Some have described this passage as the scariest passage in the Bible. It tells of a time when people who thought they were Christians will stand before Christ in judgment and realize they will not enter into the Kingdom. I agree. That would be a frightening realization - especially knowing that they found out too late!
So, who are these people? Who are the ones that thought they were saved but weren’t? Jesus explains that only the one who does the Father’s will enter heaven so the question hangs on the correct understanding of that phrase. What is the Father’s will? Many people interpret the passage in the light of their preconceived notions of salvation and so they usually get the meaning wrong.
In this post I wanted to examine what the Bible says is the Father’s will.
SALVATION IS BY WORKS
A few people cite this passage as evidence that salvation is earned by doing good works. They will say that a simple profession of faith isn’t enough to be saved but, rather, it is by both faith and bearing fruit (works) that we are saved. They are claiming that the people who are condemned in this passage are people who have prayed for mercy but did not live out the Father's will by doing good works.
This idea is contradicted but the very passage that is being examined. The people being discussed had done many works: they had prophesied, cast out demons, and had done “many wonderful works” in Jesus name. Yet it is clear that they had still not done the will of the Father. Indeed, Jesus calls them workers of iniquity.
Besides this passage, other Scriptures argue against salvation being earned by works. Consider Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
All of this considered, this passage from Matthew cannot be used to justify salvation by works.
SALVATION IS KEPT BY WORKS
There are still other people who will agree that salvation is by grace through faith but we could still lose our salvation if we do not bear fruit. From this perspective, these people have made a profession of faith - that is, they said to Jesus, “Lord, Lord” - but did not continue in their faith by doing the will of the Father. Again, this idea is rebutted by a clear reading of the text. Jesus tells them He never knew them.
The word translated as never in v. 23 is the Greek word oudepote (οὐδέποτε, Strong’s Word 3763). It is a compound word made up of 2 Greek words: oude (οὐδέ, Strong’s Word 3761), meaning “not even,” plus pote (ποτε, Strong’s Word 4218), meaning “at some point, at any time, once, or ever.” The use of this word in this verse creates an unambiguous denial that Jesus ever knew them - “not even once” or “not at any time.” In other words, Jesus is saying that these are people who had never put their faith in Him.
The idea that we could lose our salvation is contrary to many other passages in the Scriptures. For one example, I direct your attention to Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
To say that there is something we can do (or something we don’t do) that would cost us our salvation is to deny the clear words of Paul to the Romans and believe that God’s love isn’t sufficient to keep us!
To believe that salvation is somehow kept by works cannot be the correct understanding of this passage from Matthew.
WHAT JESUS TOLD US
Fortunately, we do not have to grope about for the correct meaning of the Father’s will in this passage. Jesus Himself has already made clear what the will of the Father is.
John 6:38-40, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Wow, it’s so simple! No mental gymnastics are necessary. There is no need to read between the lines. There is no mention of works. There is no mention of conditions. It is the will of the Father that everyone who believes in the Son would have eternal life and that Jesus would raise him on the last day. The Bible cannot be any more clear than that!
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