The Matthew 7:21 House

As a new Christian, I found the study of the spiritual realm fascinating, and had a lot of questions needing to be answered.

Can houses really be haunted? Are mediums real, and can the dead speak to the living? Does demonic possession still exist, and if so, how does it happen? What can demons actually do, and what power does Satan have?

I’m sure some thought my venture into this study so early in my faith walk seemed a bit unusual, but if you’re going to battle you need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy. It should be noted however, this came after first taking the time to understand all Jesus accomplished on the cross in defeating the enemy, and the power we have both in the blood, and the name of Jesus.

I shared this knowledge hosting bible studies, and found two very different reactions.

Some were fearful, believing if we talked about it, Satan would “come after them.” Not knowing the power and authority a Believer possesses, they were intimidated and hesitant to participate.

Others dismissed Satan as irrelevant, saying things like he’s just “weak” and “stupid.” Satan is a lot of things, but weak and stupid aren’t two of them.

For some, the name “Satan” invokes terrifying scenes from movies watched over the years. Physical manifestation similar to the demon-possessed man of the Gadarenes in Mark 5:1-5.

But what’s often overlooked is perhaps his greatest and mostly fatal weapon.

Deception.

If Satan was able to convince one-third of the angels in heaven to rebel against God, he can certainly deceive you. (Revelation 12:3-4)

He doesn’t appear in a red suit with pitchfork, or sinister looking in all black apparel. He comes as an “angel of light,” (2 Co 2:14) dressed like a “Christian,” to kill, steal, and destroy. Jesus warned us in Matthew 24:21 that “false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

“To deceive.”

Living in deception is worse than living in unbelief.

I’ll say it again…Living in deception is worse than living in unbelief.

Satan is a liar, and the father of lies. There is no truth in him. (John 8:44)

Knowing the relationship between lies and deception is important. If I were to ask you to define the word “lie,” what would you say? If your response was, “Something that’s opposite the truth,” you would be only partially correct.

Merriam-Websters dictionary defines a lie as the following…

:to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive

:to create a false or misleading impression

A lie by definition is the “intent to deceive.”

If I make a statement that’s factually incorrect, but am unaware that’s the case, I’m not lying but misinformed. Once I become aware of the error, it’s my responsibility to correct it.

Publicly.

If you’ve ever said to someone, or it’s been said to you, “I didn’t ‘exactly’ lie to you,” chances are you/they did just that.

A lie can be opposite the truth, a half-truth, embellishing the truth, and even omitting the truth when it’s relevant to the conversation. (There are sins of omission as well as sins of commission)

There are times we unknowingly fall into deception, and times we willfully choose to believe a lie. You can also exchange the truth of God for a lie, as referenced in Romans 2:25.

A golf club manufacturer tells me if I purchase their new driver I’ll hit it further and straighter than I ever have. I know that’s probably not true but ‘want’ to believe it, so I shell out $500 only to be reminded, “It’s not the arrow, it’s the Indian.”

That of course has only a minor consequence. I’m out $500, still have trouble finding the fairway, but it looks good in my bag.

But what about the really important things in life?

What about the most important question of all?

“What must I do to be saved?”

Satan doesn’t care if you get a new driver, he knows you’ll still 3 putt anyway. His concern is not in temporal things with no eternal value, but keeping as many as possible in spiritual darkness. (2 Co 4:3-4) In keeping them out of “relationship” with God by any means necessary.

In the 3^rd chapter of Genesis, the serpent deceived Eve by first misquoting God, and then directly contradicting Him. You can almost hear the sarcasm in his voice when he says, “You certainly will not die.”

A lie that continues to this day.

In February of 2024 I had a dream. A dream I shared in its entirety on this site, and for a moment want to revisit in part.

I knew a great flood was coming and gathered as many people as would follow, wanting to lead them to higher ground. Walking through a valley, I saw a large house on the side of a mountain. The moment everyone was inside, the phone rang.

“You’re not high enough,” the voice said.

Immediately I began looking for a higher place, and the dream continued…

But I want to stop here and look at this first house. A house I thought was safe. A house I thought was high enough.

But it wasn’t.

I’m calling it the “Matthew 7:21 House.”

“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.”

There are a great number of people in the Matthew 7:21 House. People, who for various reasons believe they are safe. Believe they are high enough. Believe they certainly won’t die.

How do I know there are a “great number?”

Because verses 22-23 says, “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The Matthew 7:21 House is filled with those who identify as “Christians,” but were never in relationship with Jesus. While they believed they knew Him (called Him “Lord, Lord”), they were deceived, and will hear the words “depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”

The most terrifying words one could ever hear.

Imagine living your entire life believing you were high enough, only to tragically learning otherwise.

And it will be too late.

As a new Believer I remember hearing a story illustrating our need to evangelize, sharing the Gospel with those in darkness.

A crowd gathered as the fire department extinguished the flames. A house fire had tragically taken the lives of five family members who were asleep inside. “I knew something was wrong when I saw the smoke,” one man was heard to say. “Why didn’t you say anything?,” another asked.

“I didn’t want to wake them.”

It’s time to wake the residents of the Matthew 7:21 House.