Doctrine

False Believers – Words Contrary to Life (Matthew 7:21-23)

Pastor Tan Thai · Jul 8, 2012

Matthew 7:21-23Luke 6:46Romans 10:9-101 Corinthians 12:3James 2:19Matthew 6:9-10Matthew 10:1Luke 9:1-2Matthew 24:24Philippians 1:152 Corinthians 11:13-15John 17:3Hosea 6:6John 3:16Galatians 1:42 Peter 3:9Colossians 4:121 Peter 4:21 Thessalonians 4:3-4Romans 12:1-2Romans 12:111 Peter 2:15Ephesians 4:10-11Romans 12:6-8Matthew 25:232 Corinthians 5:17

This sermon examines Jesus Christ's solemn warning in Matthew 7:21-23 about those who cry 'Lord, Lord' but are rejected on the final day of judgment. The message emphasizes that true salvation belongs not merely to those who confess Christ verbally or perform works in His name, but to those who sincerely believe and live according to God's will.

The sermon opens by highlighting the astonishment and dread that Matthew 7:21-23 evokes in its readers. Jesus Christ warns that many who call Him 'Lord, Lord,' prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles in His name may still hear Him declare: 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.' As words spoken by the very One who will judge all people, this passage reveals that verbal confession and outward works alone cannot guarantee salvation.

The pastor identifies four key truths: confessing Christ with the mouth without genuine faith does not save; confession unaccompanied by a life of obedience to God's will does not save; performing works in Christ's name according to one's own desires is not evidence of true salvation; and the person truly saved is the one who sincerely receives Jesus as Savior and commits to living according to God's will. Supporting passages include Romans 10:9-10, 1 Corinthians 12:3, and James 2:19 as doctrinal foundations.

The sermon then explains how to know God's will. The starting point is knowing God personally through an intimate relationship built by reading and studying Scripture, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and through the church. The pastor uses the analogy of human relationships to illustrate that only when God reveals Himself through Scripture and through Jesus Christ can we truly understand His will.

God's will operates on two levels: His general will for all people (that all hear the Gospel and be saved, live in holiness, avoid impurity, and serve diligently — Galatians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, Romans 12:1-2) and His specific will for each individual according to their unique gifts and calling (Ephesians 4:10-11, Romans 12:6-8). Believers need to know and walk in obedience to both dimensions.

The sermon closes with a solemn and practical call to decision. Every person must choose: either to sincerely receive Jesus Christ and strive to live by His will — and thus hear on the final day 'Well done, good and faithful servant' (Matthew 25:23) — or to confess only with the lips while remaining inwardly distant from God, and hear the terrifying words 'I never knew you; depart from Me.' No one can make this decision on behalf of another. God does not demand perfection, but He does demand sincerity and wholehearted effort.