Matthew 7:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?’

NIV: Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

NASB: Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

CSB: 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?’

NLT: On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’

KJV: 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?

NKJV: Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

The prior statement, part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2), boldly indicated that not everyone who refers to Jesus as "Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven. Rather, it is those who do the will of God the Father who will be saved (Matthew 7:21). Those words are often misapplied and misunderstood. Mostly, this happens when someone assumes Jesus is requiring that good works are a condition for salvation. Not only would such an interpretation conflict with the rest of Scripture (Titus 3:5; Romans 11:6), it ignores what Jesus goes on to say here. In this verse, He specifically says that it's possible to fool yourself into thinking your actions are in service to God, when in reality, they're not.

Christ says that "on that day" some judged to be non-believers will protest. "That day," when used in the New Testament in the context of future events, often refers to the "day of the Lord" when Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth. In broad strokes, this is a reference to the point where a person is judged by God.

The complaint of some people, Jesus says, will be that they performed all kinds of impressive deeds—doesn't that prove they deserve heaven? As Christ goes on to state in the next verse, it does not (Matthew 7:23). It is possible to declare one's allegiance to Christ, to serve others supposedly in His name, and to do so without legitimately trusting in Christ for salvation. Jesus indicated that the first and foremost "work" demanded by God is belief in His Son (John 6:28–29).

This statement comes after Jesus declared that good actions, themselves, are not righteous unless motivated by sincerity and truth (Matthew 6:1, 5, 16). It also follows His warning that false believers can be identified—to others—by their spiritual fruit (Matthew 7:15–20). The only means to assess the spirituality of others is what they say and do (1 Samuel 16:7). We can, and should, do this (1 John 4:1; John 7:24), but always with a recognition of our own fallible nature (Matthew 7:1–5). Our own hearts, however, we can judge according to motives—and we should do so (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Christ's upcoming analogy, referring to foundations, will further enhance this idea (Matthew 7:24–27).

Matthew 7:15–23 contains a two-sided warning about false believers. A religious leader may appear respectable and wise, but you must look at the fruit of his life in order to know if he truly represents God. In the same way, it's possible for a person to claim to follow Jesus, referring to Him as "Lord," when they are not true believers. Only those who do the will of the Father will be allowed into the kingdom of heaven—which Jesus defines as beginning with true belief (John 6:28–29). Our good works might fool other people, and might even fool ourselves, but they cannot fool God.

Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus' teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of chapters 8 and 9.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.