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You may turn in your Bibles to 
Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7 will take up 
verses 21 to 23 this morning. The immediate context is the 
Sermon on the Mount, the larger context and exposition of the 
gospel according to Matthew. We'll just begin reading this 
section in 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, 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 pray. Father, 
thank You for this, Your Word. We pray for the ministry of Your 
Spirit. Again, we pray for the forgiveness of sin and anything 
that would darken our understanding. Grant us grace to think clearly 
on these matters of eternal significance and of eternal importance. And 
God, reach down in your mercy and in your power to save sinners 
this very day. We know that you are omnipotent, 
almighty, all-glorious, all-powerful. We testify with the prophet, 
with the saints in heaven, that salvation belongs to our God 
and to the Lamb who sits upon the throne. All glory, all praise, 
all honor is to be given to you for the redemption of sinners. 
And we come now in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Well, no doubt you've 
heard the popular question in evangelism. People might say 
to you, or perhaps you have said to others, if you were to die 
today, and the Lord said, why should I let you into my heaven, 
why should I let you into my kingdom, what would you answer? 
It's a very effective question. It causes people to think about 
things like mortality, and to think about immortality, and 
to think about the fact that there is a judgment to come. 
Well, Jesus here gives us a snapshot. He gives us a glimpse. He gives 
us a picture of what some will say on that great day of judgment. Remember, in this concluding 
section, Jesus brings his sermon to a conclusion. The main teaching 
portion is from 517, to 7.12. Prior to that, the Beatitudes 
is a description of the kingdom citizen. And then there is a 
statement concerning their witness in the world. But the instructional 
portion begins when Jesus says, do not think that I came to abolish 
the law and the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but 
rather to fulfill. And then he expounds that law 
in chapter 5. Then he highlights our religious actions in chapter 
6. He deals with our response to 
the carnal things in this world in chapter 6. And then in chapter 
7 he says how we are to treat those within the church and treat 
those outside of the church. And then these last four warnings 
in chapter 7 serve as a call for decisive response. The resultant four sections, 
therefore, in the words of R.T. France, press increasingly closer 
to home. The first, the two ways, is a 
simple contrast between saved and lost. The second, the false 
prophets or the two trees, concerns outsiders who merely pretend 
to be insiders. The third, the section we're 
in this morning, the two claims that are mentioned here, The 
third looks at those who think they are insiders but are not. And then the fourth draws a line 
even within the group of insiders, those who respond to Jesus' words 
and those who do not. So let's look primarily this 
morning at chapter 7, verses 21 to 23. I want to consider 
three things. First of all, the event described, 
secondly, the parties identified, and then thirdly, the verdict 
rendered. There is an event, Jesus calls 
it, in that day, there are parties identified, we'll call them false 
professors and true professors, or false claimants and true claimants, 
whatever floats your boat in that particular regard. And then 
thirdly, the verdict rendered, what the judge himself shall 
pronounce on that great day of judgment. Let's look first at 
the event. We need to understand this passage. 
A lot of Protestant commentators sound Romish in their handling 
of this particular passage. In fact, I texted my good friend 
Richard Barcelos and I said, I think the Vatican would approve 
the bulk of Protestant commentators on 721 to 723. I want to tell 
you at the outset, Jesus is condemning works righteousness. It is a 
strange twist of human logic that we take this passage to 
teach us to work harder. It's important that we understand 
the event. 21 to 23 is not James 2. James 2 James says that if we have faith 
in the Savior, that faith will be demonstrable, that faith will 
be visible, that faith will be evident to those around us. That's not what Jesus is dealing 
with in 21 to 23. I suggest He is with reference 
to the two ways. I suggest He is with reference 
to the two trees. And I suggest that He is with 
reference to these two builders. But 21 to 23 describes the judgment 
seat of God Most High. It describes our access into 
or our exclusion from the eschatological kingdom of God Most High. So 
he's not teaching in verses 21 to 23 that if you profess to 
be a Christian, you must bear fruit. The Bible teaches that 
everywhere. But what he's teaching in 21 
to 23, specifically condemning, are those sorts of people that 
do not sing what we just sang. We just sang, nothing in my hand 
I bring, simply to thy cross I plead. The people that Jesus 
is condemning are the ones who sing, everything in my hand I 
bring, never to thy cross I cling. The text is conspicuous. It highlights justification by 
faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Again, it's a twist of logic 
to infer from this passage that we need to be more obedient. 
Jesus condemns that sort of a mindset in terms of our acceptance with 
God. You know, our hymn book is laid 
out beautifully. It is categorized. We sang two 
hymns appropriate to the doctrine of justification. Our status, 
our standing with God based on the finished work of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. There are other portions in the 
hymn book that are sanctification. In fact, the hymn 505 and the 
hymn Trust and Obey would not be appropriate in this particular 
context. He is not dealing with our Christian 
life of sanctification. He is dealing with our acceptance 
with God in terms of eternal life. Please understand that. Please realize that. Jesus describes 
the event as that day, the day of judgment, the day that we 
will all stand before Him on. That day is specified in the 
book of Acts in chapter 17 at verse 31. The Apostle Paul says 
that all men will be judged on that day. Paul speaks of that 
day in Romans 2 and verse 16. He speaks of that day in 2 Corinthians 
5 and verse 10. He speaks of that day in 2 Timothy 
4 and verse 8. He speaks of that day, not Paul, 
but John, the Apostle, when he's on the island of Patmos for the 
Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus. Where does this document 
ultimately end? It ends at that day. That great 
white throne judgment in Revelation chapter 20. It is absolutely 
crucial that you keep that fact in your mind. What Jesus is dealing 
with in 21 to 23 is our entrance into eternal life or our exclusion 
from eternal life. And the specific act of lawlessness 
that Jesus herein condemns is a works righteousness approach 
to gain his favor. So that's a bit of an outline 
of where I hope to take us this morning. Secondly, let's look 
at the parties involved. We've got the event. It is the 
final judgment. It is the day of judgment. It 
is when Jesus Christ will judge the world in righteousness. God 
has furnished evidence to us of this by His raising Jesus 
from the dead. But note the parties. There are 
two parties involved, two parties identified in terms of those 
being judged. There are the false professors. 
And again, I think the emphasis is upon them. But the true professors 
are mentioned in verse 21 as well. It says, "...but he who 
does the will of my Father in heaven." Incidentally, that's 
why people take this passage and say, I've got to try harder. 
I've got to do more. I've got to read my Bible better. 
I've got to pray more. I've got to attend church better. 
I suggest that's the wrong understanding of what doing the will of my 
Father in heaven actually is. But more on that in just a few 
minutes. Let's look at these false professors. Note first their number. Their 
number. Remember that Jesus has told 
us that the way is broad and there are many who find that 
way and it leads to destruction. Well, in chapter 7 at verse 21, 
Jesus says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord. What's 
our immediate response to that? Well, probably most people though, 
right? I mean, after all, he's Jesus. After all, he's the Savior. After all, God is good and gracious 
and merciful and loving and kind. When he says, not everyone, we 
should assume he means most people, however. He doesn't say that. 
He says, not everyone in verse 21. And then in verse 22, he 
says, many will say to me on that day. May I suggest many 
within the church community? Many professors? of the salvation 
that God alone gives? Many who think they're in, but 
are really out? Many who have deceived themselves? Many who have deluded themselves? Many who have tricked themselves? 
Many who have tried to try and coddle their conscience? There 
are going to be many on that day, according to our Lord Jesus, 
that are excluded from His presence. It's a terrifying thought, isn't 
it? It's a very terrifying thought. It was terrifying when we considered 
the two ways. Broad is that way and many there 
are who find it. That's terrifying to realize 
that there is a broad way and that there are many people that 
populate it. But to add to the terror, to add to the horror, 
to add to the awful reality, Jesus says the many on that broadway 
will ultimately stand before me when it comes time to usher 
in the new heavens and the new earth, and I will condemn them, 
and I will consign them and banish them into everlasting punishment. You see, this is probably one 
of the most important things you'll ever hear. Because there's 
only two Kimps. There's only two people mentioned 
in the text. There's only those many who make 
this false claim, and then there are those, according to Matthew 
20 and Matthew 26, can also be called many as well, who by God's 
grace do the will of Jesus' Father in heaven. This is an absolutely 
critical message for you to get your mind wrapped around to. 
Notice, secondly, their profession. Verse 21 and verse 22, not everyone 
who says to me, Lord, Lord. Many will say to me, Lord, Lord. We're not dealing with Buddhists 
in the passage. We're not dealing with Hindus 
in the passage. We're not dealing with secular 
humanists in the passage. We're not dealing with atheists 
in the passage. We're not dealing with Muslims 
in the passage. We're not even dealing with people 
who deny lordship salvation. These are persons who say to 
Jesus, Lord, Lord, So there's many, and they make this profession, 
and they're not Hindus, they're not Muslims, they're not Buddhists, 
they're not atheists. That must mean they're in the 
church. I read something on preaching 
and evangelism recently. It was Don Kistler. He was the 
founder of Soledale Gloria Books. Somebody asked him about his 
evangelistic methods as a minister, as a pastor. Are you out on the 
streets passing out tracts? Probably was behind it. Are you 
knocking on doors trying to pass out tracts? He says, I preach 
the gospel from the pulpit to try and get the members saved. Jesus, I'm gonna say, is not 
even just dealing with professed believers, not just church members, 
but the nature of their works, verse 22, displays that they 
were leaders. They were teachers. They were 
exorcists. They worked mighty deeds and 
wonders and miracles. Jesus is teaching us here that 
not all that glitters is necessarily gold. There are many. Their profession is Lord, Lord. Notice, thirdly, their surprise. The text doesn't tell us they're 
surprised, but I think it's implied there. 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. Notice, they 
start to argue. They start to present evidence. 
They start to make their case. Wait a minute, Lord. Lord, didn't 
we this? Didn't we that? I think they're 
surprised. I think they thought their status, 
their position, their leadership, their prophesying, their exercising. Not exercising this way, but 
exercising demons out of persons. And their wonder working was 
a sure bet that they would be accepted into the kingdom of 
God. It's an interesting thing. Some people might be tempted 
to say, well, whatever this group is in verse 21, he who does the 
will of my Father in heaven, it mustn't mean things like prophesying 
and exorcism and wonder-working. Oh, it certainly includes that. 
And may I just suggest, if prophesying, exercising, and wonder-working 
doesn't impress the Lord on the great day of judgment, how are 
our normal works going to do it? I get up on time and I read 
my Bible. I try not to scream at my wife. 
I try to show up at church. You see, the common misinterpretation 
of this text, try harder, do more. If Jesus is saying prophesying, 
exorcism, and miracle working does not secure your place in 
the eschatological kingdom of heaven, what hope do any of us 
have? Notice, they're surprised then, 
fourthly, their plea. This is their argument. This 
is the problem. This is their issue. This is 
what Jesus wants us to get. 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? Remember we described 
the event This isn't a James 2 context where my life of sanctification 
evidences the truth of my justification. This is the context of the great 
day of God's judgment when the Lord God Most High says to you, 
why should I let you into my kingdom? The very last thing 
you ought to proffer, the very last thing you ought to submit 
to evidence, the very last thing you ought to present to that 
great king of all the earth is what you've done. What we've done got us into the 
mess. We need what Christ has done 
to rescue us. That's the point of the passage. I mentioned that at least the 
Protestant commentators in there that I have would be Vatican 
approved. Calvin at least mentions faith. John Gill nails the passage. John Gill would be an offense 
to the Vatican in the way that he expounds this passage. It's 
one of those times when I've done my study and I read the 
commentators and I find that I absolutely agree with John 
Gill. It's a good thing. I like that. That's cool. It's 
a good guy to agree with. Listen to what 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! We just sang, nothing in my hand 
I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. These guys don't! They're saying everything in 
my hand I bring. I've prophesied, I've exercised, 
I've done miracles. Lord, you have to let me in. 
I'm a great guy. I'm a great girl. I'm a great 
professor. I'm a great doer. I keep myself 
busy. Gil says, 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? This isn't a James 2 passage 
where James says, look at Abraham march Isaac up to Mount Moriah 
and see him drive that knife into his heart. You see, that 
evidences the reality of his faith in God. This isn't the 
text in James 2, where James says, look at Rahab. When she 
hid those spies on her roof, that was demonstrable evidence 
that she had already believed the gospel. This is an acceptance 
with God for everlasting life passage. This is an entrance 
into the eschatological kingdom. And by eschatology I mean the 
last things, the doctrine of the end times. Eschatological 
kingdom means that final judgment when we enter in or when we are 
excluded from his presence forever and ever. David Dixon, the Puritan 
commentator, not on this verse necessarily, but in this context, 
said this. Some turn the new covenant into 
a bastard covenant of works, thinking they can mingle their 
works' righteousness with faith and somehow avail with God. This text condemns the Galatian 
heresy. This text shows us the folly 
of that man in Luke 18. I thank you, Lord, that I'm not 
like other men. I'm not an adulterer. I'm not 
unjust. I don't embezzle. I'm not like 
this man. Tax collector. I give all that 
I have. I fast. I pray. I fast. I tithe. I do all this. It's 
self-congratulations. Don't the books of Romans and 
Galatians destroy the concept of self-congratulations? Isn't 
this precisely what Jesus is shining the spotlight on here? 
Self-congratulations? Many will say to me, Lord, again 
they're calling him Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? 
Did we not cast out demons in your name? Didn't we do wonders 
in your name? Notice that Christ doesn't deny 
it. Christ doesn't say, no, you're 
a lying imposter. You really didn't do that. You're 
just faking people. You're just pretending. He doesn't 
deny it at all. Remember when Jesus dispatches 
his disciples to go on a preaching, we'll call it tour, not the way 
these modern guys call it tour with buses and t-shirts and all 
that sort of thing. That used to be just concerts did that. 
Now evangelical pastors do tours with coffee cups and pens and 
shirts. What has happened? But he sends 
those men out on a preaching tour to preach the gospel of 
the kingdom of heaven, to cast out demons, to prophesy. You know who was one of their 
lot? Judas Iscariot. You see, the point of the text 
isn't, go read your Bible more. You should read your Bible more, 
but not on this text. The point of this text is that 
your work's righteousness is filthy. All our righteousnesses, 
according to the prophet Isaiah, are like filthy rags in your 
sight. What about our good works? That's 
it. All our righteousnesses are like 
filthy rags in your sight. He's not just condemning our 
sin. He's condemning our Good works. When we put our confidence 
in, when we put our hope in, when we build our trust upon, 
those good works. Some turn the new covenant into 
a bastard covenant of works by adding their works righteousness 
to faith. David Dixon is spot on. So we've seen their number, their 
profession, their surprise, their plea. Now notice fifthly, their 
true condition. their true condition. Again, 
you might not suspect these men of being this horrible. They 
might sit in the pew next to you at church. They might preach 
from the pulpit to you in church. They might prophesy. They might 
exercise. They might do mighty works. And 
you would never suspect for a moment that they practice lawlessness. 
Notice what Jesus says in verse 23. And then I will declare to 
them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice 
lawlessness. And when you read that, practice 
lawlessness, if we were doing a word association, and I said 
practice lawlessness, you might hold up the sign adultery. Practice 
lawlessness, smoking crack. Practice lawlessness. Cheating 
on your taxes. Practice lawlessness. Abusing 
your wife or kids. Practicing lawlessness, according 
to Jesus in this passage, is when one uses the law unlawfully. Trying to attempt, trying to 
garner, trying to gain favor and acceptance with God by following 
the law. That's the practice of lawlessness 
here in condemned. These were religious leaders. 
These were church members. These were wolves in sheep's 
clothing. You couldn't tell. You couldn't 
discern. They didn't have a crack pipe 
hanging out of their pocket. They didn't have wads of cash 
because they had just sold drugs. They didn't have 15 women on 
their arm. They didn't have big dice hanging 
off gold chains on their necks. They look like you and me! Their 
lawlessness is in the practice of works righteousness as a means 
by which they would gain acceptance and favor with God. Again, listen 
to our dear Baptist brother, John Gill. He says, they work, 
or they are workers of iniquity. He's commenting on this last 
phrase, who practice lawlessness. He says they are workers of iniquity. It may be neither adulterers, 
nor murderers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor thieves, 
or any other openly profane sinners. But inasmuch as they did the 
work of the Lord deceitfully, preached themselves and not Christ, 
sought their own things and not His, what they did, they did 
with a wicked mind, and not with a view to His glory, They wrought 
iniquity while they were doing the very things they pleaded 
on their own behalf for their admission into the kingdom of 
heaven. Now let me just ask you something. 
Why do we think crack dealers are further from the kingdom 
of heaven than a works righteous minded hypocritical professing 
Christian? Why is that? And why, if we are 
a works-righteousness-oriented, hypocritical, professing Christian, 
do we have the right to look down on those practicers of lawlessness? Jesus had to deal with this later 
on in Matthew 21. A man had two sons. Which of 
these sons did the will of his father? He says to son number 
one, go and do this. He says, yes, father, I'll go 
and I'll do it. And he doesn't do it. Son number two kind of 
grumbles, he complains, I don't want to do it, but he goes and 
he does it. Which of these two sons did the father's will? Even 
Pharisees got this one right. Son number two, exactly. John came back up preaching repentance. What happened? Tax collectors, 
prostitutes, sinners enter the kingdom of heaven. You, covenant 
community of Israel, false professors, resting on your words, resting 
on your allegiance, resting on your law keeping, have been banished, 
have been excluded. You see, God despises crack dealing. God despises abortionists. God despises those who reject 
his law and transgress against his authority. God despises those 
who think it's me that can get myself into heaven. God despises 
those who think it's a little bit of Jesus and a little bit 
of me. God despises and abominates and characterizes that as much 
as the others as the practice of lawlessness. John Gershner perceptibly and 
beautifully said this, the main thing between you and God is 
not so much your sins, it's your damnable good works. Let that sink in for just a moment. 
The main thing is not so much your sins, it's your damnable 
good works. You see, He will save His people 
from their sins. This is my blood, the blood of 
the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of 
sins. You see, the grace of God shows 
us His holiness, His majesty, His beauty, His glory, and it 
shows us our own sinfulness and our waywardness, and it casts 
us holy and alone upon the mercy of God in and through the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Now notice the true professors. They are described in verse 21. 
They don't get as much airtime, but they are certainly described 
here. They are called but he who does the will of my Father 
in heaven." Notice the ones spoken of here make no claim. The ones 
spoken of here are simply described as the ones who do the will of 
my Father in heaven. This cannot mean they believe 
and they present their works. Because remember, these false 
professors said, Lord, Lord, and then they presented their 
works. These ones who do the will of the Father in heaven 
cannot be those ones who just do works. Because think about 
it. Can any of us say we do the will 
of the Father in heaven? The ones who do the will of the 
Father in heaven, according to verse 21, are not those who mingle 
faith and works. They are not those who just present 
works, but they are those ones who, by the grace of God, have 
believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. You say, well, how do 
you know that? Because John's gospel tells us. We shine the light of Scripture 
on Scripture to assist us. But as I'll argue in just a moment, 
even if John's Gospel didn't say anything, we have enough 
data in Matthew's Gospel to bring us to the same conclusion. Turn 
for just a moment to John chapter 6. Remember, the phrase in question 
is, the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Notice in verse 28 of John chapter 
6, then they said to him, what shall we do that we may work 
the works of God? Notice what Jesus does not say, 
prophesy, exercise, and do miracles. Notice that Jesus does not say, 
study your Bible, pray a lot, attend church faithfully, and 
take the sacraments. Again, all those things are absolutely 
necessary in the Christian life. But look at what His answer is. Verse 29, Jesus answered and 
said to them, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him 
whom He sent. And now notice John 6, 40. Same 
context, same idea, same deal. 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." Well, as I mentioned before, the commentators in my 
office are good men. I try not to have bad men in 
my office. unless I need to study and research 
some bad theology in order to be able to understand what's 
going on. But my guys on Matthew are first-rate. I love those 
men. Can't wait to sit with them, 
along with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the marriage supper 
of the Lamb. They're excellent men. I'm not fit to untie their 
shoelaces. But of the men in my study, there 
is one, as I mentioned, John Gill, who nails this passage. He alone is the one that mentions 
John 6.40. If preachers take 721 and beat 
you over the head that you need to do more, they have mishandled 
the Word of God. Doing the will of my Father in 
heaven means believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. You see the contrast on that 
great day of judgment. It is either nothing in my hand 
I bring, simply to thy cross I cling, or it is, didn't I, 
didn't I, didn't I. The contrast between law and 
grace, the contrast between works and faith, the contrast between 
our doing and Christ's doing could not be any sharper. You will not enter heaven because 
you did good things. You will enter into heaven because 
Jesus did good things. As I mentioned, even if John 
6, 28 and 29 and John 6, 40 were not available to us, the Sermon 
on the Mount brings us to appreciate this conclusion. We've read through 
the Sermon on the Mount. We have preached through the 
Sermon on the Mount. Do you do the Sermon on the Mount? 
Do you obey the Law of God? Are you characterized as one 
who does the will of the Father? No, if you've paid attention, 
if you have listened, if you have followed along, your ears 
are still ringing with 517. Do not think that I came to abolish 
the Law and the Prophets. I came to fulfill the Law and 
the Prophets. It's Christ who is the one who 
does the will of the Father. It is Christ alone who is admitted 
into the presence of his Father as the second Adam by virtue 
of his obedience to the law of God. The scripture is clear, 
in Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive. The text 
is preaching to us Don't look at your accomplishments, don't 
look at your works, don't look at what you've accomplished, 
but rather look upon the one, according to 517, who has fulfilled 
the law. The one who, according to 315, 
does not rebuff John the Baptist, or rebuffs John the Baptist, 
and says, permit it to be so now, for I must, I must do the 
righteousness of God. This text, 720-21, functions 
in the manner that Machen describes. The whole Sermon on the Mount, 
in essence, really leads a man straight to the foot of the cross. 
Who do you think David is describing in Psalm 15? Who do you think 
David is describing in Psalm 1? He is not describing us. He's describing the champion 
of Israel. He's describing the Lord Jesus. Who can ascend into your holy 
hill? It's Christ and all that the 
Father gives Him. That's who enters in to His presence. Remember what justification involves. It is the pardon of sin. Our 
sins are wiped away, and it's the imputation of righteousness. So that God made Him who knew 
no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness 
of God in Him. We will not enter into His presence 
because we prophesied, because we exercised, or because we did 
miracles. We enter in because the Holy 
Son of God obeyed perfectly for us. And by the one man's act 
of obedience, the many are made righteous. That's the point of 
the passage. Yes, read your Bible more. Come 
to church more. Attend the prayer meeting. Take 
the sacrament. But don't think for a moment 
that commends you to God. That is sanctification, that 
is the life of faith. What we're dealing with in this 
passage is the acceptance into heaven. It is by virtue of the 
doing and the dying and the rising of the Son of God Himself. Don't 
look to your works. Don't look to your merit. Do 
you realize if you choose that path, If you subscribe to this 
idea that I'll be alright, I'm a good person, I've never done 
anything really bad, your obedience to the law of God must be entire, 
it must be exact, and it must be perpetual. If you expect to be entering 
into heaven on the day of judgment based on your words, you have 
to be sinless. You have to be perfect. See, 
the scripture teaches us, in Adam we died. We broke that covenant 
of words. God was pleased to make a covenant. 
God was pleased to make a promise. God was pleased to undertake 
where we couldn't. That's why he sent Jesus, the 
seed of the woman who would crush the head. the serpent himself, 
who would bring deliverance, who would bring freedom, who 
would bring life to the ones whom God had given him. John 
Gill, one more time, says, as the statement applies to private 
Christians, this idea of he who does the will of my Father in 
heaven. Gill actually takes it, and I think he's right. It applies 
to teachers. It applies to the false prophets 
mentioned already in verses 15 to 21. There is a general application 
here, this idea of doing the will of my Father. Gil says, 
as the statement applies to private Christians, he says, he that 
sees the Son, looks unto Him, commits himself to Him, trusts 
in Him, relies on Him, and believes on Him for righteousness, salvation, 
and eternal life. He it is that does the will of 
the Father, and He only He then goes on to say, but as 
these words chiefly respect preachers, the sense of them is this, that 
only such who are faithful dispensers of the word shall enter into 
the joy of the Lord. You botch the gospel as a teacher 
of the gospel, and all your Lord, Lord, and did we not, and did 
we not, and did we not, isn't going to avail you one wit with 
the holy God of heaven and earth. Gil's right. We come finally 
to the verdict rendered. The verdict rendered. We see 
the judge. It is Christ, isn't it? There's 
high Christology in this passage. Jesus is the eschatological judge. Jesus is the one he warns his 
disciples about in Matthew chapter 10 verse 28. Remember that context. He says, beware of men. Be on 
your guard against men. He then says, do not fear men, 
but rather fear Him who has power to kill both body and soul in 
hell. That's Jesus Christ. Jesus, meek 
and mild, will send sinners to a flaming hereafter. This is 
the concept of Jesus we certainly don't appreciate, especially 
at this time of the year. We like that baby in the womb 
who doesn't threaten, or in the manger, and in the womb and then 
the manger, that doesn't threaten us. We like the Jesus we can 
pick up. We like the Jesus we can cradle. 
We should think in terms of the incarnation. We shouldn't be 
afraid of the truth at Christmas time, that God sent forth his 
son, born of a woman and born under the law, to redeem those 
under the law. But there is a certain proclivity 
in man that appreciates the baby Jesus. The thought of him swinging 
a sword, cutting off heads, and casting his enemies into the 
pit of hell forever, usually does not come up at this time 
of the year. It's hard to fashion, hard to 
imagine a baby with a sword. Hard to imagine him riding on 
a white horse. Hard to imagine that sword proceeding 
from his mouth, wherein he damns his enemies. There's high Christology 
in this passage. He's the eschatological judge. 
Notice the judgment. We'll start with the believers. 
And this is just by implication because he doesn't develop how 
they will be blessed. But this much we know. Jesus 
knows them. Isn't that beautiful? Because 
this is what he says to these workers of lawlessness, depart 
from me for I, what, never knew you. What's no mean there? Jesus 
wasn't cognizant of them? Oh wow, I don't know where you 
came from. No! Knowledge in the scripture is 
used in a redemptive context means that intimacy, means that 
intimate communion and union with him. So brethren, do you 
realize that on that day of judgment when Jesus sets his eyes upon 
you, he knows you. For whom He foreknew, these He 
also predestined. The ones He predestined, He called. The ones He calls, He justifies. The ones He justifies, He will 
glorify. He knows us. I find that to be 
very comforting. Paul makes this statement in 
Galatians 4.9, now that you know God or rather are known by God. It doesn't mean anything's outside 
the omniscience of God. It means you're on an intimate 
level with Him. We can also imply, not only does 
He know them, but He receives them into His kingdom. If these 
workers of lawlessness are told to depart from me, then these 
ones who do the will of my Father in heaven are told to enter in 
with me. Isn't that beautiful? That's why we sing 599. The king 
there in his beauty. We shall see him as he is. And 
then we know, of course, as we make some legitimate implication, 
he blesses them. You just turn to the book of 
Revelation to see how God tends to his people. He wipes the tears 
from our eyes. He tells us no more sorrow, He 
tells us, no more pain. He tells us, though I think it's 
lost on us in North America, no more hunger, no more thirst. 
You've got to believe our brethren in the Sudan and in Ethiopia 
love that statement as well. And notice what he does with 
the unbeliever. Because you see the issue isn't 
profession plus works versus profession. It's true profession 
versus false. Notice what he says to the unbelievers, 
those he does not know, those who rely upon their works. First, he makes the declaration, 
and then I will declare to them. They declare their good works. They boast of their prophesying. They boast of their performance. 
They boast of their doing. Christ says, I will declare to 
you. Secondly, notice He does not 
deny their claim to good works. You can't come away from this 
passage and say, well, they were just fakes. They were liars. Never 
does He say that. Never does He say, you're lying 
to me. I know you didn't prophesy. I know you didn't cast out demons. 
I know you didn't do this. Judas did it. He never knew Judas. Thirdly, he states that he never 
knew them. We're not dealing with a situation 
where they had it and they lost it. They started off well, doing 
a lot of good things, but then they, you know, they kind of 
slacked off. No, I never knew you, he says. It wasn't like 
you were in the state of grace and by your performance or your 
lack of faithfulness, I let you go. No, this is a 1 John 2.19 
sort of thing. They went out from us, but they 
were never of us. For if they were of us, they 
wouldn't have gone out from us. Jesus never knew them. He's not 
an Arminian. He's not cutting off people. 
He's not a Pelagian. He's not saying you were in and 
now you're out. Notice fourthly, He condemns works righteousness 
as lawlessness. We've already amplified that, 
so we won't camp on it that much. But he condemns it. It's bad. 
It's horrific. This helps you understand Paul's 
statement, Galatians 1, 6 to 9, when he says, if any man preaches 
a gospel to you which we did not preach, let him be damned 
to hell. Because the end result of a false gospel is a distortion 
of the way of salvation. It is by grace alone, through 
faith alone, and Christ alone to preach the law as gospel is 
antinomian, according to Paul. And then fifth, notice, He excludes 
men from the kingdom of heaven. High Christology is seen here 
as well. Not only is He the judge, but men are judged based on their 
relationship to Him. I never knew you. Depart from 
Me, He says. Listen to Gil, for as it is His 
presence that makes heaven, It is His absence that makes hell. Think about that. As it is His 
presence that makes heaven, so it is His absence that makes 
hell. Hell is not Emmanuel's land. Heaven is. The kingdom of heaven 
is where Jesus is. That's what makes heaven heavenly. 
He is the chief among ten thousand. He is the altogether lovely. 
He is the chief, or he is the jewel of heaven itself. And then 
Gil made this statement as well. He says, an awful consideration 
it is that men should be able to cast out devils and ultimately 
be cast to the devil themselves. You see, if your casting out 
of devils doesn't achieve heaven, then certainly Your lower works 
aren't going to do it. Jesus is preaching grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone. May I suggest that what 
Jesus says in our English Bibles here is probably the most terrifying 
words ever. Depart from me. I suppose that if a policeman 
knocked on my door and I answered and he said, you know, somebody 
stole your identity, they took everything you've got, I don't 
think I'd rejoice. I'd start making calls. Hopefully I'd pray first to make 
that call, then I'd make some calls. If you got the terrible 
news that you were diagnosed with cancer, It's a terrible, 
horrific thing, a horrible reality. Could you imagine hearing that 
from the doctor? We've surveyed, we've seen, we've 
examined, and here's the malady. That can't be good. Our hearts 
should sympathize with people who get such news. Those things, though, the grand 
scheme of things, pale compared to the Lord of the universe, 
the creator of world, seen and unseen. The only Redeemer of 
God's elect saying to you, depart from me. I think a good bit of 
hell itself would just be replaying those three words for eternity. Remember what that section in 
Luke 16 tells us. It's a difficult passage to be 
sure. But if we take the common interpretation 
that what we find there is the rich man in hell, Abraham says 
to him, son, remember. I don't think hell would be as 
hellish if our memories stayed on earth. Hell's gonna be especially 
hellish. That worm that dieth not is going 
to continually strike at our conscience. Every time we rejected 
the gospel. Every time a parent pleaded with 
us. Every time we went to church and Jesus was proclaimed. Every 
time justification was explained. every time faith was presented, 
every time we heard of Christ, and we have neglected, we have 
rejected, we have despised, and now we're at that great white 
throne judgment, and we see the King with our own eyes, we know 
everything that has been told to us, and he says these terrifying 
words, depart from me. What are you going to hear on 
the day of judgment? And what are you going to say on the Day 
of Judgment? Lord, Lord, didn't I go to church? Didn't I join the rolls? Didn't 
I do Sunday school? Didn't I learn my catechism? Is it going to be the case that 
you here depart from me? The only way of escape, the only 
way of entering to the joy of your rest is by the cross. It is through grace. It is Jesus 
alone. It is his death, his life, his 
resurrection. That is what brings sinners into 
his eternal place. Think about it. Write a list. 
What's the scariest things I could ever hear? Depart from me, better 
be number one. You may think this is a game. 
You may think this is a joke. You may think this is a fable. 
You may think, why are they getting all hot and bothered about these 
sorts of things? It'll all sort of work out in the end. But mark 
my words, as certain as that world is out there that God the 
Lord created, as certain as this is being sustained by God the 
governor, so there will be judgment. So there will be a standing before 
Christ, and you will either hear, enter, or you will hear, depart 
from me." It's terrifying. It's a terrifying passage. Well, brethren, something that 
does arise in our consideration of this passage, in way of conclusion, 
is the place of assurance Some people visit a passage like this 
and they say, well, how will I know that I'm saved? You know 
what assurance is, right? That's that assurance that you're 
actually in Christ. Now, to be sure, you can flip 
over to a 1 John for sure and read statements like, whoever 
believes, loves his brother. Whoever believes, loves God. 
Whoever believes, loves or keeps the commandments. You know, when 
we turn to 1 John and we bypass the primary means of assurance, 
we need to be chided. The primary means of assurance 
is not that we read our Bible, since that Christ died and rose 
again. I met a guy, I shouldn't call 
him a guy, I met a man recently, and he's a dear man. I didn't 
meet him in person because he lived from 1624 to 1711. His name is Samuel Petto. He's 
an obscure Puritan. In fact, if you get Joel Beakey's 
big book, Joel Beakey and I can't remember Mr. Peterson's first 
name, but Joel Beakey and Mr. Peterson wrote a book called 
Meet the Puritans. Well, you can't meet Samuel there 
because he's not in that book. Very obscure. But thanks be to 
God for tent maker publications. Because in 2006, they published 
Samuel Pettoe's book, The Covenant of Grace. And praise be to God 
for a URC minister by the name of Michael Brown, because he 
wrote a book about the theology, the covenant theology, of Samuel 
Pettoe. It's called Christ and the Condition. So actually I met two good men 
in the last little while. You know what Petto says is the 
best assurance? Belief in the free promises of 
God. Because every time you time how 
long you read your Bible, every time you time how much you prayed, 
every time you reflect on how much time you spend at church, 
you're always going to come up short. Do you have assurance 
when you think about how good you are? Do you have assurance 
when you think about how effectively you do the will of God? Or do 
you have assurance when you think about the champion who did the 
will of God always? Belief in the free promises of 
God. That's what Petto says. It is 
a curious fact that a statement designed to kill works righteousness 
promotes works righteousness among the people of God. It's 
just absolutely amazing that we have turned 721 to 723 on 
its head. Petto says this, 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 and by. What's he saying? Yes, read 1 
John, but not to the neglect of the cross. It's not your obedience. It's 
not your love to the brethren. It's not your love for God. It's 
the free promises of the gospel. I've been reading the Heidelberg 
Catechism devotionally. I know a lot of you were brought 
up on that, and it was forced into you. Read it. Think about 
it. How do you know where in your 
misery lies? The law of God. What is the law of God? You shall 
love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 
The second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor 
as yourself. And then the Catechism says, do you keep the law perfectly? 
No. By nature, I hate God, and I 
hate my neighbor. Well, in the state of grace, 
there is the remnants of that. So you'll never come up strong 
evaluating your love for God and your love for neighbor. You'll 
always come up strong looking upon Jesus. You see where in 
assurance lies? Yes, read 1 John, but not to 
the neglect of Calvary. John would tell you the very 
same thing. Michael Brown comments on Petto. He says, for Petto, assurance 
of faith comes not from rigorous introspective works, navel-gazing, 
looking upon myself, examining my performance. He says, but 
primarily from an extra-spective, that means looking away from 
self, an extra-spective faith that rests in the free promise 
given in the person and work of Christ. Assurance is found 
not so much by turning inward to look for good works or a mystical 
experience, but primarily by hearing the absolute promises 
of the gospel. which calls us out of ourselves 
to find rest and refreshment in Christ, the keeper of the 
covenant and the fulfiller of its conditions. That's where 
you're going to get refreshment. You read 21 to 23. Yes, I want 
you to read your Bible more. Yes, I want you to pray more. 
But I'd preach that from another passage. I want you to be ready 
for that day. belief in the free promises of 
the gospel. The Bible is crystal clear. We 
will all stand before the Lord Jesus Christ on the day of judgment. 
It will either be to present our works Or it will be that 
admission, I don't know if that's actually what we'll say, but 
top lady nailed it. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply 
to thy cross I cling. It is, from first to last, all 
about the Lord Jesus Christ. Fisher said, believe it then 
I beseech you, that Christ Jesus will either be a whole savior 
or no savior. He will either save you alone 
or not save you at all. And wonder of wonders, he says, 
come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will rest 
you. See, we're not preaching a Savior 
who says, stay away. We're preaching a Savior who 
came into the world of men in the likeness of sinful flesh, 
who assumed our nature, who lived among us, who ate our food, who 
drank our water, who obeyed that law, was ultimately delivered 
up as a transgressor, not being a transgressor. And he bore the 
wrath and fury of his father at Calvary to save his people 
from their sins. That same Lord Jesus says, come 
to me. You either come to him now on 
this side of the judgment, or you will hear those words, depart 
from me, for I never knew you. Do not die, do not reject him, 
do not resist him, but rather believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for this, your word. We thank you for the 
champion. We thank you for the redeemer. 
We thank you for the surety of a better covenant, even our Lord 
Jesus Christ. How we bless you that He was, 
in fact, the one who did the will of the Father, and that 
by your grace and through faith we have union with Him. We thank 
you for what Paul specifies so clearly, that God made Him Christ, 
who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the 
righteousness of God in Him. Thank you for such a glorious 
gospel, which truly is good news. Our heart's desire and our earnest 
plea is those who have not come to Christ would this day believe 
on him and be saved. We pray this in Jesus' most blessed 
name. Amen. We'll close by seeing the doxology. as praise to our God.