I love John 6:40, because it explains numerous other passages
of Scripture which are oftentimes misinterpreted. One such passage is
Matthew 7:21-23...
Matthew 7:21-23, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Evangelist Ray Comfort in THE EVIDENCE BIBLE errantly teaches that this Scripture refers to false Christians who still “tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex.”[1] Mr. Comfort teaches that the false prophets are those who still harbor lusts and lies in their heart, claiming that those individuals are not saved because they have never truly repented.
Ray Comfort is theologically flawed in his understanding of salvation and repentance. Tragically, Dr. John MacArthur has infected many people with his arrogance and damnable teaching of Lordship Salvation.
Matthew 7:21-23 plainly tells us that those false prophets standing before God in judgment had failed to do God's will concerning salvation. That's exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven.” John 6:40 tells us the will of the Father; but first let's look at another Scripture that is often misunderstood...
1st John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Taken by itself, 1st John 2:15-17 almost seems to teach that salvation requires giving up the sinful world and the lusts of the eyes and flesh to be saved; but that is not the case at all. We read in 1st John 2:17 that whosoever DOETH THE WILL OF GOD abideth for ever. So what is the will of God concerning salvation? I'm glad you asked.
John 6:40 plainly tells us in black-and-white what the will of the Father is to be saved...
John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
There you have it... the way of salvation is to BELIEVE on the Son of God. We see Christ in the Scriptures, as Jesus taught in John 5:39...
John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which TESTIFY OF ME.”
The Word of God testifies of Jesus Christ, Who is the incarnate Word (John 1:1-3,14). Jesus' name is “called The Word of God” in Revelation 19:13. Jesus is precious!
John 6:40 irrefutably and incontestably proclaims that the WILL OF THE FATHER for salvation is to believe on the name of Jesus Christ. Thus, the false prophets in Matthew 7:21-23 had never trusted upon the Lord. They foolishly thought (as do Lordship Salvationists) that salvation requires making Jesus one's LORD, but it isn't God's plan. Those false prophets even called Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” but God cast them into Hell forever because of their false gospel. Lordship Salvationists falsely claim that a sinner must make Jesus Lord to be saved; but you don't make Jesus Lord, JESUS IS LORD!
The group of heathens in Matthew 7:21-23 are Lordship Salvationists who go around saying “Lord, Lord,” but they are of the Devil. They are teaching a perverted gospel of Works Salvation, requiring sinners to stop sinning in order to be saved. What a self-righteous and hypocritical false doctrine! Friend, if a person has to try to stop sinning to be saved, then we're all going straight to the Lake of Fire, because no one can stop sinning!!! A changed life is the FRUIT of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25; James 2:18-21), and not a part of the ROOT of saving faith (Romans 4:5-6). Abraham was saved in Genesis 15:6 when he believed the Lord; but Abraham's faith was demonstrated in Genesis 22:10 by the FRUIT of that faith, when he offered up his son Isaac in obedience to God.
John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Thank God for His merciful gift of eternal life! To be saved, just take God at His Word BY FAITH as recorded in the inspired Holy Scriptures. Simply receive Christ's sacrificial DEATH on the cross as full-payment for your sins, believing that He was BURIED, and physically RESURRECTED three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-6). If Jesus did not literally and bodily raise up from the dead, then our faith in Him is completely useless and without justification! 1st Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” But thank God, JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN!!! Jesus Christ DIED on the cross as our sacrificial Lamb, He was BURIED, and then physically RESURRECTED from the dead as our heavenly High Priest after three days; this is “THE GOSPEL” (“THE GOOD NEWS”) which God has ordained, “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b).
John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Thank God for His merciful gift of eternal life and just receive it by faith in the name of Jesus Christ. That's all God requires for salvation. Salvation is received, not achieved. It is the free gift of God. Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. God will not save anyone who is trying to be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved. Religion is man trying to reach God through human effort, but Christianity is God trying to reach man by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross. Salvation is a take proposition not a give proposition. John 6:40 is abundantly clear on this matter, the “WILL OF GOD” to be saved is to simply believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God...
“Nothing
in my future can ever affect the salvation that I have... Once you trust
the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are eternally secure!”
—Pastor Hank Lindstrom (1940-2008), a quote from the classic MP3 sermon
titled, “
