If Anyone Wishes To Come After Me.

     Jesus sets a high standard for those who would desire to enter the kingdom of heaven. He says that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter (Matthew 7:21-22). It will be those who DO the will of the Father in heaven who will enter. This agrees with what Paul says in Romans 2:13. It is not enough to hear the law of God, one must do it to be justified.
     It is true that salvation is not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9), and no man can be justified by the works of the law (Romans 3:20). This confuses many people.
     Look at what James says about faith. Faith without works is a dead faith (James 2:14, 17, 26). He gives us the examples of Abraham and Rahab to show that their faith led them to act and thus they were justified by their works (James 2:21-25). He is not saying that it was the actual things that they did that saved them. What he is saying is that if you truly believe in something, a cause, in this case in God and His word, it will lead you to act upon your belief. 
     If someone warned you that your house was on fire, and you said that you believed them, but did nothing about it, your belief is worthless. You would just sit there and let your house burn down around you.
     If you really believed it, you would get out, call the fire department and try to save your home.
     This is how true saving faith works. Our belief causes us to act. Faith working with works, perfects faith (James 2:22-23).
     Works done for our benefit, to get us to heaven, to earn God's favor are only selfish works. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must deny ourselves, lose our lives, for His sake (Luke 9:23-24). 
     Works done in faith, done for Christ are the kind of works that please God. We do these things because we love Christ and want to honor Him. We are not looking for the reward. We are not motivated by fear or selfish ambition. This is the difference between the legalistic self efforts of one trying to earn salvation by works, and one whose faith is being made perfect by works done for Christ Jesus.
     The one who calls Jesus Lord but does not desire to obey Him will not enter heaven. It does not matter how many good works they profess (Matthew 7:21-23). It is the one who believes in Jesus, with a belief that acts in submission to Jesus Christ and His word, who pleases God. 
     We must hear the words of Jesus Christ, and then act upon them, or our house will fall (Matthew 7:24-27). 
     Only those born from above can follow Christ in this way!