The Question of Assurance

Continuing my studies on the Sermon on the Mount (which, as Greg correctly implied, shows that I am using Explore notes at the moment) brought me on to this section in Matthew chapter 7:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"

Matthew 7:21-23

This is a passage that seems to have caused many people considerable problems. On quite a few occasions since beginning work here, I've been asked questions about how we can be sure of our salvation based on this passage. Based on a first casual viewing, Jesus seems to be saying, "Look at all these people doing great things, and even they are turned away from the Kingdom of Heaven". To an extent, this is indeed what Jesus is saying, but the follow on logic says that, "Well, I don't do half as much as that. Surely I can't be as presumptuous as to say I'm saved". Unsurprisingly, this viewpoint is a particular problem from those who have grown up with a Roman Catholic background.

I think that the answer to this worry comes from understanding the nature of grace. To help illustrate this, I'm going to use a question rather popular with evangelists, because it is a way of figuring out where a person is placing their trust for salvation. I believe it originated with an Australian outreach scheme called Evangelism Explosion, and it has many different forms, the one I use goes something like this:

"If you were to die this minute, and were brought face-to-face with God, and He asks you, "Why should I let you into my heaven?", what would you answer?"

Generally speaking, any answer that begins, "You should let me in because I..." is wrong. There is nothing that we can possibly do that merits our entry into heaven, we are completely dependant on God's grace through Jesus' work for our salvation.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

Now what of these criers of "Lord, Lord" in Matthew chapter 7? Well, we can see what their answer is in these verses. On that last day, their appeal to God is on the basis of their mighty works and various acts to merit them with salvation, there is no mention of God's mercy, these people feel as though Heaven is theirs by right because they have done so much for God. Jesus' assessment of these people in verse 23 seems startling, but it is consistent with the teachings of the Old Testament. For example, Isaiah gives this assessment of human "righteousness":

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."

Isaiah 64:6a

Even our "good" deeds are like a "polluted garment" (ponder that imagery for a second, it's not pleasant...). How can we ever expect this to be acceptable to God?

In short, the teaching of this short passage is that there is no way to enter the Kingdom of Heaven simply by the basis of our works, even if they are "in Jesus name". Our only option is to fall on the mercy of God, and praise be to Him, mercy shall be provided.

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Romans 3:21-26

The Importance of a Right Doctrine of Heaven and Hell

From The Biblical Doctrine of Heaven and Hell by Edward Donnelly (published by Banner of Truth Trust):

"Hell is revealed as a place of torment where millions of human beings will be enclosed forever. Statisticians tell us that approximately ninety-five million people die every year. That means that, every second, three human beings enter hell or heaven. Within the next hour, eleven thousand men, woman and children will have gone forever to a place of everlasting joy or a place of everlasting pain. Imagine them dying even now, as you read these words - one, then another, then another. As you draw your next breath, several more are leaving this earth. When a plane crashes and two or three hundred people are suddenly snatched into eternity, everyone talks about it. It is an appalling disaster, headline news. And yet eleven thousand of our fellow human beings, every hour of every day of the year, are reaching their eternal destination. Surely for this reason alone such a doctrine must be an important one."