Why Do Some Men Do God's Will?

In Matthew 7:21 we read, "Not everyone 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."

Now Jesus has here plainly said that only those who do the will of God shall enter into the kingdom of God, but we must ask this question: Do they go because they do the will of God?

If the answer to that question is yes, then salvation is by works, and that cannot be, because the Bible abundantly teaches that salvation is by grace, apart from the works or will of man (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 2:8, and a host of other places).

So the answer is NO! Men do not go to heaven because they do the will of God, they do the will of God because they are going to heaven.

They are foreknown of God, predestinated unto the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ, they are called out of the darkness of this world, justified freely by His grace, and shall be glorified in heaven (see Romans 8, 9, and Ephesians 1).

This principle is plainly set forth most clearly in Philippians 2:13, where we are taught by the Holy Spirit that, "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Yes, men go to heaven because of what God does for them, not what they do for God. Hallelujah!

Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.