For serious Christians, what is the will of the Father in Matthew 7:21?

Good Question!

Praise the Lord! I agree with you 100%.

God Bless!

The will of God also includes obeying Him, following is ten commandments - John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

The Secret of Continued Life is Continued Abiding

Notice that the secret of continued life is continued abiding. If a person does not abide in Christ, he withers, dies, and is finally burned up. This proves that the relation of a believer to Christ is never a static thing based only on a past experience. It is a current, mutual sharing of a common life which is drawn from Him "who is our life" (Colossians 3:4). When the branch is separated from the vine, the source of life is gone, and only death can result. These words of Jesus are too clear to be misconstrued. Even believing, trusting Christians who are connected to the living vine may choose to separate from the vine. When they do, they die and will be cast into the fire and burned. Nothing can wither and die that has not previously been alive.

Security is eternal only for those whose faith is eternally fixed on Jesus, and whose life is connected to the one who is our life. Obviously, we can choose to be lost no matter how saved we once were. Everything depends on maintaining the divine connection with the true vine.

Jesus taught the same solemn truth about losing eternal life in the parable of the sower. In explaining the seed which fell among the thorns and the rocks, Jesus said, "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." Luke 8:12, 13.

There are several things to note about this parable. First, only one class will finally be saved - the ones who brought forth much fruit. The groups represented by the wayside and rocks will not be saved. In verse 12, the wayside hearers did not have a chance to "believe and be saved," but in the next verse the stony ground hearers do "for a while believe." What kind of "believing" is this? According to verse 12, it is the kind that saves. So the ones who believed for a while were saved for a while, but in time of temptation they fell away. Eventually, of course, they were lost along with all the others, except the fruit-bearers. Here is an unequivocal teaching of our Lord that people can have a saving faith for a while, and yet lose it and be lost.

There is no once saved always saved. Especially if you are not even saved correctly according to the word of God. The key to salvation is repentence, baptism in the name of Jesus, and recieving the gift of the Holy Spirit as in Acts 2:38. I believe that Matt 7:21 is just letting all of us know, saved or not that every person who claims to have lived a just life and a life that was acceptable will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. There are many preachers ministers out there who "do the work of the Lord" and will not enter into God's kingdom because all they did were nice things or things that they thought they were supposed to. They had no faith or were working under their own direction and in their own self rightiousness. Some people want to be christians and follow God for the fish and the bread that God can bless us with. They want the blessings but do not want to work and cultivate the relationship and make the sacrifices that God wants us to make.

the reason Jesus can say I never knew you is simple, They only follow Jesus or the Gospels to a certain limit & stop. They did not go on to following truth as it was revealed from day to day. They never have received the Holy Ghost. Jesus also says there is a way that seemeth right unto man but the way thereof is death, & also Jesus said many are called but only a few chosen, which means many will be foolish virgins While some will be the Bride. Also in the bible it says to search the scriptures for in them ye think that ye have eternal life. Eternal life is that seal of the Holy Ghost

Can a Believer "Lose" His Salvation?

Or Stated More Accurately, Can He Forfeit It?

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"Has God indeed said...Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away."? (Luke 8:13)

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Summary

the scripture clearly teaches BOTH the sovereignty of God AND the free will of men. To deny this is irrational, and must be caused by something other than reason based on scriptural precepts.

The scriptural position is that a person who is saved can forfeit that salvation. The bible teaches those at highest risk of forfeiting their salvation are those who are newly saved, and those who continue on in known disobedience, after being born again.

The elect are those whom God chose, whom God foresaw would both trust in His Son AND who would endure or persevere in the faith given them until the end of their physical life, or the return of Jesus.

Those whose hearts are seeking the Lord with all that is in them, should have no concern about "losing" their salvation. Nor should they have any concern about forfeiting their salvation.

Salvation cannot be lost, but it can be forfeited - this is the nature of covenants in the bible. The bible no where guarantee's someone that salvation once received cannot be turned away from or forfeited by the individual that possesses it.

Receiving salvation involves man's will, and not works. Forfeiting salvation involves man's will, and not works. In the same way the Lord did not force His salvation on anyone, He neither forces anyone to remain in the covenant.

My opinion is you did a fine job of answering your own question.

His will is spread out pretty much throughout the Bible!

you're welcome!