Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 7:21 ESV1
Read Matthew 7:13-29, 13:1-30 & Luke 6:43-49
Jesus was up on the mountain teaching His committed followers. He had already given them some pretty radical teachings on a variety of subjects. The above words are among His closing remarks. These final few paragraphs contain the most important instructions His followers were going to need to know as they headed down the mountain and back into their daily lives. If any of them were beginning to doze off, these serious words would have perked up them. They should do the same for us.
There is the possibility of being deceived into thinking one is right with God when actually one is not. Unfortunately, according to Jesus’ words on the Sermon on the Mount, many people will fall into this category. How can we make sure we are not among them?
These are serious words, but they need not be scary words. There is a way to make sure we are walking on the right road. But we need to concentrate because there are going to be distractions even among the religious. Not every person with an interest in God is on the right path.
Some religious people are sincere but sincerely wrong. Jesus challenged His followers to “‘enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few’” (Matthew 7:13-14). The heart that desires to be loving and understanding of others can confuse sincerity with truth. Just because what someone says makes logical sense, doesn’t mean it is correct. Jesus was warning His followers to test what they hear with that which He had taught them. If what is spoken doesn’t measure up, it is a lie. Though it seems harsh, the truth is there is only one way to God; Jesus is the Way (see John 14:6) and the Door (see John 10:9) to narrow road. All other ways to God, no matter how sensible they seem, are lies; those paths “‘[lead] to destruction’” (Matthew 7:13). Are you on the right road?
Some religious people are deceived. “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears, they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them’” (Matthew 13:14-15). It is possible to be so completely consumed with oneself that one ends up being one’s own worst enemy. Some practice the Christian religion for what they can get out of it, because it is a positive social activity, or to be entertained. These people may walk all around the right road but never find it. One’s heart can be most deceiving. “The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Take the time to evaluate why you are doing what you are doing. Ask God to show you how you are misleading yourself.
Some religious people are spiritually lazy. It takes conscious effort, time, and energy to constantly look and listen for Jesus along the path. But Jesus promises to help all those who truly have the desire to walk with Him. “Then the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do you speak to [the people] in parables?’ And He answered them, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given … This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear’” (Matthew 13:10-13, 16-17). Ask God to give you the strength and diligence to seek Him daily. Ask Him to open your eyes, ears, and mind to see, hear, and understand so that you may remain on the narrow way.
Some religious people are distracted. Jesus points out three big distractors: Satan, difficult times, and the stuff or this world. “‘When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart … [And there] is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. [And there] is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. [But, also, there] is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty’” (Matthew 13:18-23). Pray for protection against distractions wherever possible. And where distractions must arise, may the things which are intended to get you off of the right road, draw you closer to Jesus and drive you to produce abundant fruit in Him. “’I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he is it that bears much fruit’” (John 15:5).
Some religious people are compromised. Even little compromises can cause one to get off of the narrow way. Anyone can fall into sin. When we think we are secure is when we are most vulnerable. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any sin, you who are spiritual [that is, you who are responsive to the guidance of the Spirit] are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness [not with a sense of superiority or self-righteousness], keeping a watchful eye on yourself, so that you are not tempted as well” (Galatians 6:1 AMP2). It is the slow, almost undetectable, veering from the course which is most dangerous. Before one realizes it, he/she is so far off track, it is difficult to correct. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is most interested in getting those who are in positions of Christian leadership off of the right road. When he is able to do this, many others are also misled. If you are in a position in which anyone looks to you for guidance, you must be diligent in abiding in Christ so that you may stay on the narrow way. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways” (James 3:1-2a). Pray for God to keep you alert before you stumble so that you will not cause others to fall.
Some religious people are impostors. They pretend to be Christians but shouldn’t be trusted. Jesus told His disciples, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). These preachers are liars who manipulate others for selfish gain and make a game out of following Jesus. If Jesus’ true disciples can look beyond the enticing words of these swindlers, they will be able to perceive whether these preachers’ teaching and lifestyles line up with the Bible. “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). Look at the character of everyone who claims to be a Christian. How does what he/she does and says line up with the teachings of Christ? “‘The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks’” (Luke 6:45-49). Consider the results of their ministries. Are they Christ-honoring? How do they spend their money? Is it on the things Christ would endorse?
Some religious people are frauds. They may appear to be doing magnificent ministry, but they will not be doing the will of God. They will use Jesus as a way to make a name for themselves. Jesus explains, “‘Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father. On that day many will say to Me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and do many mighty works in Your Name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness”’” (Matthew 7:21-23). These people won’t be able to fool Jesus, but they may fool many others. Consider the fruit of these scammers, and steer clear of them if something seems off. Prayer is necessary to keep those with pure hearts out of the trap of these showmen. Pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your heart enlightened” (Ephesians 1:17-18a) so that you are not tricked by their façade.
All of the above who remain on their current path will eventually find destruction awaits them at the end of the wide, easy road filled with lies and deception. Jesus promises, “‘Every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit … Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Matthew 7:17 & 19). There will eventually be punishment for the deceived and the deceiver alike.
But in the meantime, these false Christians will be allowed to remain alongside the real Christians (see Matthew 13:24-30). Why? Because forcefully removing the counterfeits might destroy the faith of some of the growing believers. “‘Lest in gathering the weeds, you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned but gather the wheat into My barn”’” (Matthew 13:29-30). God is able to take what Satan intended for evil and use it for good (see Genesis 50:20). If the words and actions of these frauds pique the God-interest of future disciples, God will allow them to continue to flourish for a time. But God will not allow true believers to be unduly harmed. At the right time, and in the right place, in the right way, He will open the eyes of these misguided disciples and lead them to the narrow path.
So, don’t get frustrated when you see cults and those preaching a false gospel growing strong. And don’t get overly flustered when you see friends and loved ones interested in their lying words. Instead, pray. Pray that God will use these situations for His glory and to bring people closer to Him. Pray that the eyes of your loved ones will be opened to the truth and that their hearts would desire to travel along the right road.
Pray that you will continue to be strong in your faith so that you will not be deceived. Make sure you stay on the narrow path by building your faith on truth. “‘Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great’” (Luke 6:47-49). Storms will come. When they do, you can remain steadfast if your faith rests solidly in Christ. Then you will be available to point people whose faith was not on a steady foundation in the direction of the narrow road.
Go one step further and pray if there is any willingness at all in the hearts of the sincerely wrong, the deceived, the spiritually lazy, the compromised, the impostors, or the frauds, that God will change those “weeds” into “wheat,” plant them solidly on the narrow path and help them to do “the will of [The] Father who is in Heaven’” (Matthew 7:21). “He is not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He “is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Praise Jesus, there is hope for anyone.
1Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2Scripture quotations marked with AMP are from The Holy Bible, Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631.