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Scripture Reading: Matt. 7:13-27
In this chapter we will consider the last section of the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 5 through 7. In the first six sections the Lord spoke concerning the living of the kingdom people. The last section is a conclusion that speaks of the principles of the kingdom people’s living and work. This section shows how a person under the ruling of the heavens should live and work on the earth, and it reveals the basis on which his living and work will be judged. These principles are the foundation of the living and work of the people of the kingdom of the heavens.
The Lord first spoke of the gate and the way. In Matthew 7:13 and 14 He said, “Enter in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it. Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” There are two kinds of gates and two ways before the people of the kingdom of the heavens. There are the wide gate and the broad way that lead to destruction, and there are the narrow gate and the constricted way that lead to life. The people of the kingdom of the heavens must not take the wide gate or the broad way; they should take the narrow gate and the constricted way. The first principle for the living and work of the people of the kingdom of the heavens is to enter the narrow gate and to take the constricted way.
There are no restrictions with the wide gate and the broad way, but the narrow gate and the constricted way are restricted. When people enter or leave a house, they prefer to take a wide gate and a broad way because it is more convenient to pass through a wide gate than it is to pass through a narrow gate. Sometimes, a person who is carrying many things finds it difficult to pass through a narrow gate. He needs to put some things down in order to pass through a narrow gate. Similarly, it is more convenient to walk on a wide way than on a narrow way.
As believers, there are two ways in which we can live. The first way is easy to walk on because it is wide. Christians who take this way have few problems, no matter how they live or work. Everything seems easy for them. The second way is inconvenient to walk on because it is narrow. Christians who take this way are inwardly restricted regarding their words and actions.
There are many examples of Christians who live on the broad way and Christians who live on the narrow way. For example, every living person has to make friends. Concerning making friends, unsaved people have a wide gate and a broad way; they can make friends with any kind of person. However, many Christians have not dealt with the matter of making friends. They may not be as undisciplined as they were prior to their salvation, but they are still loose in the matter of making friends. Such Christians are taking the wide gate and the broad way. There are some Christians, however, who are restricted in the matter of making friends. They are governed by the kingdom of the heavens and dare not be so free. They do not make friends loosely, nor do they have friendships with all kinds of people (cf. 1 Cor. 15:33). This indicates that they take the narrow gate and the constricted way.
In the matter of clothing it is also obvious that some Christians are not restricted; they wear whatever they want to wear and adorn themselves according to their desires. Some Christians, however, are restricted inwardly and cannot be loose about the material, color, or style of their clothing (cf. 1 Tim. 2:9).
The kingdom people should take the narrow gate and the constricted way as a principle in their living and work. It is convenient to take the wide gate and the broad way, but the Lord said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction” (Matt. 7:13). The wide gate and broad way lead to destruction. The word destruction does not refer to eternal perdition but to suffering destruction in one’s deeds and work (1 Cor. 3:15). It is a great loss for everything that one has done to be destroyed. Hence, the Lord’s word is quite serious. We must be delivered from the wide gate and the broad way in our living, walk, and work and in the administration of the church; otherwise, our living, walk, work, and administration of the church will end in destruction.
The narrow gate and the constricted way lead to life; they result in life. Hence, a living and work that are according to the narrow gate and the constricted way will last forever and be approved by the Lord. Because the gate is narrow and the way is constricted, few believers find them. We must ask for the Lord’s mercy so that we may walk this way.
In Matthew 13:31 through 33 the Lord spoke in parables concerning the great tree and the leaven: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, and which is smaller than all the seeds; but when it has grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches...The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.” A mustard seed is small and should grow into a small mustard plant. However, in this parable the mustard seed becomes a great tree. The three measures of meal should be pure, but the whole lump is leavened by a little leaven (cf. 1 Cor. 5:6). Something was added, and the lump was rejected by God. The leaven was added through the wide gate and the broad way. Someone who takes the wide gate and the broad way must compromise. As a result, many improper things can be added. Therefore, the growth of the great tree and the adding of leaven are related to taking the wide gate and the broad way. In order to avoid the great tree and the leaven, we must enter through the narrow gate and take the constricted way.
Why did the Lord talk about the gate and then the way? The gate and the way relate to the same thing, but the gate emphasizes the beginning, and the way emphasizes the continuation. We have to enter through the gate and then walk on the way; we cannot walk on the way and then enter through the gate. This is significant. If we first tried to walk on the way and then enter through the gate, there would be many ways that lead to the same gate. In the world people think that the means do not matter as long as they achieve their goal. There is even a Chinese saying that speaks of using different routes to arrive at the same destination. However, in spiritual matters this is never the case. In spiritual matters we must first enter through the gate and then walk on the way. In spiritual matters we cannot take different routes to end up at the same destination. In other words, different beginnings do not lead to the same result, and wrong beginnings do not bring in the right result. In order for the result to be right, the beginning must be right. Hence, the beginning of spiritual matters is crucial and must be right and proper.
The beginning is the gate. God wants us to pass through a gate in every spiritual matter. The principle of the gate is that it is narrow and tight. Even in such a matter as making friends, the kingdom people must pass through a gate and have a severe dealing in the beginning. Previously, there was no gate and no way; hence, we made friends indiscriminately. But now that we are under the authority of the heavens, we must pass through the gate in the matter of making friends. There is a strict limitation, a strict principle, in relation to the kind of people we can befriend. To say that we should befriend good people but not bad people can still be a wide gate and a broad way. The narrow gate and the constricted way are not only a matter of not befriending bad people; they may include not having friendships with good people. We do not keep friendship with the world (James 4:4), nor do we commune with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). We pursue only with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22).
Concerning clothing and adornment, we must pass through a gate in order for us to live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens and be restricted. Formerly, we wore the current fashions. But now that we live under the authority of the kingdom of the heavens, we are restricted from things that are not befitting for a saint. This is to pass through a gate. Working for God is another example. Formerly, because we did not understand the meaning of being ruled by God, there was no work that we could not do. However, now that we are living under the heavenly rule, we must pass through a gate in our spiritual work and undergo rigorous examination. This is a strict principle in the Lord’s work. We can do things only that are in accordance with this principle; we cannot do things that contradict this principle.
In order to be restricted by the heavens, our living and our walk must enter through the narrow gate. This is pleasing to the Lord. Only those who have entered through the narrow gate have entered into the realm of the ruling of the kingdom of the heavens. If we are to live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, the Lord wants us to first enter through the narrow gate and reject everything that is incompatible with the heavenly nature. However, it is not sufficient for us to pass through the narrow gate; we must still take the constricted way. The way is the continuation of the gate; it is an extension of the gate. The way for us to maintain the narrowness and strictness of our entrance through the gate is to take the constricted way. The narrowness and the strictness that we experience when we enter through the gate are the same narrowness and strictness that we should maintain as we walk on the way. We did not experience looseness when passing through the gate, and we should not experience looseness when walking on the way. Passing through the gate helps us to walk the way, but passing through the gateway cannot replace our walking on the way. After entering the gate, we must continue walking on the way. If we are willing to be restricted and ruled by the heavens so that every aspect of our living and walk is narrow, we will be full of life and gain something of eternal worth.
Although the Lord did not speak of salvation or of perdition in this section on the gate, this section includes the matter of reward and punishment. The word destruction in Matthew 7:13 refers not only to our living and work being devoid of the eternal worth of life but also to our suffering destruction. This means that before the judgment seat of Christ we will suffer loss by being punished. However, if our living and work are based on the narrow principle, we will have the eternal fruit of life and also the reward of life before the judgment seat of Christ. The principle of the gate and the way is the basis for the living and work of the people of the kingdom of the heavens.
The second principle for the living and work of the kingdom people is related to a tree and its fruit. In verses 15 through 17 and verse 20 the Lord said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so every good tree produces good fruit, but the corrupt tree produces bad fruit...So then, by their fruits you will recognize them.”
These verses say that the kingdom people must discern the type of leading they receive from others. Prophets are ministers of the word, who speak for God and who are servants of God. The kingdom people need the leading of the servants of God. However, the kingdom people should not accept the leading of a person simply because he calls himself a servant of God or a prophet, just as they cannot enter any gate or take any way. Just as there are different gates and different ways that need to be discerned, there are different leadings that also need to be discerned. We will suffer destruction if we choose the wrong gate and the wrong way. Likewise, we will suffer loss if we choose the wrong leading or follow false prophets. If this were not a serious and crucial matter, the Lord would not have concluded His teaching with it.
The kingdom people must discern those who lead them. This discernment is not based on words but on the fruit of their living and work. By their fruits we can know whether they are good trees or bad trees. No matter how good or spiritual someone’s message may sound, we should not be quick to accept his person. Although we may accept his message, we should not accept his person too quickly.
We must be cautious about accepting others’ leading, lest we be deceived by false prophets. False prophets may seem more genuine than real prophets. Outwardly, they wear sheep’s clothing and speak the word of God, but inwardly, they are ravenous wolves from whom we may suffer great loss if we are not careful. For this reason we need to discern cautiously. We should not only listen to people’s words but also look at their living and deeds, that is, the fruits of their walk. Such discernment cannot be done too quickly; it requires a period of time. Time is the best test; any imposter will be manifested in time.
Because it was not easy to exercise discernment, believers who were traveling to a different local church in the times of the apostles took a letter of commendation, which was a letter of introduction. Even a minister of the word took a letter of introduction from his locality. This letter was not to introduce him to join the breaking of bread but to confirm his standing in preaching the word of God. Hence, it is risky for a believer or a local church to accept the leading of a prophet without first seeing his fruit, his letter of commendation. Regrettably, not many Christians discern the leading that they accept. Many Christians do not know how to discern; instead, they believe every word and readily follow others’ leading. As a result, false prophets are rampant in their damage to God’s children.
An individual Christian who does not discern the leading he accepts has no spiritual pursuit and is not living under the heavenly rule. The same applies to a Christian group that does not discern the leading it accepts. If a Christian is seeking God and is ruled by heaven, he will be very particular about accepting others’ leading. He will discern and examine before he accepts. Similarly, a Christian group that seeks God and is ruled by heaven will also discern and examine the leading of others.
Such discernment and examination require that one deals with the self. Many accept a wrong leading because they have the element of the self, not because they do not understand. It is easy for a Christian who has not dealt with the self to accept a wrong leading. The same applies to a Christian group. Conversely, if a Christian is willing to be governed and restricted by the heavens, he will not easily accept a wrong leading. When the element of the self is present, the preferences and tastes of the self are also present. False prophets deceive people by echoing these preferences and tastes so that people feel good about accepting his words and his leading. Hence, it is easy for a person who is according to the self to accept a wrong leading.
Discernment demands that we have no tastes or preferences of our own. We should not consider whether a preacher fits our tastes but whether his leading brings us to God. We should not carelessly ask others to give messages, nor should we carelessly accept their leading. We must first know whether the walk of a prophet bears grapes and figs or thorns and thistles. Just as the people of the kingdom of the heavens must discern the wide gate and broad way from the narrow gate and constricted way, they should also discern the two kinds of leadings. The principle of the gate and the way is narrow and small, and the basis of leading is examination. We should take the narrow gate and the constricted way and accept only that which has been examined. We must pay attention to these two points.
Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name did many works of power? And then I will declare to them: I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.” The kingdom people must take care of their living and also their work. In verses 13 through 20 the Lord spoke concerning the principles of their living, but in verses 21 through 23 He spoke concerning the principle of their work.
There are two kinds of work that we can do for the Lord: One work is according to man’s will, and the other work is according to God’s will. Both kinds of work are for the Lord, but the source is different. One work is done according to the will of man; the other work is done according to the will of God. Furthermore, both works have different results. The Lord said, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens” (v. 21). Whoever works according to the will of man will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Only those who work according to the will of God will enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Hence, there is a great distinction between these two kinds of work.
The believers who live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens today will enter into the coming manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. The believers who work according to the will of man will not enter into the coming kingdom of the heavens, because they do not live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens or allow the kingdom of the heavens to exercise authority over them today. Believers who work according to the will of man work according to their own will and preferences. These believers are full of their own will and preferences and are not ruled by the heavens. The ruling of the heavens does not give ground to the will of man or to human preferences. Therefore, when a person is ruled by the heavens, his will and preferences are cast out. Those who are ruled by the heavens do not have their own will or preferences in the Lord’s work.
Some may ask, “How is it possible for the element of the human will to be mixed into the Lord’s spiritual work? Would such a work be spiritual?” The Lord’s word, however, clearly reveals that human will and preferences can be mixed into the Lord’s spiritual work. The Lord said, “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name did many works of power?” (v. 22). These people prophesied, cast out demons, and did many works of power. They truly did these works; otherwise, they would not dare to say this before the Lord, because they know that He is omniscient. It is possible to deceive man, but it is not possible to deceive the Lord. Moreover, when the Lord rebuked them, He did not deny what they did. The Lord acknowledged that they did indeed do those things. Therefore, they were doing the Lord’s work, a spiritual work.
Nevertheless, the Lord rebuked them, saying, “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (v. 23). Lawlessness here does not refer only to evil things; it also refers to good things. For example, a school dormitory may have the rule that students must switch off the lights at ten thirty at night. If a student studies past ten thirty, he is lawless. Studying is a good thing, not an evil thing, but studying after the lights are supposed to be turned out is lawlessness. Similarly, prophesying, casting out demons, and doing works of power are all good; however, if they are done according to the human will, not the will of God, they involve lawlessness.
Some brothers and sisters may ask, “How is it possible for a person to cast out demons and do works of power if he is lawless?” This is not difficult to understand. Everything in the universe has a law. If the law is fulfilled, there will be a result. For example, even though a school says that the lights should be switched off at ten thirty, the electrical current does not cease to exist after ten thirty. As long as there is a law of electricity, the lights will work if they are switched on after ten thirty, just as they will work when they are switched on before ten thirty. This also applies to studying. A student can understand and remember what he studied after ten thirty, just as he can understand and remember what he studied before ten thirty.
Another example is the law of having children. Children can be born to illicit unions, just as they can be born to lawful marriages. Having children depends on the fulfillment of a law, not on whether it is lawful or lawless. Another example is sowing seeds. When seeds are sown into the ground, they grow. Seeds that are stolen will grow, and seeds that are purchased will also grow. Many matters concern the fulfilling of a law, not to lawfulness or lawlessness.
The same principle applies to God’s work. If the gospel is preached according to God’s will, people will be saved. Conversely, if the gospel is preached according to man’s will, people will still be saved. Preaching the gospel depends on the fulfillment of a law. The Scriptures are God’s word and can give man life. This will not change. Whether someone preaches the gospel according to God’s will or man’s will, people will receive life from God’s word if they receive the gospel. Hence, it is not sufficient to look merely at the fruit in measuring a believer’s work. The Lord warned us in this section that His judgment would be based on whose will worked according to the Father’s will; His judgment will not be according to the fruit of our work.
Almost everything in the Old Testament is a type. For example, Abraham’s begetting of Isaac typifies man accepting God’s promise by faith, and Abraham’s begetting of Ishmael typifies man fulfilling God’s promise by his own strength (Rom. 9:7-8; Gal. 4:22-23). Lot’s begetting of Moab and Ben-ammi (Gen. 19:30-38) typifies the lawless preaching of the gospel. The sons of Lot were not begotten according to the accepted code of human conduct or law. The way that many preach the gospel is not according to spiritual regulation. People can be saved even if the gospel is preached lawlessly, but those who are saved in this way are like the Moabites and Ammonites.
In Philippians 1:15 and 17 Paul says that “some preach Christ even because of envy and strife...The others announce Christ out of selfish ambition, not purely.” Such preaching of the gospel surely saved some; perhaps a very large number were saved. But the ones who were saved in this way were like the Moabites and Ammonites. Moab and Ben-ammi were born, and God recognized them as human beings. Likewise, people believe in the gospel, and God recognizes that they are saved. However, those who preach the gospel in such a way will not be approved; instead, the Lord will call them men of lawlessness. This is a serious matter.
According to the context of Matthew 7:21-23, being called lawless by the Lord is the issue of not doing the will of the Father. Any work that is not the will of the Father who is in the heavens is a work of lawlessness. The Lord’s work is being done everywhere on the earth, but is this work lawful in the eyes of God? This is a great question. Many works and activities among Christians are not according to the Father’s will. I am afraid that one day the Lord will say to such workers, “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.” Is our work lawful or lawless? On the surface our work may not be a problem, but we should not stop there. We must have the assurance that our service is according to God’s will.
In order for our work to be according to the Father’s will, we must deny the self. If we are not subject to the authority of the heavens or restricted by the heavens, having our own will and preference, our work will lack the element of the Father’s will. As a result, our work will produce Moabites and Ammonites. When the Lord rebuked the men of lawlessness, He said, “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (v. 23). Some say that these men of lawlessness are false Christians, because the Lord said that He never knew them. The words never knew mean “never acknowledged, never approved.” Hence, the Lord was saying that He never acknowledged or approved these lawless men. It is right to prophesy, cast out demons, and do works of power, but the Lord did not approve of their doing these things. The Lord told them to depart from Him. Since the Lord is in the kingdom, this means that they will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
According to verse 21, those who do the will of the Father will be able to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. To do the Father’s will is to work according to God’s will. Believers who prophesy, cast out demons, and do works of power according to God’s will are under the governing of the heavens. Verse 21 refers to the one “who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens.” This proves that these believers work by the Father’s life under the ruling of the heavens according to God’s intention. They are under the authority of the heavens and live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens. Therefore, they will be able to enter into the kingdom of the heavens at the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens.
Matthew 7:21 through 23 reveals that the work of the kingdom people should be based on God’s will, not on prophesying, casting out devils, or doing works of power. Such a work demands that we set aside our will, our feelings, and our preferences in order to learn to live by God’s life in us, that is, to live under the authority of the heavens and to be restricted and ruled by the heavens. This is the way for us to know God’s will and to know what we should and should not do.
The Lord Jesus is a good example of doing the will of the Father. When the Lord was on the earth, He sometimes healed the sick and cast out demons, but at other times He did not (Luke 4:23-27). Sometimes He performed miracles, such as feeding the five thousand with five loaves and two fish, but at other times He did not (Matt. 14:19-21; 12:1). Even when He did not perform a miracle, He was under the restriction of the heavens. He had the authority and the ability to do many works of power, but He did not abuse His authority or ability. He carried out God’s will both in His performing of miracles and in His not performing of miracles. Therefore, He could say, “I have come...to do Your will, O God” (Heb. 10:7). People say that the Lord prophesied, cast out demons, and did works of power, but the Lord would say that He was merely carrying out the Father’s will. Prophesying, casting out demons, and doing works of power require only that we have a gift, but carrying out the Father’s will requires that we live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens, being governed and restricted by the heavens. Only when we live in the reality of the kingdom of the heavens and are governed and restricted by the heavens can we know and do the Father’s will.
Matthew 7:24-27 says, “Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine and does them shall be likened to a prudent man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and they beat against that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and they dashed against that house; and it fell, and its fall was great.” In His conclusion the Lord spoke of two kinds of foundation. One foundation is upon a rock, which can stand the test. The other is built on sand, which cannot stand the test. The rock refers to the Lord’s word. In particular it refers to His teaching on the mountain. If we accept His teaching and live by it, we are building a house upon the rock. The Lord’s word is the foundation.
The foundation of sand refers to not living by the Lord’s words. It also refers to human methods, opinions, and ways, which are outside the Lord’s teaching. If a person hears the Lord’s teaching but does not live by it, his living and walk will be based on his own methods and opinions. These methods and opinions are all sand. If he remains in his methods and opinions, he will build a house upon the sand.
The word house may refer to human life, that is, our living and work. If we hear the Lord’s teaching and live by it, we are building our life on the Lord’s word as the eternal rock, and our life has an eternal foundation. If we hear the Lord’s teaching but ignore it, we are building our life on the will of man. Such a life will not stand the test of time but will fall, and we will suffer loss.
No matter what our foundation is, our life will be tested. There are three kinds of tests. One test is the descending of rain from above. This refers to the trials that God gives us. Another test is the coming of rivers from the earth. Water refers to the corrupted people of the world, whom Satan uses to attack and destroy us. The third test is the blowing of winds in the air. This refers to the attack of Satan and his angels. If our life is based on the methods and opinions of the world, it will fall as soon as we encounter any of these three tests. However, if our life is based on the Lord’s word, it will be unshakable and immovable no matter how it is tested.
There are four principles for the living and work of the kingdom people. The first principle is to enter the narrow gate and take the constricted way. The second principle is to discern the fruits of a person’s living before accepting his leading. The third principle is to work according to the will of the heavenly Father. The fourth principle is to have our living and work according to the Lord’s word.
These four principles will test our living and our work. If we have these four principles, we will let the heavens govern us, and we will be under the ruling of the heavens. Furthermore, if we have these four principles, we will deny ourselves, reject our flesh, and not live according to our own will. However, if we do not have these four principles, we will not be under the authority of the heavens, we will not let the heavens rule, and we will be full of the self and the flesh. As a result, we will live according to the self.
