Two Kinds of People: Are You Genuine?

In Matt. 7:21-23 Jesus shows the difference between the real and fake, the genuine and counterfeit. He reveals 3 important truths.

1st, Not everyone who claims to know Christ is going to heaven. Matt. 7:21 says people say things to Jesus; good things. "Lord" is a good orthodox confession of Christ. A confession of Christ’s deity, that He is God; an expression of worship. But not everyone who says they are a Christian is. Some are false followers. They call Him Lord; true, Biblical, appropriate, orthodox…but if they do not know Him it is false profession. Only those who do the will of the Father [1st use of My Father in Matt.] will enter. Jesus is the sole, authoritative revealer of the Father’s will and the determining factor is whether a person obeys God’s will. So it important to know what the will of the Father is with regard to Jesus as it relates to us. What is the 'will of God' here?
Believe in Jesus. John 5:36-40; 6:28-19 God wants us to believe in the One He has sent. You cannot ‘do’ God’s will unless you know Jesus.
Obey Jesus. John 14:15 Jesus said, if you love Me, you will do what I say.
Bear fruit. John 15:8 by this is My Father glorified, if you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.

The people Jesus is referring to give a verbal confession, but no moral commitment; their lips moved, their heart didn’t. They called Jesus Lord but never submitted to His Lordship or obeyed the Father’s will. Luke said it like this 6:46 why do you call Me Lord, but do not do what I say?

2nd, Many will try to justify themselves to God. 7:22 They will give it their best shot; their closing argument at the judgment: Lord did we not (inferring God had overlooked their qualifications?). People claim to do things in Jesus’ Name – big things, prophecy, healing & miracles – but if they do them without the right motivation it is false. They make the fruit the root. It becomes a matter of God’s work vs. Man’s work. Titus 3:5-6; Eph. 2:8-10. Christ’s finished work is effective. Heb. 4:10 Rest from our works and rest in His. Justification is God’s work. Our works are the fruit, not the basis of justification. False Christians may do some amazing things in Jesus’ name but it is meaningless because they are deceived and they deceive others. They do it to attract attention to themselves, not God. Miraculous works are not proof of the will of God. They can come from entities other than God, including demons and people Acts 19:13-16; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; Rev. 13:13-14.

3rd, Nevertheless, God’s verdict stands. God will pronounce a verdict regarding their eternal destiny, and no matter what they say, no matter how much they protest, no matter how many things they can claim to have done that they think qualify them to enter. In the final analysis, it is what God has to say that is the last word. He alone says who does or doesn’t enter the kingdom. Jesus has strong, exclusionary words for those who do wrong. 7:23 But I will say to them [bear witness in a legal sense; an official proclamation where the relationship between a person and Jesus is stated in a binding way]. I never knew you, is a phrase used by Jewish rabbis when banishing someone. 1 day Jesus will exercise the right that only He as God has, that of ultimately sending people to hell. It is something only God can do. John 5:22 the Father has given all judgment to the Son. Some people look like they belong to Jesus, but they never truly were born again, saved, regenerated.

There are 2 responses that this passage of Scripture requires of us:
1st it has to do with our own lives. Be sure about where you stand with God. 2 Cor. 13:5 says: Examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. The spiritual exam that needs to take place is between you and God. In the final moments of your life on earth no other question will matter but do you know Jesus? How do you know if you are really a Christian?

Do you have Jesus? John 17:1-3; 1 John 5:11-12. Do you believe the gospel? The Bible says that prior to coming to faith in Christ we are spiritually dead. God makes us alive in Christ. By nature we do not seek after God; our hearts are not inclined to seek, love or worship God. We are at odds with Him until we realize that we are desperately in need of His grace; that we like all, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We need to recognize our need and His solution: the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ on the cross, in our place, as our substitute, to pay the penalty our sins deserved. When we turn from our sin to God in humility, by the free gift of faith God gives, we receive the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ, Whom we acknowledge as Lord. Then we experience peace with God though our Lord Jesus Christ. We have a new identity in Christ.

Is the Holy Spirit at work in your life? 1 Cor. 12:3; Rom. 8:9-17. Is there any observable, recognizable fruit? What do you desire most? Is there a hunger for God, and God’s Word, and to be with God’s people, and to share the life-changing message of the Gospel? Is there a spiritual pulse?

What about security & assurance? 7:21 false followers have false assurance. They are self-deluded. But many true followers lack assurance of salvation. They are worried that they might lose their salvation or they wonder if they truly are saved. So many believers struggle with this. They are not aware of the security they have in Christ. They live insecure when they are in reality very secure. It is like living at Ft. Knox and being afraid someone might break in; like having the best home security system in the world AND 500 marines protecting your house and cowering in fear inside. If that is you He wants you to be sure. John 10:27-29. God wants you to be confident in His eternal, amazing, life-transforming truth; live in light of it – freedom to serve Him. [It’s not the ones who are concerned that are usually in any danger. It’s not the ones with the tender conscience that should be worried]. True believers are secure in Christ. God wants you to be sure of that fact. In this day of identity theft it is comforting to know that you are spiritually safe and secure in Jesus. When your identity is in Christ you are safe.

2nd it has to do with our response to other people. What should our response to unbelievers be? We need to Look with Eyes of Hope on All. Love those Jesus loves, realize that we once were lost and have been found. Our response to the lost should be: Jesus loves you, so repent (turn from your sin) and believe (turn to Jesus, find your hope in Jesus). Share, show, live the Gospel. God knows the hearts of all 1 Sam. 16:7. Sometimes I write people off. I think they have no interest in spiritual things or they do not care about Jesus. So I assign them a place, I put them in the hopeless category. Only God knows those He has chosen and called and marked out for eternal life in heaven with Him. The only thing I know is what I see and hear and think. What God wants of me is trust and obedience. He will grow the produce.

We think ‘they are a lost cause’ but should think ‘if they are still breathing there is hope’. He knows who will be saved; we are called to faithfully & unashamedly live & speak the Gospel truth. Jesus change lives. He changed mine. Has He changed yours?