Matthew 7:21 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

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.

Matthew 7:22 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?

Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saith", "lord", "shall", "enter", "kingdom", "heaven", and "doeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saith" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know..." into verse 22's "Many will say to me in that...", so "saith" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "saith" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.