You are exactly right. It is what every flesh wants to hear. The deception of modern day is separating discipleship and belief. Genuine faith IS DISCIPLESHIP. He didn’t say “therefore go and make mere believers” — he said “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.” —Matthew 28:19–20
We know what Jesus has said, “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.”
—Matthew 7:21
Why?
His point is that saying the correct words is not the same as genuinely belonging to him. A person may call Jesus “Lord,” appear religious, and even perform impressive works, while never actually trusting, knowing, or submitting to him. That fits the distinction between merely making professors of belief and making disciples. A disciple does not merely acknowledge that Jesus exists or use Christian language; a disciple receives Jesus as Savior and Lord and begins learning to follow him. But Matthew 7 is not saying that only Christians who obey perfectly will enter heaven. Jesus’ own disciples failed repeatedly. The issue is the person’s fundamental posture: “Jesus is Lord, and I want to be taught and corrected by him.” versus “I will use Jesus’ name while retaining the right to reject his authority.” The condemned people in Matthew 7 appeal to their religious accomplishments—“Did we not prophesy… cast out demons… do mighty works?” Jesus does not say, “You failed to perform enough.” He says: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” —Matthew 7:23
So the warning concerns false profession and persistent lawlessness, not an imperfect believer who struggles, repents, needs grace, and continues returning to Christ. Genuine discipleship is not flawless obedience; it is a real relationship of faith in which Jesus has the right to teach, correct, forgive, and lead you.
When Paul says “if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” — what do you think it means to confess Him as your Lord? to take on discipleship, which is the genuine faith, therefore submitting to Jesus correcting your fleshly desires, transforming you, making you uncomfortable with sin? Or does submitting to his lordship mean just a profession of words, while staying comfortable in sin? Jesus says “these people will honor me by their mouths but their hearts are far from me.”
The ultimate deception these days is you can be comfortable in your sin while declaring Him your Lord, and that faith has nothing to do with discipleship, and that submission to him as Lord, allowing him to correct your posture towards sin is an act of works to earn salvation. No it’s not to earn salvation — it’s the natural transformation of your heart from active, genuine faith in Him resulting in your wanting to obey Him because you love him.
One simple way to put it is, if you truly love Jesus, then why wouldn’t you want him to be your ruler of every area in your life? It makes no sense if you didn’t want him to rule over you and be corrected by his Spirit, and learn to love and obey the Father as He perfectly did.
@RayMarson Says:
Thank You brother John for teaching us the Truth in Jesus, regarding Salvation,repentance, and sanctification.
@ROBERTPUNU-r2c Says:
you're spot on, Pastor. this is also a biblical doctrine. https://youtu.be/5LK2KgEFeQc?t=20
@garyburns1033 Says:
Amen 🙏
@timmysaxon Says:
Ricci you're dead wrong!!
@appointedaday Says:
So wait a minute are you saying your MUST believe in order to be saved? Or is it not of works ?
@2Timothy2_4 Says:
Pastor Ricci you pop off! I love it. Amen!
(Romans 4:5)
(Acts 16:30-31)
(Galatians 2:16)
@LilacDaisy2 Says:
I'm fearful this sermon is ear tickling, because I WANT to believe it. He makes perfect sense to me, but is that because it tickles me. Praying for wisdom. I've listened to JMac and Washer and Spurgeon for 10 years, but the last year or more I've stopped altogether, because I was sick of the roller coaster of doubting salvation, then feeling I was saved, based on how much I was doing and how patient, etc, I was.
This sermon is so FREEING. I just hope it's because it's the truth, and not because I'm wanting a way to not try harder.
@Galatians-vr8xd Says:
Awesome! ❤ ❤ ❤
@Myjesus-1 Says:
It is misleading to say that nothing is required by God for Salvation.
Jesus said that it is hard to be his follower.
Matthew 7:14
"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Luke 13:23-24 also says that many will be rejected by Jesus:
"Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
Jesus said that there are requirements that one has to meet if they want him to accept them.
Luke 14:25-33
"Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ..."
Jesus said that their is a cost to find Salvation.
When Christians contradict Jesus by teaching that God requires nothing of us, they are decieved and are deceiving others.
@bass305-HCCA Says:
Well i dont believe in a works salvation but read the book of James. You say faith alone which is correct, but just remember, what real faith is. Faith without works is dead. Its not real. You dont do works to become saved, you do them because you are saved.
@artemusbowdler7508 Says:
Are you a Lordless Christian?
@joymahiko Says:
I didn't know MacArthur believed this. Thanks for the warning. Romans 4.
@mikeyr3y Says:
He also denies the blood of Jesus Christ too.
@Midnight_Lantern Says:
MacArthur is overbearing and much of his preaching is legalism. I was vehemently outraged when he preached years ago that any believer in Jesus is a SLAVE to God. He went on and on, obsessed with this slave concept. NO WE ARE NOT.
One who is bound to satan or legalism is a slave. But Jesus sets us free, as stated in scripture. And then once we are free, we CHOOSE to become a bond servant of Christ Jesus, which is a voluntary choice. Entirely different. Slave infers lack of choice or overriding of free will. Slaves dont have free will.
@dirtypatwalsh Says:
Pastor John is the best pastor on YouTube.
@johnf.6942 Says:
It’s amazing how anyone could muck up John 3:15+16, John 3:36, John 4:10, John 5:24 John 6:47, …
@itzurboichipzahoy9298 Says:
Amazing video, so would you and Pastor John Ricci say that most calvinists, lord ship salvationists, and John MacArthur are saved even though they are wrong? As he said many people will be saved but be under bondage and fall from grace.
@honestyangel Says:
I've recently heard repentance defined as "acknowledging your need for a Savior", what do you think about that?
@hillbilly4christ638 Says:
I didn't know the sopranos preached.
@rev.stephena.cakouros948 Says:
The speaker downplays the importance of repentance. If MacArthur goes to an extreme this is the opposite extreme. The apostle Paul went from "house to house preaching repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," Acts 20:20-21. The speaker is confused about the nature of faith. Justification is by faith but faith results from a desire to repent. Let us avoid the two extremes. The one leads to self righteousness the other to cheap grace; grace that justifies sin and not the sinner.
@annmason5979 Says:
Is he the one who says you can take the mark and be forgiven?
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