142-Conditions for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven#
142-Conditions for Entering the Kingdom of Heaven (Initial Faith Cultivation)
(JP Text Group - beloved compilation)
Let’s first look at today’s text: Matthew 7:15-23
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.
"Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Amen!
Alright, let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us this time to worship and look to You here. We know that at this moment, You will provide for us, You will give us strength, and You will help us to know You more deeply through Your word. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You today. Let us place our faith in Jesus and understand that Your word is indeed for us, so that we can correctly know You through Your word. Bless this time, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen! Hallelujah!
Now, looking at today’s text, verse 21 may be something many people do not understand. Even many who have believed for a long time, some for decades, still do not understand this verse. When I ask them, "Do you think you can enter the kingdom of heaven?"
Many say, "That’s not for me to say." As the New Year approaches, you will surely encounter many relatives and friends, and you will inevitably face such questions. So, I want to share some of these fundamental truths with you in this last moment. The Bible indeed has a passage that says, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven."
When we read the Bible, it is important to understand how to interpret these verses. So, I want to ask you first,
Are you sure you can enter the kingdom of heaven?
What is your reason?
Are you doing the will of the Father?
Some say no, some say yes. What exactly is the will of the Father?
So today, we want to take this time to help the brothers and sisters understand. Many people are frightened by this verse because they do not understand it. Even many, after constantly hearing this verse misinterpreted, begin to doubt whether they are saved. So many people are confused, saying, "Teacher, do you think I am saved?"
Brothers and sisters, can we know if others are saved or not? Always remember, you can never know if others are saved or not; you can only know if you are saved. Because the Bible tells us that faith leads to salvation, right? Can you know if someone truly believes or falsely believes? No.
You might say, "I see this person doesn’t seem like a good person," but God sees them as good? Because who does Jesus come to save? That’s right, Jesus came to save sinners. Do you think all sinners are good? According to us, there isn’t a single good one, but it is precisely these people that Jesus wants to save!
Brothers and sisters, God does not look at our actions; He looks at whether we truly believe in Him in our hearts. Amen! This is very important. However, many people think of themselves as half-sages, judging others based on their actions, saying they are not saved. This kind of statement is itself wrong! This is you judging whether others are saved. So who can judge whether a person can be saved? Only our Lord Jesus Christ!
If they believe in their hearts, Jesus says they are saved; they are His children! If they do not believe in their hearts, even if they outwardly appear to be like it, are they saved? No, brothers and sisters, even if you pretend to be like it, you are still not saved. What must it be? It must be believing in your heart, Amen! So many people misunderstand the latter half of the phrase, "Only those who do the will of my Father can enter," and completely misinterpret it as good behavior. That is to say, apart from believing in Jesus, you must also do the will of the Father, which means performing good deeds to enter the kingdom of heaven.
So is performing good deeds the will of the Father? Is it? Yes, performing good deeds is indeed the will of the Father! But remember, the will of the Father mentioned here is not about performing good deeds; we will talk about this shortly.
So today, many people do not understand this passage, and they are still striving to enter the kingdom of heaven. I believe that when you go back, you will encounter many such people. When chatting with them, they will say they are striving to enter the kingdom of heaven. There are indeed many such people, very, very many. At this time, you can share what you have learned today with them.
Brothers and sisters, it says, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father." Today we need to clarify the will of the Father for everyone. When interpreting the Bible, we must remember a very important principle, which is unchanging: when you interpret a passage or a verse, you must look at the context, Amen!
You cannot take a verse and say, "Not everyone who says `Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven," and then use this statement to casually condemn others or harm others, saying others are not saved. This kind of interpretation is itself wrong. How should it be viewed? Look at the surrounding context, Amen! So if you do not understand a verse, you must read the two chapters before and after; the meaning may already be revealed.
Let’s look at chapter 7 today. What does chapter 7 begin with? When you read a passage, you need to have this awareness: to whom is this passage addressed? We see that Jesus is preaching, right? Initially, where was this? In Matthew chapter 5, let’s flip back a bit, "Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them." This proves that the audience at that time was Jewish people, right? The audience was Jewish people, including the disciples, because Jesus spoke many words from the Old Testament law. Could Gentiles understand this? Not at all! So it also mentions, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." If it were directed at Gentiles, would they know what the law is?
They do not even know what the 613 laws are, so there is a very important audience, namely the Jews. Let’s return to chapter 7; this is just a theme in Jesus’ preaching. So Jesus says, "Do not judge, lest you be judged; for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged." You see, Jesus immediately gives us the answer. So is not judging a matter of the law? Yes, it is indeed a matter of the law.
Brothers and sisters, we must understand that these words are spoken to the Jews, that is, to those under the law. The reason for saying do not judge is that at that time, under the law, were there not people judging? The Pharisees often judged others. In fact, this judgment is not a good term; it does not just mean to say something and then it’s over. That’s not the meaning; judgment carries a malicious intent to attack you.
When I look at you, you do not seem like a good person; that is judgment.
When I look at you, you do not seem like a saved person; that is judgment.
So Jesus says, you under the law, do not judge others, lest you be judged. By whom? Judged by the law, right?
So brothers and sisters, today when we read a passage, we must first understand what it is saying? To whom is it spoken? What is the meaning of the words?
Looking at Jesus’ conclusion in verse 21 and beyond, we need to find out what the reason is. What we just talked about, do not judge others, is stated in Matthew 7:12, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Amen!
Is Jesus talking about the law? Brothers and sisters, what Jesus just said is only part of the law. Under the law, can we enter the kingdom of heaven by our own efforts? No.
Brothers and sisters, it is completely impossible. However, in a situation where no one can do it, they are still under the law, condemning and judging each other, which is problematic. Brothers and sisters, you must remember that living under the law and living under grace are two completely different attitudes. Living under the law produces two types of people: the first type is the arrogant person, who feels strong and believes they have kept the law, so they look down on others.
The hypocritical Pharisees in the Bible actually refer to this group of people. The other type is the self-abased person, who, under the law, realizes they have violated many laws and cannot hold their head up. These are two types of people. So the arrogant person often condemns and judges others, attacking others; this is the life under the law.
Let’s look at a passage from James 4:11-12, "Brothers, do not speak evil against one another. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"
Under the law, none of us have the qualification to judge, because we can only be judged by God, right? If someone wants to judge others, you are judging the law because you have not done well yourself. Why would you laugh at someone who is only fifty steps behind you while you are a hundred steps behind? So this point is very important! Then Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets."
So, well, brothers and sisters, verse 21 says, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven." Is this a conclusion? So who is it spoken to? This passage is about the content of verse 15, "Beware of false prophets."
What is the characteristic of a false prophet? They are false, Amen! They are not true prophets; they are false. So Jesus immediately gives us an example, saying, "They come to you in sheep's clothing." What is inside? Ravenous wolves.
And not just ordinary wolves, but what kind of wolves? Ravenous wolves. So brothers and sisters, sometimes we might say, "Oh, look, this person seems quite good on the surface." Do not look at the surface; you cannot see what this person is really like. Sometimes those who smile at you the most are the ones who stab you in the back the most; there are too many hypocrites like that.
So Jesus says a characteristic of false prophets is that they come in sheep's clothing. Does it not look the same? They all look the same, but the life inside is that of a wolf. So what is the purpose of these ravenous wolves wearing sheep's clothing and staying with the sheep? Is it really to live in harmony with the sheep? Or do they really want to become sheep?
What is the purpose? That’s right, it is clear: to destroy, kill, and steal; this is the characteristic of this life.
So Jesus says, "You will recognize them by their fruits." Brothers and sisters, today, a person who truly has the Holy Spirit will eventually have a change in their life, Amen! But a person who does not have life inside will eventually reveal their true nature. Do you understand, brothers and sisters? These are two different lives, so it will definitely be revealed.
Jesus says, how do you recognize them? Then Jesus tells us about two different lives to help us understand: do not judge a person by their actions; you should look at what kind of fruit they bear, and you will understand whether they are under the law or under grace. It says here, "Can grapes be gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
What is a thornbush? Isn’t it a weed? What about thistles? Yes, right? Do you remember when thorns and thistles appeared? Originally, after Adam sinned, God said, "Adam, because you have sinned, the ground is cursed, and it will produce thorns and thistles." Are these things cursed? Yes!
Brothers and sisters, if our lives have not changed, it is a cursed life; a cursed life cannot bear life. Do you understand, brothers and sisters? So thorns, as long as their roots are thorns, will definitely bear thorns; they cannot bear grapes, right? What about thistles? It is itself a kind of cursed weed, so the grass it produces is a cursed life. These are two different lives. Then it goes on to say, how can thorns bear grapes? Thorns also have another characteristic: what happens when you try to grab thorns with your hand? It will prick you!
Think about it, when you grab grapes with your hand, do you say, "Oh, I just pricked my hand!"? No, right? Now look at the fruit of life; when you grab a fig tree with your hand, will your hand get pricked? A cursed life often brings you harm, which is judgment, right? Condemnation is given to you; this is the life of thorns and thistles. You can rest assured that this kind of life will never be able to hide; it can only temporarily say, "Oh, I can probably hide for a while," but once life is expressed, its true nature will be revealed. So Jesus says, "A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Remember, a cursed life is destined for hell; this is the thorn and thistle.
Then Jesus goes on to say, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father." Does that false prophet also call Him Lord? You see, when we preach, we are usually careful with our words; we generally say Lord Jesus or Jesus Christ, right? Why do we say this? If you just say Lord, Lord, there are many lords in this world! There are too many, and there are other gods who are also lords; they also call Him Lord. So brothers and sisters, we must be sure that our Lord is Jesus Christ; only He can bring me life, Amen!
Not everyone who calls Lord, Lord can enter the kingdom of heaven; it is only by believing in Jesus Christ. So you need to understand that what you hear is the true gospel. You need to understand that today you are not a fake; you are a real one.
In the Old Testament, there was a man named Balaam. Do you remember this prophet Balaam? Did Balaam not also call Him Lord? Yes, but was Balaam a true believer? No, he was just using his gifts to make money; he was a greedy prophet who ultimately perished with his wealth. How unfortunate, right?
So where do we know this from? This morning, I happened to read this passage. Balak sent people with money to say, "Balaam, I have heard that you are powerful; whoever you bless will be blessed, and whoever you curse will be cursed. So now I want you to come and curse the people of Israel for me." Balaam said, "You stay here overnight, and let me seek God." Did God tell him? He said, "Balaam, you cannot go; do not go." Then they went back.
The second time they came with more gold. At this time, Balaam said, "You stay overnight, and let me seek my God's will." Did God tell him? Our God is not a God who changes His mind, right? No, because Balaam wanted to go too much, so he was a very tragic sorcerer; we can say he was a cursed person. So when you read 2 Peter 2, you will know that Balaam walked on the wrong path; the Bible says he is of a cursed kind. What is the reason? It is not true belief. So God sees whether we are cursed or blessed based on whether we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Let’s share the first point: Salvation is entirely by God’s grace; you receive it by faith.
Our scripture today is a bit lengthy, but that’s okay; let’s look at Ephesians 2:8-9,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Is salvation related to works? Always remember, salvation is entirely by God’s grace; God’s grace has already been prepared. By faith, you receive it; it is not of yourselves but a gift from God! It is not because of good works but because God has given you this grace! Then let’s look at verse 13; what does it say? “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
What do you rely on to be accepted by God and enter the kingdom of heaven? That’s right! So a person who truly believes in Jesus will say, "Although my actions are not good enough now, my salvation is not based on my actions but on the blood of Jesus Christ. I have been brought near to God; I was once far from God, but now I am in Christ Jesus, relying on what? Believing, right?
I believe I am already in Christ Jesus; I believe that through the blood of Jesus Christ, I have been cleansed of all my sins! Amen!
This is a very easy thing to discern, so you must firmly remember this truth in your hearts. A person who truly has life, the life of Jesus Christ, will definitely have a change in their outward actions because it is impossible not to change; their life is no longer the same.
So what did those people in the Old Testament rely on for salvation? Was it works? Look at a person, for example, Noah. What did Noah rely on for salvation? Was it works? Let’s look at the scripture, Hebrews 11:7; let’s read it together,
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
What did Noah rely on for salvation? It was still faith, did you notice? It was still belief. So some might say, under the law, under the Old Testament law of Moses, what did people rely on for salvation? It was still faith, brothers and sisters, still faith. What did they believe? They believed that when they sinned, they would bring a bull or sheep to the priest, and when that bull or sheep shed its blood for their sins, they would no longer be condemned. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, whether in the Old Testament or today in our New Testament, we are saved by faith; at no time is it related to your works! Remember, at no time is your salvation related to your works! Amen! If there were no sacrificial system, all the Israelites would die. What is the difference we have?
In the Old Testament, was there Jesus? No. So what did people in the Old Testament believe? Brothers and sisters, listen carefully; this is very important. In the Old Testament, let’s look at the front; in the middle is Jesus; on this side is the Old Testament, and on that side is the New Testament. I am a person under the Old Testament. What do I rely on for salvation?
I believe that a Savior will come in the future who can forgive my sins, and His blood can cleanse me of all my sins. Now I offer this bull or sheep; these are all shadows, all prefigurations. Amen!
So they believe that this shadow can temporarily cover their sins until the true Messiah comes in the future, who can take away all their sins. Because of this faith, they are saved! Amen! So how was Noah saved? By faith, being warned by God about what? About future events! Amen!
He believed that a Messiah would come in the future who could forgive his sins! Amen! Well, in the time of Jesus, did Jesus personally lead the disciples? Jesus said, "If you believe I am the Son of God, you will be saved." So at that time, you no longer needed to bring bulls or sheep for sacrifice, right? The true lamb had already come! So at that time, as long as you believe in Jesus, you are saved because He is about to die for your sins on the cross; you no longer need to use the blood of bulls and sheep.
In our New Testament, has Jesus already come? We already know that this Savior's name is Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the eternal sacrifice for sin. So what do we believe today? We believe in Jesus, who died on the cross and has cleansed me of all my sins! Amen!
Do you see the difference? In Noah’s time, he believed in a future event; in the time of Jesus, he believed in a present event; in our New Testament era today, we believe in a completed event! Hallelujah!
So once we understand this clearly, you will find it is very easy. Whether in the Old Testament or today’s New Testament, we believe in the same Lord! Hallelujah! Do we need to bring bulls and sheep for sacrifice again? Because an eternal sacrifice has already been offered, which is Jesus! Let’s look at a passage from Romans 3:19-24. Everyone look at it, "We know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law."
Where are you? Are you under the law? Where are you? The Bible says very clearly in Romans 5, it quickly says, "Today sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law but under grace." So to whom are the words of the law spoken? They are spoken to those under the law, Amen!
So just now we read, "Do not judge others, lest you be judged; for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Is this not spoken to those under the law? So that statement is directed at those under the law to shut their mouths. If you know that you have many problems and you are often judged by God, will they not shut their mouths and stop judging others? So it is to shut every mouth, so that all people may be brought under the judgment of God.
Brothers and sisters, where are those who have not accepted Jesus? Are they under the law or under grace? That’s right! Those who have not accepted Jesus are all under the law; all people are brought under God’s judgment, Amen! Because no one can be justified before God by their own works of the law, Amen! Today we are different. Let’s look at the next part, "But now,"
This is a contrasting statement to those before, right? "But now, the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it." Please ask, where is apart from the law? Of course, it is under grace; apart from the law means under grace. So, "The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." Amen! Is this grace? Yes.
How is the righteousness of God given to you apart from the law? It is given freely through faith! It is given freely to you! Amen! Then it goes on to say, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Is there any mention of your works here? Brothers and sisters, this is very important! So once we interpret this verse, you will know that your salvation today is not because your works are good, not because you are diligent enough, but because you believe correctly, Amen! Believe correctly.
But the passage also mentions that only those who do the will of my Father can enter!
Let’s share the second point: Entering the kingdom of heaven is unrelated to works; we need to understand what God’s will is.
Since it mentions that only those who do the will of my Father can enter, we need to understand what this will of the Father is. Let’s read John 6:28-29 together,
Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
People have a characteristic of always wanting to do something; if they do something, they feel secure. But what does God say? You believe, and that is doing the work of God! Amen! Originally, when you believe, you are already working. In God’s eyes, your correct belief in Him is already working.
We always feel that we must do something to believe, but God says, "No, you need to believe correctly; believe in Him whom God has sent." Who is sent by God? That’s right, the one sent by God is Jesus! You know? You need to believe in God, and He will work for you, Amen! What did we do when we were saved? You did nothing! You believed that Jesus has done everything for you! Amen!
So the difference between being under the law and under grace is too great! Then you see, John 6:40 says, because you see, the words Jesus said earlier lead to this conclusion, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life."
Is this not the condition for entering the kingdom of heaven?
Is this not the will of our Father?
So to do the will of the Father means you need to see Jesus and believe in Him, and you will receive eternal life; this is the will of the Father! Moreover, our Father said, "And I will raise him up on the last day." This is the will of the Father.
The will of the Father has never been to expect you to have good behavior to please Him; this is not the will of the Father. The will of the Father is, "Lord, I believe You can bless me; You can give me strength; You can provide for me; You can change my current situation," Amen! You need to believe; this is our Father’s intention!
Many people understand the will of the Father as striving to perform good deeds, trying to behave better. So we have invented a term; many people say, "I also believe in Jesus, but I believe poorly." What is the boundary between good and poor belief?
What does it mean to believe well? What does it mean to believe poorly?
Many people say, "Oh, I believe poorly; I owe God." That’s right, but may I ask, who does not owe God? Who does not owe God? We just read the verse, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Does not everyone owe God?
So brothers and sisters, we are always debtors; you are always in debt to God. However, through Jesus Christ, He has made up for all that you owe, Amen! At that time, you cannot say, "Oh, I believe poorly." It is not about whether you believe well or poorly; it is about whether you believe or do not believe.
Does the Bible ever mention the term "believing poorly"? No! We have invented many strange terms, ambiguous things. The Bible only has two categories: you believe or you do not believe; there is no issue of believing poorly! If you believe, you are good in God’s eyes, Amen!
If you believe, you are pleasing to God in His eyes; it is that simple! If you believe, you are blessed by God; it is that simple. There is no concept of believing poorly; the Bible says very clearly, "That everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life." This is the will of our Father, Amen!
What does eternal life mean? You not only enter the kingdom of heaven but also receive the abundant life blessings of the kingdom of heaven. Today, many people do not receive because they do not believe; they do not believe that God will bless them freely. So they prefer to believe that sickness, accidents, pain, and poverty are what God wants to give them; they do not believe that blessings, prosperity, and success are what God gives them. When we talk about success, they will say, "Oh, that’s prosperity theology." You can choose not to believe, but we must believe this, Amen!
Jesus has never opposed us saying, "Oh, you cannot live too well in this world; you must suffer a bit to be like my children." Did our Lord Jesus live in such suffering? So should we not live like Jesus? That’s right.
When Jesus was on earth, was He very suffering? Was He poor? Was He lowly? Remember, brothers and sisters, when He was on earth, He lived out the demeanor of a prince of the kingdom of heaven, Amen! Do you think that in the end, Jesus lost His power? You see, when those soldiers came to arrest Jesus on the night of the fourteenth, when the moon was very bright, carrying torches, they came to arrest Jesus. Jesus asked, "Whom do you seek?" They said, "We seek Jesus." He said, "I am!" And they fell back.
May I ask, if Jesus did not willingly go to the cross, who could capture Him? He willingly went, so He inherently possessed the glory of God; He just willingly obeyed, humbly submitted, and obeyed unto death for whom? For us, Amen!
For you, from poverty to abundance; from past weakness to strength; from death to eternal life, Hallelujah! So we must correctly understand the will of the Father. The will of the Father is for you to believe in everything His Son, Jesus Christ, has done. However, many people say, "Oh, Teacher, you make entering the kingdom of heaven too easy; many people will enter the kingdom of heaven."
Brothers and sisters, do you think such people are annoying? It seems that the more people enter the kingdom of heaven, the more uncomfortable they feel, as if only they should enter and others should not enter so easily. Many people add many tests and stumbling blocks to entering the kingdom of heaven, saying you cannot enter so easily.
Brothers and sisters, this does not conform to the Bible. So later, I asked them, "Do you have biblical support for what you say?" They said yes, the Bible says, "The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and the violent take it by force." I said, "Alright, let’s look at this passage together, shall we?"
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
Alright, this is from Matthew 11. Since the Bible indeed has this statement, let’s see if we should look at the preceding and following sentences. Does it not say very clearly? From when to when? From the days of John the Baptist until now.
Is this statement made by Jesus? Then who began preaching first? Was it John the Baptist or Jesus?
That’s right! Remember, John the Baptist began preaching six months before Jesus. So what was John the Baptist preaching? The baptism of repentance, right? He called people to repent. Repent for what? He said, "Prepare your hearts for the one who is coming after me, who is the Messiah, right?"
He will baptize you with fire and the Holy Spirit, right? Is that not Jesus? Yes! So when Jesus says in Matthew 11, "From the days of John the Baptist until now," He is the one John spoke of, right? So Jesus says, from the time he began preaching the gospel until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence. Do you understand? Because when John preached the gospel, he still had to tell others, "You should be content; if you have two coats, be content; if you have extra, share with the poor; do not be greedy, do not do this, do not do that." In fact, he was still talking about the law, right?
But when Jesus came, He was no longer talking about the law; He told people, "Believe in me, and you will receive eternal life." But could John say that? Could John the Baptist say, "If you believe in me, you can enter the kingdom of heaven"? He could not because he was not the one; he could only point to Jesus.
But when Jesus speaks, He says, from John until now, the kingdom of heaven has indeed suffered violence. Striving to have good behavior, keeping the law, striving to believe, striving to show good behavior to be accepted by God, but until when? Until John, it stops. Now we do not believe in John; we believe in Jesus Christ, Amen!
So if you believe in John the Baptist, please strive to enter the kingdom of heaven. The original meaning is even more intense; the original meaning refers to violent effort. That is, put in as much effort as you can to enter the kingdom of heaven. Isn’t that interesting? Violent effort! But now, at the time of Jesus, you no longer need to strive violently; you just need to believe to receive everything! Amen!
So once this scripture is unlocked, we will all understand. Let’s look a little further; the false prophets rely on their own works; they do not believe. Jesus has already come, and they do not believe. So at that time, many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?"
May I ask, are these false prophets speaking of works? Let me give you a live example. If one day a preacher does not enter the kingdom of heaven, when he reaches the door, he says to Jesus, "Lord, Lord, open the door for me; I have preached your word all my life, given up my family and career for you, performed many miracles, healed many people, comforted many people; why won’t you let me in?"
What are they relying on? That’s right! If we rely on works, Jesus would say, "You evil doer, because you have done so few good things, and you have listed them all, what is left? All bad things!" If we want to rely on good works to enter the kingdom of heaven, the outcome will certainly be that in God’s eyes, we are evil doers. So how should we speak?
Before God, we rely not on our works but on believing in Jesus; His works are good, Amen! So in Luke 13, "Someone asked Jesus, Lord, will those who are saved be few?' Jesus said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow door, for I tell you, many will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, I do not know where you come from.'" You see, at that time, how did they say it?
"Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'**" Alright, this is interesting; they start to claim kinship. Do you see? They start to claim kinship, saying, "**At that time, you will say, We ate and drank in your presence.'"
This means, "Jesus, how can you say you do not know us? We have eaten together!" Eating at the same table does not guarantee you will be saved, does it? No! Then they say, "You also taught in our streets." Does that mean he heard? Yes! Did he believe? No!
He said, "Jesus, I saw you on our street teaching people to believe in Jesus. You see, but he did not believe; others believed, but he did not. So Jesus said, "I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil."
If we do not believe in the Lord, we are evil doers in God’s eyes. If we believe in Jesus, you are righteous in God’s eyes and are no longer an evil person, Amen! So this point, we must understand. Looking at today’s text, it says, "Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" He says, "Lord, I have done many things; I have healed the sick in Jesus’ name, preached the word, and done many things. How can you say you do not know me?"
Can good works allow you to enter the kingdom of heaven? No! Remember, brothers and sisters, what do we rely on for salvation? Faith in Jesus Christ; this is indeed the will of our Father! If you are outside the will of the Father and want to rely on works, you are an evil person in God’s eyes. So do not boast about how good your works are before God; this is very bad.
"Lord, look, I have done so many good things; you should accept me." God says, "Depart from me, you evil doers! There is only one way: Lord, I believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has forgiven all my sins. So I believe I am your child; I am justified by you. In Jesus Christ, I can receive your eternal life." This is the condition for entering the kingdom of heaven, Amen!
In verse 23, Jesus says, "And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you.’" Today, many people are like this, saying, "That’s right, our salvation is by faith, but if you believe and then do not have good works, I’m sorry, you will be cut down and thrown into the fire." Have you heard such arguments?
If you believe and then do not have good works, you will be cut down and thrown away, thrown into the fire. But what does the Bible say? Does the Bible say that if you believe and enter the kingdom of heaven, but if you still do not have good works in the kingdom of heaven, you will be thrown out? Has it ever said that?
It has never said that.
If Jesus were to change His words here, we would all need to be careful. Let me read it to you. For example, in verse 23, Jesus says, "I will clearly tell them, `At first, I knew you, but later, your works were not good enough, so I do not know you. Depart from me, you workers of evil.’" If this verse were changed to mean this, then I would teach you to strive to have good works after believing in the Lord. Do not sin, or you will be in trouble. But what does the Bible say?
The Bible says Jesus said, "I never knew you." What does this mean? From the beginning, I did not know you; do not try to get close to me! From the beginning, we were not on the same path; you are a wolf, and I am a sheep. How can you say you are part of my family?
From the beginning, this person was thorns and thistles, while we are grapes. Can they be the same? Even if that thorn looks similar to a grape, is it still a grape? It is still a thorn! It is still thistle!
So brothers and sisters, the lives are completely different, right? So we need to clarify this. Brothers and sisters, this means that when our life is the same as Jesus, we are the same. Even if you make mistakes today, you are still a child of God, right?
Many of you have children. This child has a father-son or mother-son relationship with you. If he makes a mistake, is he still your child? Yes! You cannot say, "I do not know whose child you are; how did you come to my house?" Have you ever taught your child like this?
So when we understand this passage, it says, "You workers of evil, depart from me!" In this text, Jesus says, "I never knew you; you workers of evil, depart from me!" This proves that he is not a child, not a child of God at all, Amen! In other words, he did not believe at all, Amen! If he believed, would Jesus cast you away? Are you sure? Let’s look at a passage from John 10:26-27,
"But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Alright, brothers and sisters, what is our relationship with Jesus? We are Jesus’ sheep, right? So we can hear Jesus’ voice, Amen! Now, do you have discernment? Do you think what I am saying today is in line with the Bible? Is it that in the matter of salvation, we cannot add anything else? It is just faith, and absolutely nothing else can be added!
So Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice." So when you listen to the sermon, you need to have discernment; you need to hear what is true and what is not. After listening to the sermon, go back and examine the Bible to see if it is true. We hear the voice of the Lord Jesus; He knows us, Amen.
It is absolutely impossible for Him to say, "I never knew you." That would prove that from the beginning, you may not have believed. So it is very simple; as long as you believe in Jesus, Jesus will always know you because He knows the names of His sheep. Are you sure Jesus knows your names? If you are sure, you should believe in another thing, which is that God, our Lord Jesus Christ, will never cast you away. Is there biblical support for this? Let’s read this last passage together; I hope you can memorize it, and then remember who you are at all times. Jesus will never cast you away.
John 6:35-37
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
Today, it is not about you striving to maintain this salvation, saying, "Lord, I want to strive to maintain this identity of a righteous person because if I sin, God will not want me." You are wrong; it is not about you striving to maintain it; who maintains it? It is Jesus! Jesus says, "I will hold onto you forever; I will not let go." So you can rest assured! Why do you always worry about this issue?
Many times, what we worry about is actually unnecessary. Let me tell you an example. Have any of you ever ridden a roller coaster? If you have, right? For example, when you are on the roller coaster, when it goes down, does your heart jump the most? At that moment, do you hold on tightly? Do you hold on tightly? May I ask, what happens if you do not hold on? Ah, you understand, even if you do not hold on, it does not matter. Why? Because the safety bar has already been secured, right? Even if you let go at that moment, will you fall? No, because the safety bar is already secured.
But at that moment, because you are afraid, you use all your strength to hold onto that iron bar. You are afraid of falling, but that feeling is wrong!
Brothers and sisters, you know? When you accepted Jesus, He had already secured that safety bar tightly around you. When you encounter difficulties, you will say, "Ah..." You use all your strength to hold onto that thing. In fact, you can let go without any problem, Amen! So you will not lose your salvation because when you believe, you are in Jesus Christ; no one can take you away from Jesus. Those who come to Jesus, He will never cast out! Hallelujah!
Alright, let’s pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Today, as we enter the New Year, we wish to spread the gospel of Christ to more people. It is not difficult at all to obtain the kingdom of heaven and salvation; as long as we believe, as long as we believe that Jesus, You have accomplished everything for us on the cross. You shed Your precious blood, which has forgiven all my sins. You died and rose from the dead, making me justified, and I am justified forever.
My justification is absolutely not because my works are good but because I have correctly believed in You!
Lord, but when I correctly believe in You, the Holy Spirit will dwell in me; He will renew my life and bring forth good works! My life is already in Your hands; everything I have is in Jesus Christ. I know that I am justified by faith; this justification is eternal. You have allowed me to remain in Jesus Christ; no one can pull me out of here because when I believe in Jesus, You will never cast me away. It is not about me striving to maintain this identity of a righteous person; it is because You have held onto me forever. You not only hold onto me to let me enter the kingdom of heaven, but You also want to give me all the blessings in the kingdom of heaven. I just need to believe correctly in You, believe that You are the one who blesses me, believe that wherever I go, You will freely add Your grace upon me!
Lord Jesus, I love You so much because You have accomplished all this for me. You have freely given me salvation, and You will also renew my life, give me wisdom and eloquence, so that I can tell this good news to those around me, so that more people can believe in You with me and accept this wonderful and loving Father! Jesus, I thank You for loving me so much! Thank You and praise You! Please remember my family and friends around me, and let their eyes also recognize You! All glory be to You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!