One of the most disturbing scenes in Scripture is this one:
21 “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 in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’” (Mt 7:21-23)
This scene is upsetting because it shows there will be MANY people at judgement day who think they are saved but they are not. They will appear before Jesus expecting to get into Heaven, but He will turn them away and banish them to hell forever. These people think they are believers in Jesus as Savior, but they are not. Why did Jesus turn them away? Why did they expect to get into Heaven? Why do I say they are not true believers in Christ?
The answer is that they are relying upon themselves and their ‘good works’ for salvation. Verse 22 makes it clear that they expected Jesus to let them in because of their resume of ‘good works’ in Jesus Name. These people were relying on their own efforts to get into Heaven. They were trying to buy their way into Heaven with their good works thinking that Jesus owed them and should let them into Heaven.
I bring this up because I’m concerned about the many people who think they are Christians, true believers in Christ, but are not and are going to hell. I want to make sure that you are not one of them.
In the modern church era now, churches swung the doors wide open for non-believers to come in. They alter their services to attract non-believers in great numbers. They water down preaching for non-believers and sometime just tell them what they want to hear. They change their worship services for these non-believers, so it is more pleasing to them. Some of these changes are subtle and some are dramatic, but they all serve the same purpose. To make the non-believer fit in and feel at home even if they are not a true believer. Many church leaders are only interested in the numeric growth of their church and not the spiritual growth of the individual.
The result of all this, I believe, is that many churches are making these non-believers feel ‘religious’ and that they are true believers when they are not. I believe this modern church movement is deceiving many people into thinking they are saved when they are not. In a sense, these churches are adding to the number of people being condemned in the passage above because they think they are saved but are not. I don’t want you to be one of them.
True salvation only comes through a belief in Jesus Christ as Savior. It is a belief where you understand that you are a sinner and that your sin will condemn you. It is an understanding that there is nothing you can do on your own to erase those sins and earn your way into Heaven. It is a belief that Jesus Christ is God the Son who came from Heaven and died on the cross to take the penalty for your sin. That He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. That salvation comes through the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Salvation comes through complete trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you.
Here is how the Bible explains Jesus and how to be saved.
Jesus is the only way to be saved:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6)
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Ac 4:12)
People who don’t have faith in Christ to save them are condemned because their sin remains on them and that sin separates them from God:
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ( 1 Tim 2:5)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (Jn 3:36)
Salvation from God is a gift and it cannot be earned by good behavior or works:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9)
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Gal 2:16)
Salvation is only given to those who trust in Jesus and Him alone for salvation:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved … 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:9-10, 13)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Jn 3:16)
“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (Ac 16:31)
If you have never fully trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation, if you have thought in even the smallest way that your efforts at being ‘good’ are how you are saved, or if you looked to other ways to be saved … trust in Jesus alone as your Savior right now.
Admit you’re a sinner. Ask Him to save you. Trust Him to save you. Believe that He is the only way to be saved. Talk to Him now to save you.
Think about it
What is the difference between doing things for Jesus and actually knowing Jesus?
Do you believe you can work to earn your salvation? Keep in mind, if you say yes, you believe that you are putting God in debt to you … and that He owes you salvation. Do you really believe that God Almighty could ever owe you anything?
If someone asked you, “Why should Jesus let you into heaven?” what is the first answer that pops into your head? Does your answer lean toward what you have done or what He has done?
In what ways can modern church activities (music, lighting, generic positive messages, community events) create a false sense of spiritual security?
Why is partial trust in Jesus (e.g., Jesus’ grace + my good behavior) as dangerous as no trust at all?
Have you ever asked Jesus to save you? Have you ever put your full trust in Him to save you? If not, what are you going to do about that with what you learned today?
If you have any questions or want to tell me your reaction, please drop me an email or leave a comment.
