“Not Every One that Saith Unto Me, Lord, Lord, Shall Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” Are YOU One that will Be Denied? (KJV)

Can you imagine spending a life time as a “religious person,” only to realize that when you die, these were the words that you hear from Jesus Christ:

Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

With the consequence of this scripture so fearful, what was Jesus saying here? Let’s spend some time understanding the key to this scripture, “…but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Let’s walk through it carefully, biblically, and using the KJV, without drifting into works-based confusion.

When Jesus declared, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,” He immediately shattered the assumption that verbal profession or religious association is sufficient for salvation. He continued by saying, “but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21, KJV). This statement has troubled many, because it appears at first to place salvation upon human action. Yet Jesus was not contradicting grace; He was exposing false confidence.

To understand what Jesus meant, Scripture must interpret Scripture. Later in His ministry, Jesus plainly defined what the will of the Father is. He said, “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” (John 6:40, KJV). According to Jesus Himself, the will of the Father is not religious performance, moral striving, or institutional loyalty, but faith in the Son. Therefore, to “do” the will of the Father is to believe on Jesus Christ in truth.

This explains why those standing before Christ in Matthew chapter seven are rejected. They say, “Lord, Lord,” and then list their works: “Have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matthew 7:22, KJV). Their confidence rests entirely in what they did for God rather than what God did for them through Christ. In response, Jesus says, “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23, KJV).

The phrase “I never knew you” is critical. Jesus does not say He once knew them and then rejected them later. He says He never knew them at all. This reveals the absence of a saving relationship. Knowledge here is relational, not informational. As Scripture teaches elsewhere, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Timothy 2:19, KJV).

When Jesus calls them “workers of iniquity,” He is not merely condemning outward sin. Iniquity, in this context, is lawlessness—approaching God apart from His appointed way of salvation. Paul explains this same error when he writes, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3, KJV). To reject salvation by grace through faith and replace it with self-righteous works is itself a form of rebellion.

The Bible consistently teaches that salvation is not earned. “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” (Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV). Works have their place, but never as the foundation of salvation. Instead, Scripture explains, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10, KJV). Works follow salvation; they do not create it.

True faith is not passive or dead. James writes, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17, KJV). This does not mean works save, but that genuine faith produces fruit. Obedience is the evidence of salvation, not the requirement for it. Where there is true belief, transformation follows.

Jesus’ warning is especially sobering because He says that “many” will fall into this deception. These are not atheists or open unbelievers, but religious people convinced of their standing with God. Later, Jesus warns again, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24, KJV). This deception is religious in nature and centers on false confidence.

In the end, to “do the will of the Father” is to come to Christ humbly, trusting fully in His finished work on the cross. It is to believe, as Scripture says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31, KJV). Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is not granted because of what a person did for Jesus, but because they were known by Him. It is not about many wonderful works, but about one sufficient Savior.

So, do you think that you are going to heaven because of your works? If so, sadly this scripture was written to you. The warning is significant! You do not want Christ to say this to you, for that I am certain.

There is still time to come to the Christ that the Father wishes you to know. The scriptures in the Bible spell it out for us: We are saved by GRACE, NOT our works. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is COMPLETE, and does not require our good works, nor anything from our church.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 3:23–24 (KJV)
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 11:6 (KJV)
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Titus 3:5–7 (KJV)
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 4:4–5 (KJV)
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Galatians 2:16 (KJV)
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ… for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

John 1:12 (KJV)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Our good works are the FRUIT of salvation, NOT the Root.

So, is it really a big deal if you believe that “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do?” Well, YES, IT IS! Being denied by Jesus Christ, and Him stating that He never knew you is the consequence of that type of thinking. This is a false teaching.

Thinking that our works, or ordnances of a church are necessary for salvation is challenging the complete gift of the atonement. This is suggesting that Christ’s sacrifice was not enough, and I would imagine that He is disappointed with this line of thinking…thus the scripture of, “I never knew you.”

Let me just close this by saying that your path forward is BRIGHT, and will bring you PEACE, and not despair. Learning TRUTH helps overcome the despair of being taught false doctrine.

Realize this fact: Jesus Christ was actually on this earth to perform His mission. That mission was to fulfill the Atonement, as well as teach HIS Gospel…the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is all recorded in the BIBLE.

For the next week, study only the teachings of the atonement and His gospel that are recorded in the Bible. PRAYERFULLY Study it as you are learning without preconceived ideas or teachings. DO NOT use additional “doctrine” for clarification, for your goal here is to learn JUST what Jesus and His apostles were teaching, as recorded in the bible. You will find that these TRUTHS that you will learn flush-out any false doctrine that might have been taught to you.

All of us want to be recognized by Christ. Seeing that this is the case should be the very most important concept that is on our minds, so that we can endure that He will now us, and welcome us into “Heaven.” My prayers are with all of you in your valiant studies.