew chapter 7, the statement of our Lord underscores the necessity of justification by faith alone. That's what it means to do the will of my Father in heaven. It is to believe the gospel. John 640, just read it.

Edward Fisher, in his wonderful marrow of modern divinity, makes this observation. He says, if you desire to be justified before God, you must either bring to him a perfect righteousness of your own, See, that's what people fail to understand. If we take doing the will of my Father in heaven as a reference to more good works, that means your works have to be perfect, they have to be exact, they have to be entire, or else God does not receive them. Fisher says, if you desire to be justified before God, you must either bring to Him a perfect righteousness of your own and wholly renounce Christ, or else you must bring the perfect righteousness of Christ and wholly renounce your own.

Christ Jesus will either be a whole Savior or no Savior. He will either save you alone or not save you at all. It's at this point that the justified by faith alone people, at least in their heart, say, amen, praise God for the gospel. Praise God for the glorious truth that nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.

And that foul I to thy fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die. So as I said, there are plenty of passages. If you want more passages on doing good works, give me a call. I'll read them off to you and yell at you and tell you to go out and do more.

But this isn't one of them. This isn't a matter of profession without works or profession with works. It is a matter of justification by faith alone. When we stand before God on that day, are we going to point to our works?

Are we going to point to what we've done? No, hopefully we've learned enough to hide behind the Savior King, to hide behind the one that lived, that died, and rose again. I mentioned that Sinclair, I think it was Sinclair, no, it was Alistair Begg talking about that thief on the cross, that 11th hour conversion, that thief on the cross. He started the day blaspheming the Savior and the great change came over him.

God saved him. God changed his heart. He confessed the lordship of Christ. He cast himself upon the mercy of Christ.

He says, remember me when you come into your kingdom. What a blessed profession of faith in the 11th hour. Alistair Begg says, you know, when you talk to that man in heaven and you said, you know, can you describe for me justification by faith alone? Well, no, I didn't take that catechism class.

Can you sort of work out what eschatology looks like? Well, eschatology, what? I don't know what you're talking about there. Can you tell me the relationship between the old and the new covenant?

Well, no, I don't get that either, but that man on the cross told me I can come. That man on the cross told me I can come. That's the emphasis here. That's the gravity of the situation.

Do we rest on what we've done or do we rest on what Christ has done? If we do not rest on what Christ has done, we will never be accepted into the kingdom of heaven.

The Verdict Rendered

And then notice finally the verdict rendered. Notice what the just judge says. Upon the believers. Now we get this by implication.

It doesn't say as clearly concerning the believers as it does the unbelievers, but how he treats the lawless or how he treats the unbelievers, we can flip it on its head and see what Jesus says concerning the believers. In the first place, he knows them. If He knows the unbelievers, the many that will come to Him on that day and say, Lord, Lord, did we not, did we not, did we not? If He knows them, I'd like to think He knows us, who by His grace and for His glory have believed on Him.

As well, He welcomes them. He welcomes them. If the unbeliever hears, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, the believer is going to hear, well done, good and faithful servant, and be welcomed in to the presence of God. And then he blesses them.

Obviously, the curse of damnation rests upon the unbeliever. So upon the believer, there is blessing. And with reference to the lawless, he makes the declaration. The Lord Jesus Christ, who so many today are in opposition against, is the one who holds the destiny of all men in his hand.

It is Christ with whom we have to do in the final analysis. It is Christ we will meet on that day of judgment. It is Christ we will stand before to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or ill. we are going to meet the Savior. He is the one that makes this declaration concerning departure or reception.

He never denies their claim to good works, and as well, notice he says he never knew them. It wasn't like he knew them at one point, and then they got proud and arrogant, and he no longer knew them. These were never true believers to begin with. 1 John 2.19 says, 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.

He condemns self-righteousness as lawlessness, and brethren, that is a good tact. I'm not saying we need to run around the streets of Chilliwack and yell at the self-righteous, you lawless wretches, but we need to understand that when it comes to standing before God, or acceptance before God, whether we're a crackhead or we're self-righteous, we're both going to the same place. There's not like, well, you know, you're a little better than the crackhead, so I'll just throw you here. No, depart from me.

I never knew you. And he excludes false professors from the kingdom of heaven. John Gill says, for as it is his presence that makes heaven, it is his absence that makes hell. He also said, an awful consideration is it, look at verse 22 again.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Cast out demons in your name. Gil says, an awful consideration it is that men should be able to cast out devils and at last be cast to the devil. So they are surprised because they took refuge in, not the Lord Christ, but in their own works, their own accomplishment, their own merit.

And that is the issue that Matthew 7, 21 to 23 conveys. It underscores the necessity of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Not that there aren't good works consequent to that. There are. but were accepted in the Beloved according to the riches of His grace, not according to the riches of His grace and the good works that we offer up unto the Lord on that day.

It is alone through Christ that we have salvation.

Application and Self-Examination

In conclusion, the two parties identify the contrast is not between profession with works or profession without works, but rather faith in Christ for salvation versus a reliance upon one's own works. It's that clear, brethren. I don't know why this passage is not understood and properly interpreted. I don't know why anybody would have an issue seeing very clearly that the problem of verse 22 is that they're resting upon their own accomplishments.

The text is not highlighting the place of good work subsequent to salvation by grace. It is a demonstration of the basis upon which persons enter the kingdom of heaven. And then as well, remember, Jesus gives these statements at the end to cause us all to reflect, to cause us all to take notice, to cause us all to do a bit of self-examination, not the kind where, you know, we're whipping ourselves or out in the wilderness and 120 degrees and we're dying. That's not it.

What do you need to look inwardly? If I were to die tonight, that's the perennial question. A lot of people use that in evangelism. You go up to somebody and say, if you were to die tonight and God were to ask you, why should I let you into heaven?

What would you answer? Would you say, well, I've done a lot of good things. I haven't been as miserable as my neighbor. I've tried my best.

That's not the basis for acceptance with God. It is by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So this emphasis will hopefully call all of us to examine our hearts before a holy God. And then in terms of assurance.

Where do you think assurance comes from? Do you think assurance comes from, oh yeah, I've done several good things this week, so I'm at a high fever pitch of assurance. What happens next week when you don't do several good things? Guess where your assurance is gonna be?

It's gonna be in the gutter. Guess where your assurance should come from? Anybody want to venture a guess? It's Christ and his gospel.

It's the Lord Jesus. Samuel Petto made the observation, 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, don't look at yourself for assurance.

Don't look at yourself for encouragement. Look rather at Christ. Look at his gospel. Look at his life, his death, his resurrection.

It's summarized so beautifully by Paul in Romans 4.25. Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, but he was raised for our justification. Persons looking to Christ typically are the persons that have assurance. Persons looking to themselves are typically the persons that will struggle with assurance.

So hopefully God will encourage our hearts with this doctrine of justification by faith alone. And if you're not looking to Christ tonight, guess what my point for you is? Look to Christ, believe on him and you will be saved. That's the promise of God's holy word to everybody who comes to him.

He says in John 6 37 all that the father gives me will come and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out. It will never be the case that a sinner comes to Jesus and finds himself on the outs. We saw that in the middle of Matthew 7. Ask and it will be given to you.

Seek, you will find. Knock, and it will be open to you. For everyone who asks, receives. He who seeks, finds.

And to him who knocks, it will be open. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? Listen to Jesus.

If you then, being evil, He assumes our depravity. He understands our place. He knows our sin. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?

So don't stay away, don't tarry, don't wait, but rather listen to Isaiah and come to the Savior King.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for the clarity of Holy Scripture, the consistency of it, and what the Lord Jesus teaches here concerning doing the will of His Father in heaven. I pray that you would just encourage our hearts and comfort us, not because we have a mountain of good works, but because Christ does. Because Christ accomplished the Father's will, Christ died in the stead of sinners, and Christ now sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father.

And all who come to Him in faith will have everlasting life. What a blessing, what an encouragement, and God may it indeed spur us on to further good works and to pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of our gracious God. And we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture References

• Isaiah 53:3; 53:10; 55:6
• Matthew 7:1-29; 7:13-14; 7:15-20; 7:21-23; 7:24-27; 9:6; 9:9; 9:10; 10:1-4; 10:4; 10:5; 10:27; 21:28; 21:32
• Luke 15:1-2; 18:18; 18:24; 18:27; 19:1; 19:8
• John 6:28-29; 6:37; 6:40
• Acts 17:31
• Romans 2:16; 4:25
• 1 Corinthians 6:9
• 2 Corinthians 5:10
• Galatians 2:21
• 1 Timothy 1:8
• 2 Timothy 4:8
• Hebrews 9:27
• 1 John 2:19