"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" --Matthew 7:21-23

Someone who grew up in a Christian family, attends church regularly, and agrees with the creeds, but has no personal devotion to Christ. They might say, “I believe in Jesus,” but their life is indistinguishable from an unbeliever’s—they prioritize worldly pleasures, show no love for God’s Word, and have no desire to obey Him. Piper might point to such a person as a “nominal Christian” whose faith is not genuine.

A churchgoer who claims to be a Christian but is having an affair, refuses to repent, and shows no remorse. They might say, “I believe in Jesus, so I’m fine,” but their unchanged life suggests their faith isn’t genuine. Piper would warn that such a person is deceiving themselves, as true faith leads to a transformed life (James 2:17: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”).

A lifelong church member who prides themselves on never missing a Sunday service, tithing meticulously, and following every rule, but who lacks humility and love. They might say, “I’m a Christian because I’m a good person,” but Piper would warn that their trust in their own works shows they don’t truly treasure Christ as their Savior. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14) illustrates this well—the Pharisee boasts in his righteousness, but the tax collector, who cries out for mercy, is the one justified.

Someone who gets “saved” at a revival meeting, shows enthusiasm for a while—attending church, reading their Bible—but then abandons their faith when life gets hard (e.g., they lose their job, face mockery for their beliefs, or are tempted by worldly pleasures). Piper would argue that their lack of perseverance suggests they never truly treasured Christ above all—they valued comfort, acceptance, or wealth more.

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears,[a] let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
   and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
   and with their ears they can barely hear,
   and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
   and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
   and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.[b] 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

The Parable of the Weeds
24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds[c] among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants[d] of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”