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21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:21–23.
A lot of people use these verses to denounce Charismatics or the idea that the gifts have proceeded into today. They say well Jesus clearly denounces those who do such things and say that He never knew them. Well this is a major misconception of what's going on here.
Jesus didn't say what they were doing was lawlessness, Jesus say they were workers of lawlessness because they didn't know him. John in 1 John 3:4-6 says that sin is lawlessness and that those who practice sin do not know Jesus.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 3:4–6.
Now there is no way that prophesying, healing, casting out demons is sin. Jesus did those things, the Apostles did those things and they weren't sinning. So what does he mean then? What are we saved from? Is it hell? In a sense, yes, but that's not it on base level.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 1:21.
We are saved from sin! From the power that sin holds over our lives (Romans 6-8). This is how you can tell a child of God from a child of Satan.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 3:7–10.
This is why the New Testament is full of warnings to people to flee from youthful passions, to put to death the deeds of the body, to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Because:
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 2:24.
Therefore:
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 1:14–16.
So bringing this back to where I started, when Jesus tells these people on judgement day that he never knew them. It wasn't because they cast out demons, it wasn't because they did mighty works or prophesied, it was because they never let go of their sin.
Casting out demons, prophesying, mighty works are all to be normal activities of the kingdom of God, but we can still be living in sin without an actual relationship with Him while doing so. These are not signs of people who are living purely holy lives.
The Corinthians were a church that experienced many mighty workings of God's Spirit among them, yet they had a number of awful sins they were dealing with. So again, holiness is not verified by mighty signs and wonders.
Jesus won't rebuke and deny these people because they did mighty works (or faked them as some would claim). Jesus will rebuke and deny them because they never gave up their sin and so refused him as their Lord.
Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Am 3:3.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 6:46.
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:21.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:21–23.
A lot of people use these verses to denounce Charismatics or the idea that the gifts have proceeded into today. They say well Jesus clearly denounces those who do such things and say that He never knew them. Well this is a major misconception of what's going on here.
Jesus didn't say what they were doing was lawlessness, Jesus say they were workers of lawlessness because they didn't know him. John in 1 John 3:4-6 says that sin is lawlessness and that those who practice sin do not know Jesus.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 3:4–6.
Now there is no way that prophesying, healing, casting out demons is sin. Jesus did those things, the Apostles did those things and they weren't sinning. So what does he mean then? What are we saved from? Is it hell? In a sense, yes, but that's not it on base level.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 1:21.
We are saved from sin! From the power that sin holds over our lives (Romans 6-8). This is how you can tell a child of God from a child of Satan.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Jn 3:7–10.
This is why the New Testament is full of warnings to people to flee from youthful passions, to put to death the deeds of the body, to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Because:
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 2:24.
Therefore:
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 1:14–16.
So bringing this back to where I started, when Jesus tells these people on judgement day that he never knew them. It wasn't because they cast out demons, it wasn't because they did mighty works or prophesied, it was because they never let go of their sin.
Casting out demons, prophesying, mighty works are all to be normal activities of the kingdom of God, but we can still be living in sin without an actual relationship with Him while doing so. These are not signs of people who are living purely holy lives.
The Corinthians were a church that experienced many mighty workings of God's Spirit among them, yet they had a number of awful sins they were dealing with. So again, holiness is not verified by mighty signs and wonders.
Jesus won't rebuke and deny these people because they did mighty works (or faked them as some would claim). Jesus will rebuke and deny them because they never gave up their sin and so refused him as their Lord.
Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Am 3:3.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 6:46.
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 7:21.