My Thoughts on Matthew 7:21-23, Eternal Security and the End of the World

-


Matthew 7:21-23 really is a grim reality. I don't think that Matthew 25's sheep and goats judgments happens at the Great White Throne. Rather, Matthew 7:21-23 happens in the Great White Throne. Jesus gave a warning that not all who call Him, "Lord, Lord" will enter the Kingdom of Heaven except those that do the will of His Father in Heaven. What is the will of the Father? John 6:40 says that the will of the Father is to believe in Him who was sent. The evidence of this belief is in a changed life. Now, we need to consider the context of these three verses. These three verses are often used by the eternal security crowd to suggest that you can lose your salvation. However, far from it, as I would discuss why I believe Matthew 7:21-23 addresses that if you're saved then you're always saved while it attaches a warning against fake converts.

Matthew 7:22 shows us the arrogance and dishonesty of these people. What always disturbed me was why are people in Hell no longer given another chance. Are people in Hell really repentant? If you read Luke 16:19-31 carefully then notice the rich man's actions. Even in Hell, he still thinks he can order Lazarus around. How arrogant would the rich man think to still order Lazarus around to cool his tongue when he refused a crumb! Here, we see people who have been in Hell for centuries already are still arrogant. Try to notice how they talk. Many of them will claim to be prophets, exorcists, and have done many wonders. My favorite rendition is wonderful works (KJV) or mighty works (ESV). Other translations use the word miracles such as the NIV. We see that these people are still trying to enter Heaven based on their own merit, even after they were sent to Hell many centuries prior to the Great White Throne Judgment. Notice that no amount of time in Hell even humbled them. Instead, they're all still trying to justify themselves before God.

Matthew 7:23 now tells us what they heard before and they will hear it again. The Greek word for never is oudepote meaning "not ever, not even ever". It's an absolute denial that they had a real loving relationship with Jesus. I'm amazed that such people have been in Hell yet they just don't get it. Are these people even saved to start with? No, they weren't saved. They showed that they were unsaved when Jesus will eventually call them doers of lawlessness. Many of these people who brag about their good works tend to live sinful lives. Some people give lots of money to charity but they're also involved in sexual immorality. Some people may be as law-abiding as they may be no idolater can enter Heaven. A homosexual may live the best life but no homosexual can enter Heaven. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says the unrighteous can't enter the Kingdom of God. The even worse news is that Romans 3:10-19 says nobody is righteous, no not one, in the standards of God! We really are cut short. These guys thought that they were good enough but no, their best was not enough and they're told to depart. 

At this point, I think the wickedness of man is further magnified in Hell. These people are beyond repentance as these passages show. They will still think they don't deserve Hell. Hell will be a place for the wicked of all kinds. Even wicked people can do good works making works salvation all the more impossible to achieve (Isaiah 64:6, James 2:10-11).

See also: