There are two kinds of “Christianity.” One is a religion that, on paper, intellectually adheres to all the correct theological recipes and doctrines about Jesus’ Lordship and Divinity. The other is a way of life—represented by the kingdom of heaven—embodied by Christ-like individuals who live out the values Jesus taught and demonstrated. These values include loving-kindness, empathy, justice, compassion, extending grace, forgiveness, humility, and selflessness. While the former is frequently motivated by a desire for political power and concentrates on theoretical religious formulas, the latter embodies a transformative way of living that mirrors the heart and character of Jesus through an individual’s worldview, values, actions, and relationships.
With that in mind, let’s read one of the most frequently quoted portions from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount:
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 who is in heaven. 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?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
Matthew 7:21-23
“Lord, Lord”
Many people intellectually affirm sound theology and acknowledge Jesus as their “Lord.” This title, especially when used for Jesus, is a mark of respect and signifies deity. Let’s use an extreme yet relevant example. The Ku Klux Klan has historically portrayed itself as a Christian organization, using Christian symbols and rhetoric to justify its ideology and actions. Most of its leaders identified as Christians, including preachers and ministers. For instance, William Joseph Simmons, a Methodist preacher, was involved in the founding of the second Ku Klux Klan in 1915. Other preachers and ministers like him contributed to the Klan’s efforts to present itself as a defender of Protestant Christian values despite the organization’s actions and beliefs being fundamentally opposed to Jesus’s teachings.
Many individuals, today and throughout history, are intellectually submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, as evidenced by the way Jesus describes their enthusiastic proclamation, “Lord, Lord.” They appear to be aligned in their understanding of who Christ is and seem fully committed to religious conduct. They probably attend church every Sunday and are actively involved in commendable “good works;” they preach, teach, prophesy, perform exorcisms, and even exhibit supernatural signs (Matthew 7:22). This resembles the same attitude Paul spoke of:
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:2
“Many Will Say To Me”
Moreover, they are not a mere handful but “many” in number, highlighting that this form of religious self-deception is not a rare phenomenon but rather widespread—the “wide road” of religion. Consider the irony: Many televangelists boast about the miracles they have performed in Jesus’s name, and many pastors and theologians take pride in prophesying and teaching in Jesus’s name (verse 22), yet Jesus disapproves of their ministry and points out that they are evildoers. The root of their lawlessness is not found in women donning colorful shorts and dancing with long-haired men to blaring music; it lies elsewhere entirely.
Recall what Jesus taught his crowd in his Sermon on the Mountain: humility, meekness, righteousness, mercy, peacemaking, compassion, forgiveness, and loving-kindness. These teachings encapsulate “doing the will of the Father,” which they crucially did not practice. Their lack of this practice hindered them from entering the kingdom of God.
“Enter the Kingdom”
In Jesus’s time, societal divisions were stark. The wealthy often resided within the safety and prosperity of kingdom walls, while those outside lived in relative poverty and vulnerability. Metaphorically speaking, real estate within the walls is always highly sought after. This societal setup is an analogy for the spiritual kingdom, suggesting that, spiritually and metaphorically speaking, some might end up in conditions akin to those less fortunate living outside the kingdom walls, essentially losing their privileged status, struggling, and perhaps in shame.
Entering the kingdom, therefore, symbolically signifies gaining a status of respect and honor for being close to God. Yet, not every Christian will automatically receive a privileged position in this kingdom; only those Jesus said he “knows.”
“I Never Knew You!”
In Judaism, to “know” someone means to have a close, intimate relationship with and support what they stand for. Being an admired pastor and teacher with millions of followers on social media, leading a Bible College or renowned evangelistic ministry, or pastoring a church doesn’t guarantee that Jesus “acknowledges” you or, in other words, approves of your ministry. Merely proclaiming, “I was ‘born again’ 20 years ago,” or boasting about numerical accomplishments in Christian ministry does not ensure special recognition from Jesus or attest to having a genuine intimacy with God. By “intimacy,” I’m not speaking of mystical charismatic experiences but about knowledge—of God and His will—that translates to fruit; “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (verse 16). Do they exhibit the fruit of love—such as being kind, gracious, compassionate, and forgiving even towards their adversaries? Or is their fruit limited to religious legalism, condescension, and residing in a religious ivory tower? Are the individuals under their leadership spiritually flourishing and emotionally thriving, or are they experiencing depression, stubbornness, and anxiety?
The teachings of Jesus underscore the crucial element of spiritual life: it’s not about religious piety and outward performance but about the essential transformation of one’s heart to align with God’s will and its expanding ability to love and bless others truly. Merely performing religious acts or proclaiming Jesus’s name is not enough to gain respect and honor that would secure a place in His Kingdom. Jesus’s caution is not regarding salvation from hellfire—which is not at all implied in the context—but rather about the rewards and responsibilities that await those who act according to God’s will.
Conclusion
If Jesus’ teachings indicated that “many” would be rejected concerning their salvation from hellfire, it could seem that a significant number of Christians might be at risk of eternal damnation. This interpretation could seem at odds with Paul’s teachings, which indicate that “all are justified freely by his grace,” (Romans 3:24) not merely a select few, since salvation is a free “gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In this context, however, being ‘known’ by Jesus, ‘seeing,’ or ‘entering’ the Kingdom serve as metaphors not for escaping hellfire but for being in close communion with God, a reward for the manner in which we live our lives. Unlike salvation, the rewards, treasures, honor, and respect are to be earned through “doing the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21).
Assuming Jesus’s declaration that “many” have it wrong in his name is true, don’t be surprised to find many churchgoers, ministers, seminary students, theologians, and pastors in that category.
This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine
