Matthew 7:21-27

Matthew 7:21-27 NIV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

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This is the end of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. He ends it beckoning His followers to be wise and put His teachings into practice. For there will be those who assume that, because they have done good deeds, they will be welcomed by Jesus on the day of judgment. But Jesus warns us that doing good in His name isn't a ticket to paradise. Yes, His disciples do good deeds, but much of the Sermon on the Mount has to do with our relationship with God and people. At the root of it all is love. Do you love others as Christ loved you and gave Himself up for you?

Jesus' rhetoric here is frightening, at least it is to me. The implications of what He is saying causes me to question my own salvation! Am I following His teachings? I certainly fail to keep His counsel with perfection. I have not always loved my enemies. I have not always given to those who beg on the street corners. I sometimes curse anonymous drivers under my breath who annoy me. I fail. I don't always love, nor do I always treat others the way I want to be treated. And so I have to ask myself, "Will I be turned away at the gates of Heaven? Will Jesus call me an imposter, one who only pretends to be His disciple?" It's a very tough question and it causes me to tremble within.

Perhaps that's the point. Perhaps a healthy, reverent fear of God is what Jesus is wanting to generate in the hearts of His listeners. Jesus is playing the prophet here after all. Like Moses He is giving a new law to the new covenant community is His name. Prophetic speech is often jarring in its rhetoric.

Why am I surprised? I suppose it is because how Jesus is always depicted as gentle and compassionate. The imagery of Jesus I grew up with as a child was of Him holding lambs, blessing children, and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. In every instance He looked gentle and loving, even when He prepared to die for me. How could He ever turn me away? He's too kind!

My assurance that I belong to Him is not in my performance of His teachings, but in God's mercy. I fear God and Jesus' teaching here touched that fear. I have not yet been perfected in love, because a complete love drives out the fear of judgment. (1Jn 4:18) A complete love does as Jesus teaches. I do as He commands, but I also fail sometimes. I am both the wise builder, with my life standing upon the solid foundation of Christ, and I am the foolish builder, who's life is sinking in sand because I haven't put Jesus' teachings into practice. I am among the blessed children of the kingdom of heaven, and I am damned for my sins. I live within the tension between the two aspects of my being. What can I do? I know I'm not likely ever to reach perfection in my earthly journey.

If my salvation were based upon following Jesus' teaching here alone, then I would be hopelessly lost. Heaven would be beyond my grasp. Few of us are Olympic athletes. I have plenty of things I want to accomplish that I am failing to achieve. But our salvation is not based upon perfect obedience to Christ, but upon God's mercy. It's not what I do, but what He did for me that ultimately matters. He paid the price for my sins. His blood shed for us cleans the slate with God every time we fail. Does that give us license to go and do as we please? No it does not. God will judge us according to what we have done or neglected in this life. Ultimately Christ will decide if He knows you as His disciple.

The various traditions within Christianity react to the question of salvation differently. Some say that as long as you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and been immersed in the waters of baptism, then you are saved. And once saved always saved. Your salvation is secure. I, however, belong to a tradition that sees the dark side of such a position. John Wesley called it antinomianism, the belief that following the law of God was not necessary for salvation. Wesley saw that some of his contemporaries ignored the teachings of Christ. They were Christians by name only. Perhaps they attended worship and participated in the sacraments, but Wesley claimed some were "almost Christian." Their lives broadcast a different name than Jesus, one of hypocrisy. So Wesley's understanding of salvation was a both-and kind. We are saved by grace alone AND we are saved by our faith working through love. For faith without works is dead. (Jms 2:14-26)

James 2:24 NIV

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

My belief is God's saving work does not stop at the cross. It continues beyond the empty tomb of Jesus. He rose from the dead triumphing over sin and death. He shares that victory with me, a sin conquering and death defeating power we call grace. My belief is in Christ's ability to transform my heart and empower me to love as He loves, to do as He would do. I am His follower and He is my Master and teacher, my Saviour and friend. I may die today imperfect and still stumbling along, but He will not abandon me. His hand holds on to me and saves me from falling.

Matthew 7:21 NIV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

If Jesus' words in Matthew 7:21 were the only message I heard in scripture, then I would surely be lost. But they are not. There are other passages that inform.

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

And the same man, Paul of Tarsus, wrote,

2 Corinthians 5:10 NIV

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

So we live in this tension between faith in the ultimate mercy of God and works, my record of good and bad deeds. Judgment does not necessarily mean admittance or non-admittance to heaven. Judgment can mean the level of reward your life in Christ will yield. Remember Jesus said to lay up treasures in heaven. And those who are first in this world will be last in the kingdom, but those who are lay in this world will be first. Let your light shine before others so they may see your good deeds and praise God. Judgment may mean a greater or lesser room in our heavenly Father's house.

Jesus tells a story of a man who hired workers throughout the day to work his fields. Some he hired at the beginning of the day. Others he hired in the late afternoon, but He paid them all the same wage. Those who worked all day complained. It was unfair to pay the same amount, to those who only worked a few hours, as those who worked all day. But the man replied that they were paid what they agreed to work for. Are they jealous because he is generous?

That's our God, generous and calling to us to come and work His vineyard. Therefore heed His call and enjoy heavenly treasures that will outweigh anything else you are working for. But do so out of your love and gratitude for God and His mercy. If you don't know His love, seek Him first and let His love change you and grow you, then you will have grace to do as Christ teaches. With His love empowering you, your life with stand upon a solid foundation and you will be surrounded by love as you serve in His love.