Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
This phrase emphasizes the importance of genuine faith over mere verbal profession. The repetition of "Lord" signifies a sense of urgency or deep emotion, yet Jesus warns that not all who acknowledge Him as Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. The Greek word for "Lord" is "Kyrios," which denotes authority and ownership. In the historical context, calling someone "Lord" was a recognition of their power and position. However, Jesus is highlighting that acknowledging His authority with words alone is insufficient without corresponding actions.

will enter the kingdom of heaven
The "kingdom of heaven" is a central theme in Matthew's Gospel, representing God's sovereign rule and the realm where His will is perfectly done. The phrase underscores the eschatological hope of believers, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises. Entrance into this kingdom is not based on mere verbal confession but on a life transformed by obedience to God's will. The historical context of first-century Judaism held a strong expectation of a coming kingdom, but Jesus redefines it as accessible through a relationship with Him.

but only he who does the will of My Father
This clause shifts the focus from words to actions. The Greek word for "does" is "poieō," which implies continuous action or practice. It suggests that true discipleship involves a lifestyle of obedience to God's will. The "will of My Father" refers to God's desires and commands as revealed through Jesus' teachings. In the scriptural context, doing God's will is a recurring theme, emphasizing the importance of aligning one's life with divine purposes.

who is in heaven
This phrase reaffirms the divine authority and origin of the Father's will. It reminds readers that God's perspective transcends earthly concerns and is rooted in His heavenly realm. The mention of "heaven" serves to elevate the discussion from human standards to divine expectations. In the broader biblical narrative, heaven is often depicted as the place of God's throne, reinforcing His sovereignty and the ultimate goal of believers to align with His heavenly purposes.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, a foundational teaching moment in His ministry.

2. The Kingdom of Heaven
A central theme in Jesus' teachings, representing the reign and rule of God, both in the present and future.

3. The Father in Heaven
Refers to God the Father, emphasizing the divine authority and will that believers are called to follow.
Teaching Points
True Discipleship Requires Obedience
Mere verbal acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord is insufficient; true discipleship is demonstrated through obedience to God's will.

The Importance of Aligning Actions with Faith
Faith must be accompanied by actions that reflect God's will, as genuine faith produces fruit in the believer's life.

Understanding God's Will
To do the will of the Father, believers must seek to understand His will through prayer, study of Scripture, and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Self-Examination and Repentance
Regular self-examination is crucial to ensure that one's life aligns with God's will, and repentance is necessary when falling short.

Eternal Perspective
The ultimate goal is entry into the kingdom of heaven, which requires a focus on eternal values rather than temporary, worldly ones.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to do the will of the Father in your daily life, and how can you discern His will?

2. How can you ensure that your profession of faith is matched by your actions?

3. In what ways can you cultivate a deeper understanding of God's will through Scripture and prayer?

4. Reflect on a time when you realized your actions did not align with God's will. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience?

5. How do the teachings in Matthew 7:21 challenge you to live with an eternal perspective, and what practical steps can you take to focus more on the kingdom of heaven?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 25:31-46
This passage expands on the idea of doing the will of the Father, illustrating the separation of sheep and goats based on their actions.

James 1:22-25
James emphasizes being doers of the word, not just hearers, which aligns with the call to action in Matthew 7:21.

Luke 6:46
Jesus questions why people call Him 'Lord' but do not do what He says, reinforcing the need for obedience.

1 John 2:17
This verse speaks about the world passing away but those who do the will of God living forever, connecting to the eternal perspective of Matthew 7:21.
Christian Profession EasyWilmot Buxton.Matthew 7:21
Christian Profession PartialProfessor Hitchcock., Swinnock., Buddha.Matthew 7:21
Profession and PracticeT. L. Cuyler, D. D.Matthew 7:21
Self-Confidence no SecurityC. H. Spurgeon.Matthew 7:21
Sincere Obedience Necessary to Our Acceptance with GodJ. Abernethy, M. A.Matthew 7:21
The Connection Between Holy Obedience to the Will of GodD. Kelly, M. A., U. R. Thomas., G. T. Noel.Matthew 7:21
The Danger of Formality and HypocrisyG. Burder.Matthew 7:21
The DisownedC. H. Spurgeon.Matthew 7:21
The Final Rejection of False ProfessorsJ. E. Good.Matthew 7:21
The Self-Deception of ProfessorsR. Tuck Matthew 7:21
The Testimony of Works More Reliable than that of WordsCharnock.Matthew 7:21
Sermon on the Mount: 8. Wise and Foolish BuildersMarcus Dods Matthew 7:15-29
The Saying and Hearing Contrasted with the DoingP.C. Barker Matthew 7:21-29
The Title to the KingdomJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 7:21-29
People
Jesus
Places
Galilee
Topics
Enter, Heaven, Heavens, Kingdom, Master, Obedient, Pleasure, Reign, Saying, Says
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 7:21

     1175   God, will of
     2057   Christ, obedience
     2203   Christ, titles of
     5377   law, Ten Commandments
     8126   guidance, need for
     8242   ethics, personal
     8244   ethics, and grace
     8330   receptiveness
     8454   obedience, to God
     8460   pleasing God
     8658   Lord's Prayer

Matthew 7:15-21

     1660   Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:15-23

     8784   nominal religion

Matthew 7:21-22

     8463   priority, of faith, hope and love

Matthew 7:21-23

     2045   Christ, knowledge of
     2377   kingdom of God, entry into
     5030   knowledge, of Christ
     5942   security
     5943   self-deception
     5962   surprises
     8407   confession, of Christ
     9414   heaven, community of redeemed
     9513   hell, as incentive to action

Matthew 7:21-27

     2423   gospel, essence

Library
November 22. "Cast the Beam Out of Thine Own Eye" (Matt. vii. 5).
"Cast the beam out of thine own eye" (Matt. vii. 5). Greater than the fault you condemn and criticise is the sin of criticism and condemnation. There is no place we need such grace as in dealing with an erring one. A lady once called on us on her way to give an erring sister a piece of her mind. We advised her to wait until she could love her a little more. Only He who loved sinners well enough to die for them can deal with the erring. We never see all the heart. He does, and He can convict without
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

January 12. "Ask and it Shall be Given You" (Matt. vii. 7).
"Ask and it shall be given you" (Matt. vii. 7). We must receive, as well as ask. We must take the place of believing, and recognize ourselves as in it. A friend was saying, "I want to get into the will of God," and this was the answer: "Will you step into the will of God? And now, are you in the will of God?" The question aroused a thought that had not come before. The gentleman saw that he had been straining after, but not receiving the blessing he sought. Jesus has said, "Ask and ye shall receive."
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Judging, Asking, and Giving
'Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye! 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Two Paths
'Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.'--MATT. vii. 13-14. A frank statement of the hardships and difficulties involved in a course of conduct does not seem a very likely way to induce men to adopt it, but it often proves so. There is something in human nature which responds to the bracing
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Two Houses
'Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock.... 25. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand.'--Matt. vii. 24, 25. Our Lord closes the so-called Sermon on the Mount, which is really the King's proclamation of the law of His Kingdom, with three pairs of contrasts, all meant to sway us to obedience. The first
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount
'And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine: 29. For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.'--MATT. vii. 28-29. It appears, then, from these words, that the first impression made on the masses by the Sermon on the Mount was not so much an appreciation of its high morality, as a feeling of the personal authority with which Christ spoke. Had the scribes, then, no authority? They ruled the whole life of the nation with
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. vii. 7, "Ask, and it Shall be Given You;" Etc. An Exhortation to Alms-Deeds.
1. In the lesson of the Holy Gospel the Lord hath exhorted us to prayer. "Ask," saith He, "and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? [2135] Or if he ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? [2136] If ye then,"
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Known by their Fruits.
(Eighth Sunday after Trinity.) S. MATT. vii. 16. "Ye shall know them by their fruits." The religion of Jesus Christ is one of deeds, not words; a life of action, not of dreaming. Our Lord warns us to beware of any form of religion, in ourselves or others, which does not bring forth good fruit. God does not look for the leaves of profession, or the blossoms of promise, He looks for fruit unto holiness. We may profess to believe in Jesus Christ, we may say the Creed without a mistake, we may read
H. J. Wilmot-Buxton—The Life of Duty, a Year's Plain Sermons, v. 2

Casting Blame.
8th Sunday after Trinity. S. Matt. vii. 15. "Inwardly they are ravening wolves." INTRODUCTION.--A Schoolmaster finds one day that several of his scholars are playing truant. The morning passes and they do not arrive. At last, in the afternoon, the truants turn up. The master has a strong suspicion where they have been: however, he asks, "Why were you not at school this morning?" "Please, sir, mother kept me at home to mind the baby." "Indeed--let me look at your mouth." He opens the mouth,
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

False Prophets
(Eighth Sunday after Trinity.) Matthew vii. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. People are apt to overlook, I think, the real meaning of these words. They do so, because they part them from the words which go just before them, about false prophets. They consider that 'fruit' means only a man's conduct,--that a man is known by his conduct. That professions are worth nothing, and practice worth everything. That the good man, after all, is the man who does right; and the bad man, the man who
Charles Kingsley—Town and Country Sermons

A Man Expects to Reap the Same Kind as He Sows.
"Herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit . . . after his kind."--Gen. i: 12. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"--Matt. vii: 16. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." --Romans viii: 13. A Man Expects to Reap the Same Kind as He Sows. If I should tell you that I sowed ten acres of wheat last year and that watermelons came up, or that I sowed cucumbers and gathered
Dwight L. Moody—Sowing and Reaping

The Mote and the Beam
That friend of ours has got something in his eye! Though it is only something tiny--what Jesus called a mote--how painful it is and how helpless he is until it is removed! It is surely our part as a friend to do all we can to remove it, and how grateful he is to us when we have succeeded in doing so. We should be equally grateful to him, if he did the same service for us. In the light of that, it seems clear that the real point of the well-known passage in Matthew 7:3-5 about the beam and the mote
Roy Hession and Revel Hession—The Calvary Road

Doctrine of Non-Resistance to Evil by Force must Inevitably be Accepted by Men of the Present Day.
Christianity is Not a System of Rules, but a New Conception of Life, and therefore it was Not Obligatory and was Not Accepted in its True Significance by All, but only by a Few--Christianity is, Moreover, Prophetic of the Destruction of the Pagan Life, and therefore of Necessity of the Acceptance of the Christian Doctrines--Non-resistance of Evil by Force is One Aspect of the Christian Doctrine, which must Inevitably in Our Times be Accepted by Men--Two Methods of Deciding Every Quarrel--First Method
Leo Tolstoy—The Kingdom of God is within you

Fifth Lesson. Ask, and it Shall be Given You;
Ask, and it shall be given you; Or, The Certainty of the Answer to Prayer. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,'--Matt. vii. 7, 8. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.'--Jas. iv. 3. OUR Lord returns here in the Sermon on the Mount a second time to speak of prayer. The first time He had spoken of the Father who is
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Sixth Lesson. How Much More?'
How much more?' Or, The Infinite Fatherliness of God. Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?'--Matt. vii. 9-11 IN these words our Lord proceeds further to confirm what He had said of the certainty of an answer to prayer. To remove
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

The Beggar. Mt 7:7-8

John Newton—Olney Hymns

Here Again Arises a Very Difficult Question. For in what Way Shall we Fools...
28. Here again arises a very difficult question. For in what way shall we fools be able to find a wise man, whereas this name, although hardly any one dare openly, yet most men lay claim to indirectly: so disagreeing one with another in the very matters, in the knowledge of which wisdom consists, as that it must needs be that either none of them, or but some certain one be wise? But when the fool enquires, who is that wise man? I do not at all see, in what way he can be distinguished and perceived.
St. Augustine—On the Profit of Believing.

Asking, Seeking, Finding. --Matt. vii. 7, 8
Asking, Seeking, Finding.--Matt. vii. 7, 8. Ask, and ye shall receive; On this my hope I build: I ask forgiveness, and believe My prayer shall be fulfill'd. Seek, and expect to find: Wounded to death in soul, I seek the Saviour of mankind; His touch can make me whole. Knock, and with patience wait, Faith shall free entrance win: I stand and knock at mercy's gate; Lord Jesus! let me in. How should I ask in vain? Seek, and not find Thee, Lord? Knock, and yet no admittance gain? Is it not in Thy
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Assurance and Encouragement. --Matt. vii. 7, 8
Assurance and Encouragement.--Matt. vii. 7, 8. While these commands endure, These promises are sure; And 'tis an easy task To knock, to seek, to ask: Sinner hast thou the willing mind? Saint, art thou thus inclined? Dost thou expect, desire, believe? Then knock and enter, seek and find, Ask and receive.
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

The Strait Gate;
OR, GREAT DIFFICULTY OF GOING TO HEAVEN: PLAINLY PROVING, BY THE SCRIPTURES, THAT NOT ONLY THE RUDE AND PROFANE, BUT MANY GREAT PROFESSORS, WILL COME SHORT OF THAT KINGDOM. "Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."--Matthew 7:13, 14 ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. If any uninspired writer has been
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Parting Counsels
'And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23. Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Author's Preface.
I did not write this little work with the thought of its being given to the public. It was prepared for the help of a few Christians who were desirous of loving God with the whole heart. But so many have requested copies of it, because of the benefit they have derived from its perusal, that I have been asked to publish it. I have left it in its natural simplicity. I do not condemn the opinions of any: on the contrary, I esteem those which are held by others, and submit all that I have written to
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

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