What does the Bible say about “the one who does the will of my Father” (Matthew 7:21)?

Near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes a startling statement: “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” (Matthew 7:21). Obviously, doing the will of the Father is of prime importance. Life—eternal life—depends on it.

The context of Jesus’ statement is as follows:

Everyone desires good communication. Communication enables us to know the will of someone else. Life is much easier when an employee knows the boss’s expectations, the student the teacher’s, and most importantly, when a son or a daughter knows what Dad wants. Going about life oblivious to expectations only brings about relational anxiety and stress, but when expectations are clear, our hearts are brought to peace and assurance. More than anyone else, God understands the need for clear communication. Thankfully, Jesus tells us clearly in Matthew 7 what God desires that we may do the will of the Father.

In Matthew 7:15–20, Jesus likens doing God’s will to a tree that bears fruit. A fruit tree that does not produce fruit is not in essence a fruit tree. It has betrayed its very being. At the very least, the fruit tree is not fulfilling the purpose for which it is designed. For a fruit tree to be worthy of the name, it must produce fruit.

Jesus likened the unproductive fruit tree to the unproductive “prophets” of the day (Matthew 7:15). These pretenders went about declaring “Lord, Lord,” claiming to cast out demons, and doing wondrous works, all the while missing the expectations of God Himself. Jesus tells them that the Father sees through their masquerades and charades. He calls them “evildoers” and declares that He doesn’t know or recognize them (verse 23).

Jesus continues in Matthew 7:24–29, contrasting the lawless prophets to true disciples who build their lives on a rock. The false professors build on shifting sand. They claim to live well, yet they are unstable, lawless, and fruitless. Jesus wants them to know the clear communication of the Father in heaven so their lives can be fruitful, righteous, and steady.

There are several truths to be gleaned from Jesus’ words concerning “the one who does the will of my Father.” First, actions speak more loudly than words. There are people claiming to know God, and all the while God has never known them. Words are not enough. Professions of faith in Christ and declarations of fealty to Him must be followed by Christlike action. It’s not enough for a tree to be labeled “apple tree”; it must produce apples.

Second, the priority of salvation is not that we do things in Jesus’ name but that Jesus knows us. The pretenders do many things in Jesus’ name (Matthew 7:22), and they have great confidence in themselves that they are worthy of heaven. But Jesus will declare to them, “I never knew you” (verse 22). Those whom Jesus knows—those of whom He approves—are those who do the will of His Father in heaven.

Third, Jesus is the Judge. The conversation Jesus has with the false professors takes place at the final judgment. It is to Christ that sinners must give account. “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

If the only way to “enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21) is to do the will of the Father in heaven, then what is the will of God? The answer is found in the rest of Jesus’ sermon. All that comes before Matthew 7:21 paints a picture of the one who truly follows Christ and is known by Him. Those who do the Father’s will are showing by their actions that their faith is real. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22; see also James 2:26).

The starting point is faith in Christ. One day, some people came to Jesus and asked Him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” (John 6:28). Jesus answered not with a list of good deeds to perform but with an emphasis on faith: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice” is wisely building his life on the solid rock (Matthew 7:24). The one who follows Jesus will inevitably produce righteousness, and he it is who does the will of the Father.