Matthew 7:22, commentary and pictures

On the day of final judgment when Christ comes to reward each person, many will call Him Lord and point to their prophesying, driving out evil spirits, and many mighty works done in His name as their right to enter. Those impressive works by themselves do not prove that a person is converted, holy, or known by Him, and outward profession, church standing, and morality without obedience will leave many shut out. The decisive test is doing the will of the Father in heaven by keeping His commandments, living in harmony with His law, and bearing good fruit. To that plea Christ will answer that He never knew them and command them to depart as workers of iniquity who claimed His name while breaking His law and leading others to break it. Some of the wonders pleaded are even inspired by Satan in the last days, so every display must be tested by Bible truth and by obedience rather than taken as proof of faithfulness.

Sermon Setting and Context

Matthew 7:22 belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, spoken on a mountainside especially to the disciples while the listening multitude also heard. The gathering was large, drawing people from many regions who had come both to hear and to be healed. The sermon was addressed to the disciples together with the assembled crowd.

It sets out the foundation principles of the kingdom of divine grace and the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of God. It disappointed hopes of worldly greatness and earthly glory and political deliverance, undoing false education in order to give a right conception of the kingdom and of Christ's own character. It contradicted the self-righteous doctrines and practices of the scribes and Pharisees and challenged their misrepresentation of God. Hearers were left to draw their own conclusions about the nature of the kingdom, while being taught something infinitely better than they had known, and its truths remain no less important now than for the multitude that followed Him.

Its far-reaching principles show that obedience to God's law must come from its spirit in the heart, with the state of the heart shaping life and character. Its lessons are to be lived out, since putting them into practice makes a deeper and more lasting impression than preaching alone. The instruction in Matthew 7 must be studied critically again and again for personal enlightenment, and not to prove supposed faults discerned in other church members. The chapter exposes the very serious defects of those whose thoughts are absorbed with the faults of others, warning that unless there are decided conversions many who think they are lights will prove to be stumbling blocks.

Plea on Judgment Day

In that day is the day of judgment, the final reckoning when Christ comes to judge and reward each person. It is the time when the judgment is set and the books are opened, and false professors who resisted truth and refused to repent are exposed with their recorded deeds leaving them ashamed, when evasion and self-defense will not avail. It comes just before He takes and possesses the kingdom forever and ever, when the two classes stand clearly distinguished as commandment-keepers and commandment-breakers.

Many will then address Christ as Lord, Lord and defend themselves by pointing to religious works done in His name as their claim to entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Their plea is that they prophesied in His name, and in His name expelled demons and cast out devils, and in His name did many wonderful works and miracles and mighty works. That plea does not gain entrance, for entrance requires doing the will of the Father in heaven and not only saying Lord, Lord.

Those who make this plea are many professed believers whose profession of believing and receiving the Word, even with mighty works, does not save when the life does not practice the truth. They include people in religious leadership who appeal to preaching, public ministry, claims of prophecy, healing, and many works done in Christ's name as grounds for acceptance and approval. They include ministers and teachers and others who resist light on temperance, righteousness and judgment to come, refuse grace, despise warnings, bury truth beneath tradition, choose fables, and turn from the strait gate and narrow path to the wide gate and broad road. The warning falls also on Sabbath-keepers who profess faith but neglect given light and remain attached to worldly practices, and on divided professors who profess to serve the Lord while scheming to carry out their own plans that retard the very work He gave His life to accomplish.

They honestly think they are doing God service, yet they work at cross-purposes with Him because they are not doers of His Word. Facing Christ in the final day, they protest His estimate of their character as if He were making a great mistake, pleading their works in His name as proof they belong in heaven. Some have been outwardly religious and have apparently lived Christian lives, but self is woven into all they do, and they pride themselves on morality, influence, ability to stand in higher position than others, and knowledge of the truth, thinking these will win commendation. They appeal to impressive religious works done in His name as grounds for honor and exaltation while neglecting duty and contradicting profession by selfishness, pride and love of the world, and when Christ exposes their failures they reject His rebuke and insist their works entitle them to honor.

Works Do Not Secure Entrance

Prophesying in Christ's name, casting out devils in His name, and doing many mighty and wonderful works and miracles in His name do not by themselves prove that a person belongs to Him, is known by Him, is converted, is holy, or will enter the kingdom of heaven. Religious claims and apparent morality unmatched by a genuinely transformed character do not establish acceptance, for entrance depends on doing the Father's will, believing His Word and acting upon it, with obedience and good fruit rather than profession or impressive works. Those who appeal to such deeds at the judgment are rejected as workers of iniquity who are not known by Him, their profession being worthless without doing God's will.

Saying Lord, Lord, hearing the Word, professing faith and receiving the Word, church membership and baptism, outward religion, apparent Christian living, morality, influence, ability, and knowledge of truth do not save without doing, and many who regard themselves as Christians and trust in these things will be found wanting and shut out. Mere profession, even joined with mighty works, leaves professors deceived and unsanctified in soul, body, and spirit when life does not practice the truth, lacking self-denial, self-sacrifice, confession of sin, and growth in grace. Outward profession without vital connection to Christ cannot produce good fruit to God's glory, and lives that fail to represent His teachings by neglecting Scripture, prayer, and obedience are hypocrisy exposing false followers to separation from Him. All will be judged by Christ's words, which must be heard in faith with earnest heed lest they slip, so that words and works testify on which side, right or wrong, a person stands through obedience to the word of the Lord and response to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

The verse presents two classes of hearers: those who hear Christ's sayings and do them are like a wise man building on the rock that stands when rain descends and floods come and winds blow and beat upon the house and when the rain, floods, winds, and storms of temptation beat upon them, while those who hear and do not obey build like a foolish man on sand, on human efforts and their own deeds and standards, and fall with great fall. Hearing with inattention and negligence in doing brings want of spiritual health and vital life, grieves the Spirit, and forfeits peace, joy, and heavenly discernment, leaving souls not riveted to the eternal Rock. The foundation must be deep enough to withstand the test, and the test is God's law, which transgressors cannot meet by trusting their own claims that will not stand in the judgment. These words are to be studied by each person for individual benefit, with diligent hearing joined with doing and with less combating and more praying for the mind of Christ and grace to win souls, rather than pointing to religious works as reason for acceptance while working iniquity.

The claim is the test that separates the wise virgins from the foolish: the wise let their light burn in true good works by remaining at the feet of Jesus and learning His ways, while those who make this claim rest on outward profession such as baptism while giving no evidence of being conformed to the image of Christ, clinging to old habits, exerting influence on the side of the world, and weaving worldly ideas and customs into life. They have not kept oil in the vessels with their lamps and are not ready for the Bridegroom, and the oil is the holy grace sent from heaven whose inward adorning is necessary to stand when He appears. Without vital union and fellowship with Christ and His Spirit, through a living connection that bears fruit to God's glory, people remain strangers to Him, unfit for heaven's joy and companionship and for admission to His kingdom, and like builders on sand unaware of their danger they discover too late that they are unfit while their words and actions reveal wrongdoing and disobedience that leads others astray.

Obedience Proves True Discipleship

The decisive test is doing the will of the Father in heaven, doing God's word and Christ's sayings, keeping His commandments and living in harmony with His law, and bearing good fruit, not merely profession or impressive works. Prophesying, casting out demons, and doing many mighty and wonderful works in His name do not by themselves secure acceptance or entrance into the kingdom, and in the judgment such claims are answered by rejection when the doers have practiced iniquity. Religious profession, hearing the word, confidence in one's own goodness, and outward deeds cannot replace obedience, for the principles of the life and the fruit of character reveal whether faith is genuine and whether a person truly belongs to Him. When lives bear wrong fruit and do not do God's will, true character is exposed and those who trusted in claims are found wanting when it is too late to change.

Striving for the kingdom while knowingly refusing God's commands does not qualify for the reward, and religious activity cannot take the place of obedience. That refusal includes not remembering the Sabbath to keep it holy, not keeping sacred God's memorial of creation, and not heeding His warnings, a warning that applies to Sabbath-keepers who profess faith yet neglect light and cling to worldly practices without true consecration. It is also shown by taking sides with the apostate, corrupting the way of the Lord, corrupting truth and exalting error, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, and selling loyalty to be in harmony with the rebellious multitude for worldly advantage. Those who teach or live in disobedience to God's law are workers of iniquity, for true conversion joins faith in Jesus as Redeemer with obedience to God's will from the heart and in the life, and such people present supposed good works as if God needed reminding of His duty toward them until God presents their case so they see they were the ones who needed reminding.

To know Christ savingly is to be vitalized by spiritual knowledge and to practice His words, to hear in faith with earnest heed lest they slip, and to do the will of the Father in heaven, for all will be judged by Christ's words. Genuine faith takes Him as Redeemer and Pattern, follows His example, produces humility and obedience, works through love and purifies the soul, while God values the loyalty of the heart. Claims of powerful works, fervent talk of love for God and truth, teaching in His name, and outward religious service do not prove a person converted, known by Him, or fit to enter heaven in a defiled condition, and self-righteousness, pride, lack of humility and trust, lip service, and lives that do not obey reveal a deceived faith. Profession is proved not by selective acceptance or outward claims but by obedience to what He teaches and by the fruits of a life that follows Him.

Holiness does not consist in profession or in a religion of words, forms, and feeling, but in lifting the cross and doing God's will with faithful performance of duty hand in hand with a right estimate of God's character. Profession without obedience is presumption, and a religion that keeps truth in the outer court to be admired like a beautiful flower, that is satisfied with contemplating Christ's religion without knowing its saving power, that regards sin lightly because it does not know Jesus and estimates duty lightly, that distrusts God when trials come and takes pleasure in worldly enjoyment, will not secure entrance. Such religion proves a glittering cheat unacknowledged by Christ when judged according to works, with vital godliness eaten out by pride, unbelief, and selfishness until religion becomes a dress put off and on to suit circumstances instead of a calm, steady, unvarying principle rooted in love for Christ. Knowing Him is shown by keeping His commandments, with His love perfected in the one who keeps His word, and by representing Him in every act through kindness, meekness, forbearance, cheerfulness, and love rather than making religion repulsive by groans, impatience, fretfulness, and talk of trials and sacrifices.

The principles guiding a life testify to character and distinguish the genuine believer from the unbeliever, showing whether works bear God's credentials or the marks of evil. Fair speeches, exalted professions, and pointing to mighty deeds do not prove teachers or doers, for they are known by their fruits and judged by the word of God, by the law and to the testimony. The true message leads to reverence and fear of God and to love shown by loyalty to His commandments, while those who do not feel the weight of the moral law, make light of His precepts, break one of the least of His commandments and teach men so, shall be of no esteem in heaven, their claims without foundation, doing the work that originated with the prince of darkness.

Christ Rejects Workers of Iniquity

Christ answers the plea with sorrowful denial, declaring He never knew them and commanding them to depart as workers of iniquity who shall not enter the kingdom. Claiming to prophesy, cast out devils, and do many wonderful works and miracles in His name does not prove belonging to Him, conversion, transformed character, or acceptance, and profession with apparent morality and outward achievement does not by itself qualify anyone. The test is doing the Father's will, obeying His sayings, and bearing good fruit, and those who rest on profession while working iniquity are disowned, with hearing and doing likened to a wise man building on the rock that stands when rain, floods and winds beat upon it. The sentence leaves no room for discussion because it is irrevocable, and they are shut out by their own unfitness as corrupt trees bringing forth evil fruit, a warning falling especially on those who teach truth while not doing the Word and thus dishonor the Lord and turn the lame out of the way.

They are called workers of iniquity because while claiming His name and pardon they go on transgressing God's law and practicing disobedience, trusting their own deeds and standards. Those who break the law and lead others to break it and be lost, whose unchanged conduct and lives contradicting the Word make them builders on sand unaware of danger, will find their claims will not stand in the judgment. Following their own judgment while despising God's means for correcting error and uniting in truth, they live unrighteous self-serving lives that pursue worldly gain, honor and sensual pleasure, refuse to walk in God's ways or seek His knowledge, and dishonor Him while misleading souls. Their hardness of heart reveals that profession is not genuine service, and only doers of God's Word are fit for His kingdom.

Some of the mighty works pleaded are inspired by Satan and will become increasingly apparent in the last days. Miracle-working power, healings, strange exercises, impulse and impressions can serve the enemy's purpose when they lead away from obedience, truth and duty, and can deceive those who know the light of the law but refuse it while trusting in their own goodness. Claims to prophesy, cast out devils, or perform miracles do not prove the work is from God or guided by His Spirit, and those who treat displays as the test of the Spirit fail to grasp the true nature of sin, their need of mercy, Christ's perfection, and the sacrifice made to free them from sin. Such displays must be tested by Bible truth and by the law and the testimony, and must not be treated as proof overriding faithfulness to God's law and character in harmony with it.

The rejected are pretentious hypocrites whose profession conceals an unchanged carnal heart, with religion as lip service only and faith that does not produce good works and imitation of Christ's self-denying life leaving evil passions unsubdued. Religious claims, impressive deeds, confidence in one's own goodness, teaching in His name, and appeal to church membership cannot replace obedience and bearing good fruit, and the Christian name can then be used in Satan's service. They may appear self-righteous with outward calm and pious words that deceive others, yet their words and actions reveal wrongdoing and dishonoring of God, their pride lacking humility and trust, and genuine faith instead takes Him as Redeemer and Pattern, follows His example, and produces humility and obedience. Christ exposes their true character at the final judgment when it is too late to change, they are found wanting and discover their unfitness for the kingdom, their names absent from the book of life because disloyalty included trampling on God's law.

False professors who resist truth, disregard warnings, excuse sin, refuse to repent, and lack essential Christian character while claiming great sanctity will be exposed in the judgment. Their recorded deeds will leave them ashamed, and evasion and self-defense will not avail when the two classes stand clearly distinguished as the commandment-keeping people of God and the commandment-breakers, just before the second appearing to take and possess the kingdom forever when satanic agencies seem to have almost full control. Jesus will open the eyes of all who have been walking in the light so they are not deceived by those who say Lord, Lord with a pretentious spirit while stubbornly refusing to do God's will.

Warning and Application Today

The warning reaches the churches of today, and especially those who seek to be first and to rule, that without a deeper consecration they will be unprepared to enter the holy city. It is possible to imagine one is doing the Lord's work while refusing to obey His commandments and refusing to be corrected, and in that deception satanic agencies lead on step by step until the soul is forever lost. Each person must therefore work diligently for his own salvation, examine Christ's words carefully, and put away hereditary and cultivated traits of character that can never enter the kingdom of God. He must cease persisting in his own way, humble the heart before God and die to self, and make a covenant with God by sacrifice of will and pride in earnest whole-hearted prayer.

The verse exposes self-confidence that treats impressive works as a substitute for obedience and repentance. Prophesying, casting out devils, and doing mighty works in Jesus' name do not prove belonging to Him or secure entrance, and they cannot excuse continued wrongdoing or plans that harm God's work. Mere profession of believing and receiving the Word does not save when the life does not practice the truth and do the will of the Father. Such professors are deceived and unsanctified in soul, body, and spirit, lacking self-denial and self-sacrifice and confession of sin, often spending God's means on dress and selfish indulgence. They need to be reconverted and to grow in faith and grace by doing Christ's sayings and building on the rock rather than on the sand, for without repentance and the new birth there is no acquittal in the judgment.

The same test falls on professed Christians who neglect Scripture, prayer, and obedience, whose lives fail to represent Christ's teachings and whose outward profession without doing God's will is hypocrisy. It falls on Sabbath-keepers who profess faith yet neglect given light and remain attached to worldly practices, with outward profession unable to hide lack of obedience and true consecration. It falls on ministers and teachers and others who resist light on temperance, righteousness, and judgment to come, refuse provided grace and opportunity, despise warnings, set aside conviction of the Spirit, bury truth beneath tradition, count a Thus saith the Lord as an idle tale, and choose fables before heavenly truth. It falls on gospel ministers with their companions and on fathers and mothers who neglect lifelong religious duties in the home, though they had every advantage to understand duty yet did not honor Christ in life or character and left a record of unfulfilled duties. Their example leads souls away from true righteousness and godliness, gives excuse to those who do not receive the truth, makes them stumbling blocks, and turns the lame out of the way, while unjust dealings contradict professed service and show failure to love God wholeheartedly and deal rightly with neighbors as His law requires.

Everyone is therefore called to count the cost of coming after Christ, to deny self and take up the cross and follow Him, loving Him more than father or mother or son or daughter, and refusing a life of deception that professes religion while deluding the soul. Profession of faith will not save without undivided whole service to God, and entering the kingdom requires yielding self to Christ to cleanse the heart and transform the character. His followers are to live in a way that leads others to Him, since religious leadership, public ministry, claims of prophecy, and works of healing do not secure approval when mercy is refused, the warnings of God's word and commandments are ignored, evil is joined, and worldly honor is sought instead of self-denying cross-bearing. Spoken words have no value when the life denies them, and false disciples whose course contradicts their profession will be punished according to the evil they have done to God's cause.

Good actions do not commend when selfishness, greed, dishonesty, and injustice corrupt the work and harm others, and outward religious service can coexist with an evil character that deceives itself about standing with God. When self is woven into all that is done, outward religion, apparent Christian living, morality, influence, ability, and knowledge of the truth do not secure approval, and those who rely on such claims rather than doing the Father's will are shut out as unfit for heaven's companionship. Without preparation of heart and sanctified character, active engagement in God's work becomes merely mechanical and formal and is done against His expressed will. Where vital godliness has been eaten out by pride, unbelief, selfishness, and love of the world, religion becomes a glittering cheat unacknowledged by Christ, a dress put off and on to suit circumstances instead of a calm, steady, unvarying principle rooted in the abiding motive of Christ's love. It then fails to represent Christ in every act by kindness, meekness, forbearance, cheerfulness, and love, makes religion repulsive by groans, sighs, impatience, fretfulness, repining, and talk of trials and sacrifices, and is contradicted by unjust dealings with neighbors.