There are few scriptures that bring more anxiety to the hearts of God’s kids than Jesus’s concluding words in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into heaven’s kingdom. It is only those who persist in doing the will of my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 7:21 TPT)

The next verse goes as follows:

On the day of judgment many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, don’t you remember us? Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons and do many miracles in your name?’ But I will have to say to them, ‘Go away from me, you lawless rebels! I’ve never been joined to you!’ (Matthew 7:22-23 TPT)

Ok, so I’d like to attempt to offer some perspective here. I think most people recognize that when we study Scripture, the context of verses is kind of important. What comes right before a statement like this probably has some bearing on what Jesus is intending to communicate. Look with me then at the previous subject of Jesus’s sermon:

Constantly be on your guard against phony prophets. They come disguised as lambs, appearing to be genuine, but on the inside they are like wild, ravenous wolves! (Matthew 7:15 TPT)

Jesus goes on to warn about false prophets and other spiritual teachers who are actually out to harm and manipulate people. They might use the name of Jesus, but they have incredibly dark motives in their so-called prophetic ministry. (A great example of this is found in Barry’s article from this month). It is in that context that Jesus goes on to talk about many who will come to him saying they “prophesied” in his name and did other amazing things; but at that point, the One with perfect discernment (who knows good trees from bad) will call out what was hidden the whole time: they were never his friends and they never embraced him in the least.

In this month’s issue of Elisha’s Riddle, we are calling people to a return to the simplicity of grace.  Confidence in the Father’s love is the absolute foundation of our lives. But if we read a Scripture that all of a sudden makes our hearts question if our Dad will possibly burn us forever because we didn’t practice the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle perfectly….then it will be quite difficult to find our footing on this foundation and discover an intimate rest in the Father’s embrace. And furthermore, the whole revelation of righteousness through Jesus’s shed blood will be easily thrown out the window.

There is no contradiction between the message of grace and the Sermon on the Mount’s finale if you understand that Jesus is addressing savage wolves in this passage. Jesus was offering a word of hope here. He was letting people know that one day he would deal with those who use religion to consistently abuse and deceive others. People who do such things do not care what the Sermon on the Mount actually says. They have not been touched by revelation of grace.

So please understand that your future is secure. There is no condemnation at all, not now, nor when you meet the Lord on that day. (If, on the other end, you are in a lifestyle of purposefully and consistently deceiving people while using the name of Jesus to make money and gain control over others, then yes, this verse is for you, and you need to repent…today.)

For the rest of us, the revelation of grace is a continual fountain that calls us home to the Father’s good pleasure. This is the foundation we are to which we are called to return.

With that, Jesus’s real finale to the Sermon on the Mount is quite fitting:

“Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.” (Matthew 7:24-25 TPT)

Understand that Jesus’s teaching is the revelation of grace. Yes, this involves the details of the Sermon on the Mount, but when Christ ascended and poured out his Spirit, he anointed the apostles to share the reality of righteousness by faith. Confidence in his love and rest in his righteousness is what produces the good fruit that Jesus talked about on that mountain. This never changes. 

Selah.