My first thought is that to perform works according to the law never required anyone to be saved, yet under the law these works were required to be made righteous, which is why we so easily fall into the trap of using the law or using our works as our justification. I am not one who would even consider demonic forces so cavalierly. I feel that is more of a cop out for our own lack of understanding. But I do see those spoken of in these passages as believers in Christ, else they would not be performing works in His name to begin with. But to understand better who these people are, and why Jesus would call them workers of iniquity for performing works in His name, then we must seek to better understand the resurrection of Christ, and not just the religious dogma. These people are the dead in Christ. They have accepted Him as there Lord and Savior, and they believe in His atoning work on the cross and the power in His blood for the remission of sin, but they have not accepted by Faith that they have been resurrected in Christ and made partakers of the kingdom. These people still await the promise of the resurrection, they still await for the promise of the kingdom; they wait for the return of their king. And while they wait for their future promises, they perform their works hoping to gain favor with the Lord, yet he tells them to depart from him. But by Faith, we are already resurrected in Christ by his Spirit. By Faith we have already entered into the kingdom of heaven where Christ rules as our King. By Faith we understand that the Spirit of God already dwells within our heart.
There is a scripture that say's God is a God of the living and not the dead (Matt 22:31-33). In John 5:29 we find that those who have done good are resurrected to life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. And in Rom 14:9 we find that Christ both died and rose and revived, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
The people that are pictured here in these verses are those who remain dead in Christ, having not taken hold of the promises by Faith. Instead, they wait upon the return of their Lord and store up works for their justification.
I receive your teaching ezrider. I would like a little more information on what you mean by this statement, "but they have not accepted by Faith that they have been resurrected in Christ and made partakers of the kingdom." It seems to me that it could include a lot of Christians.
This is my understanding of these scriptures..............
I think that scriptures can easily be taken out of context.
Jesus said these things BEFORE the cross.
Jesus said these things to the people who were living under the 'OLD COVENANT'. Jews not Gentiles. NOT that people after the cross cannot be guilty of the same things, they can.
Jesus had told the apostles Not to stop the man who was casting out demons in HIS NAME. He did not say that man WAS one of them. He said that what the man was doing was Not against them.
What did the people crying "Lord, Lord" say and what did the Lord reply?
Mat 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.
Mat 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?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
1) They arrogantly claimed that THEY had done these works in His name, rather than claiming that God had done these works through them. That because of what THEY had done they should be received by Him. This is like the rich young ruler and like the Pharisees and their tithing even of their herbs. They could only go so far. The rich young ruler could not give all (sadness but no conversion) and the Pharisees put on a show of their OWN tithing even of their herb plants but they forgot the more important things of mercy.
2) "I NEVER knew you." They were not know by Him as one of His, not EVER. They never converted.
I can confidently say these people were not believers in Jesus as the Redeemer of their people. They were like the man who used Jesus name to cast out demons. Rather like waving a magic wand and saying abracadabra.
When Jesus said they were workers of iniquity He could not have been referring to casting out demons, etc. in His name or His apostles would have been in error and He didn't say that about the man who was doing that, Jesus would have never said let him do it, he's not against us, if that was the iniquity here.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore
by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 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.
What is this fruit that we should see? The will of the Father in their lives. What is His will?
Mat 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Mat 7:14 Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
... Please feel free to speak your mind heart... the restrictions we have here are the TOS / SOF
