15 'But, take heed of the false prophets, who come unto you in sheep's clothing, and inwardly are ravening wolves. 16 From their fruits ye shall know them; do 'men' gather from thorns grapes? or from thistles figs? 17 so every good tree doth yield good fruits, but the bad tree doth yield evil fruits. 18 A good tree is not able to yield evil fruits, nor a bad tree to yield good fruits. 19 Every tree not yielding good fruit is cut down and is cast to fire: 20 therefore from their fruits ye shall know them.
21 'Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not in thy name prophesied? and in thy name cast out demons? and in thy name done many mighty things? 23 and then I will acknowledge to them, that—I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness.
24 'Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 'And every one who is hearing of me these words, and is not doing them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and its fall was great.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 7:15-27
Commentary on Matthew 7:15-20
(Read Matthew 7:15-20)
Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin.
Commentary on Matthew 7:21-29
(Read Matthew 7:21-29)
Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. Let us take heed of resting in outward privileges and doings, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand. Let every one that names the name of Christ, depart from all sin. There are others, whose religion rests in bare hearing, and it goes no further; their heads are filled with empty notions. These two sorts of hearers are represented as two builders. This parable teaches us to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus: some may seem hard to flesh and blood, but they must be done. Christ is laid for a foundation, and every thing besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon an outward profession of religion. Upon these they venture; but they are all sand, too weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven. There is a storm coming that will try every man's work. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite? The house fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another. May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. The multitudes were astonished at the wisdom and power of Christ's doctrine. And this sermon, ever so often read over, is always new. Every word proves its Author to be Divine. Let us be more and more decided and earnest, making some one or other of these blessednesses and Christian graces the main subject of our thoughts, even for weeks together. Let us not rest in general and confused desires after them, whereby we grasp at all, but catch nothing.