In the final section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus presents one of the most sobering warnings in all of Scripture. He tells us that not everyone who calls Him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. These are not people who openly reject Christ—they call Him “Lord.” They are, outwardly, part of the faith community. Yet Jesus says to some of them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).
This startling statement reveals that spiritual authenticity is not measured merely by verbal profession or even outward displays of religious activity. People can speak about Jesus, serve in His name, even perform mighty works, and still lack the one thing that matters most: a genuine relationship with Him. The essential question is not, “Do I claim to know Jesus?” but rather, “Does Jesus know me?”
It is possible to be near the things of God without truly belonging to Him. Jesus confronts this danger by distinguishing between saying and doing, hearing and obeying. These are two different ways of responding to His teaching—and only one leads to life.
Profession vs. Possession
In this passage, Jesus transitions from warning about false teachers to exposing false disciples—people who have made a verbal commitment but whose lives bear no evidence of real transformation. While Scripture affirms the importance of confessing Christ publicly (Romans 10:9), it also stresses that true faith is more than words. It must be accompanied by a life of obedience. Jesus is not looking for lip service; He is seeking hearts that have been changed and lives that reflect that change.
There is a crucial difference between profession (saying we believe) and possession (actually knowing Christ and being known by Him). This is why Jesus asks in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Obedience is not the cause of salvation but the evidence of it. Faith that does not result in a changed life is not saving faith. As James puts it, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).
Obedience as the Evidence of Love
Jesus’ teaching here reminds us that love for Him is demonstrated through obedience. If we say we love Christ but live in a way that consistently contradicts His commands, we are deceiving ourselves. We are called to examine our lives—not comparing ourselves to others, but looking at the trajectory of our own growth.
When someone comes to faith in Christ, there are typically three kinds of responses in the moral life. First, some things may change quickly—perhaps a desire to read Scripture or a conviction about certain behaviors. Second, there are other areas that improve gradually as the believer grows in grace. And third, there are persistent struggles—what we might call “spiritual gristle”—that remain as ongoing battles throughout this life.
These lingering struggles aren’t a sign of failure, but a reminder of our need for God’s grace and power. Like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12), they keep us dependent on the Lord and humble in our walk.
The Foundation Hidden from View
To illustrate His point, Jesus uses the parable of two builders. Both hear His words. One acts on them; the other does not. The difference is not in what they heard, but in what they did with what they heard. The wise builder digs deep and lays his foundation on the rock. The foolish builder skips the foundation and builds on sand. When the storm comes—and it always does—the true quality of the structure is revealed.
This is an image of judgment. Everyone builds something with their lives, but only those who build on Christ will endure. The storms of life—and ultimately the judgment of God—will test what we have built. Paul echoes this in 1 Corinthians 3:11–15, where he describes how every believer’s work will be tested by fire. Some will receive reward; others will suffer loss, though they themselves will be saved.
The key point is this: it’s possible to build with the wrong materials—even on the right foundation. We can do good things with the wrong motives or in the power of the flesh instead of the Spirit. We can teach, counsel, serve, or lead, but unless it is done in dependence on Christ, it may not endure. Our foundation must be Christ, and our daily obedience must flow from His life within us.
The Long Road of Sanctification
The Christian life is not defined by perfection but by direction. We are not talking about sinlessness, but about progress—evidence of growth and transformation. This includes how we think, how we relate to others, how we handle money, how we deal with temptation. The evidence may be slow and incremental, but it should be present. It’s not about arriving; it’s about moving forward.
When someone says, “I feel like more of a sinner now than I did before I came to Christ,” that can be a good sign. It likely means the Spirit is at work, revealing sin that was once hidden or ignored. Before Christ, we sinned with impunity. After Christ, we are grieved by what once gave us pleasure. That conviction is a mark of God’s grace.
We must also be aware of the danger of self-deception. Practice reveals belief. If we continually live in ways that contradict the gospel, without remorse or conviction, then we must ask whether our faith is real. A genuine relationship with Jesus will always result in a growing desire to follow Him—not perfectly, but sincerely.
Strangers in a Foreign Land
As believers, we are not at home in this world. We are citizens of heaven, living as pilgrims and strangers. We are, as it were, amphibious—partaking of both earth and heaven. This tension reminds us that we are still in process. Jesus said He is preparing a place for us (John 14:2–3), but we’re not there yet. And in the meantime, we walk by faith, we wrestle with sin, and we pursue obedience—not to earn God’s love, but to respond to it.
The struggles we face—the trials, temptations, weaknesses—are not obstacles to be removed, but tools in God’s hand to shape us. He knows that if He gave us all we wanted, we would become arrogant and independent. So, in love, He allows us to struggle, to stumble, and to learn dependence on Him.
A Call to Action
In the end, Jesus invites us to build wisely. Hearing is not enough. Knowledge is not enough. What matters is whether we act on what we hear—whether we respond to Christ not only with our words, but with our lives.
Let us not settle for a shallow faith that crumbles under pressure. Let us dig deep, build on the rock, and walk in the obedience of love. For in the end, what matters most is not what we said about Jesus, but whether we knew Him—and were known by Him.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them… is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
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Questions for Reflection
- Is there evidence in your life of genuine transformation through your relationship with Christ? Consider your thoughts, actions, and attitudes. How have they changed since you professed faith in Jesus? Are you growing in obedience and becoming more like Him?
- Are you building your life on the solid foundation of Christ—or on something else? Reflect on what your “foundation” truly is. When trials come, do you find strength and stability in Christ alone, or do you discover that your security rests on shifting ground?
- Do your daily choices reflect a faith that is lived out—or merely spoken? Jesus warned of the danger of calling Him “Lord” without doing what He says. In what areas of your life is the Spirit calling you to move from hearing to doing?
- How is God using your ongoing struggles to deepen your dependence on Him? Everyone has spiritual “gristle”—persistent weaknesses or thorns. Instead of hiding or ignoring them, how can you let those struggles become opportunities for humility, grace, and growth in Christ?
