Open your Bible to Matthew 7, and I will read a well-known and vital passage of Scripture, Matthew 7:13-27.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and only a few find it. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thornbushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he 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 cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'”

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.”

The old spiritual says, “Everybody talking about heaven ain’t going there,” and this passage highlights the truth in those words. In Proverbs 30:12, we read, “There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet not washed from their filthiness.” Romans 10:2 says of the Jewish people, “They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” Across the world, millions of people consider themselves religious and identify as Christians but have no hope of entering heaven or avoiding hell. Even many who claim to believe in Jesus and in His life, death, and resurrection may not truly be saved.

Jesus encountered people with superficial belief, as mentioned in John 2:24-25. Many believed in Him, but He did not entrust Himself to them because He knew their hearts. Their faith lacked depth, genuine repentance, and a true understanding of Christ, which are necessary for real saving faith.

This fact is clearly stated by Jesus in Matthew 7:21, where He says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” On that day, many will call out, “Lord, Lord, we’re here!” but He will respond, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Scripture is clear that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and humanity. There is no salvation in any other. Salvation comes through faith, and faith comes by hearing the message of Christ (Romans 10).

In this final part of the Sermon on the Mount, which began in chapter 5 and spans three chapters (5-7), Jesus invites us to make a decision. This is the closing invitation of the greatest sermon in the New Testament. The entire sermon contrasts true and false religion. There are only two types of religion: true and false. True religion comes through faith in Christ alone, by grace, while false religion is based on human achievement—trusting in our own works, morality, or religiosity.