What is vain is belief man can be saved following a synergistic gospel.
Anyone thinking they did something to be saved - are really following
the BROAD WAY that leads Christians into destruction. They are
shown in Matthew 7 and Matthew 25 and Luke 13.
Mat 7:21-23
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. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
But there is more CONTEXT provided in the Matthew 25 account
and the Luke 13 account. It is self delusion to pretend that these
three accounts need not be harmonized in order to understand the
CONTEXT of this event.
Mat 25:8-13
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil [Holy Spirit];
for our lamps [our gospels] are gone out [do not save] But the
wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:
but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they [the foolish virgins representing the LAST TARES]
went to buy, the bridegroom came; [Christ Returned] and they
that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door
was shut. Afterward came also the other [foolish] virgins, saying,
Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto
you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the
day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
BTW... before anyone can pretend to understand the CONTEXT
of these parables/prophecies he must understand they are talking
about the LAST "wheat" and the LAST "tares" who claim to be
Christian. This is clearly demonstrated in (a) the door was shut
and (b) the events occur (the wheat refused to preach to the tares)
and (c) DURING the time when the Lord Returns in Glory. That is
the CONTEXT of these verses.
Read the passage closely... there's no time in church history
when the Saints refuse to preach - and send people off to some
other (unnamed group) to find salvation AND these events occur
during the time when the Lord Returns. These events could not
represent Christians in 100AD or 500AD or 1000AD or 1500AD...
because the Lord did not Return at those times. Such a notion
would contradict the CONTEXT of the passage - making it false.
Luk 13:23
Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved?
[the CONTEXT is few following Christ not few pagans] And he said
unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. [the synergists]
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath
shut to the door, [again the CONTEXT is after salvation is finished...
these EVENTS could not happen until salvation was ENDED] and ye
begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord,
open unto us [they believed they were saved and Jesus was Lord];
and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence
ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy
presence, and thou hast taught in our streets [they looked like real
Christians - just like the "tares" in the church LOOK like the "wheat"].
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart
from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
Harmonizing these three parallel passages teaches several things.
And if we cannot harmonize the TEXT... then we cannot pretend
to have found the Biblical Truth:
(1) First, the CONTEXT is those who claim to be Christian.
They called Jesus their Lord. They preached as Christians and
they ate and drank in HIS presence. This illustrates the "tares"
in the church - but not the "wheat" in the church. Moreover,
it is LIMITED to the LAST "wheat and tares" on earth... those
who are alive when the "door was shut" and when the Lord
actually Returns. The Matthew 25 account identifies these last
"wheat and tares" as being the "wise virgins" and "foolish virgins".
(2) Secondly, the CONTEXT is events AFTER the "door was shut"
and AFTER salvation was no longer possible. Obviously this shows
the context could not possibly be about "wheat and tares" in the
church, living hundreds or even thousands of years BEFORE the
time when salvation was finished and the "door was shut" and
BEFORE the time when the Lord Returns. So it CONTRADICTS
the TEXT to pretend this event should be applied to "Christians"
who lived hundreds or thousands of years BEFORE the salvation
was finished (see Rev 7:1-3) and BEFORE the "door was shut".
Since the CONTEXT of these prophecies is the "wheat and tares"
who call themselves Christian AND it is the LAST "Christians" living
on earth (living after salvation was finished and the "door was shut",
living on earth when the Lord Returns (not hundreds of years before)
we can then address WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE between these
two separate groups (the unsaved "tares" and the saved "wheat")?
The difference is that saved "wheat" do not preach false gospels...
but unsaved "tares" do preach heresy. There is nothing NEW here.
Throughout the entire "church age" (up to the "door is shut") there
are TWO MAJOR "gospels" taught by the "wheat and tares".
The first "gospel" is a synergistic gospel where men contribute to
their regeneration... this is the BROAD WAY that leads Christians
(not pagans) into destruction. The second (true) Gospel is the
monergistic Gospel that teaches God "chooses" or "elects" who
He will have mercy on - before the foundation of he world and it's
based on ONLY His good pleasure and NOT anything that man
would do during his lifetime... this is the narrow way that leads
to eternal life... and FEW "Christians" find it.
THAT is the difference between the BROAD WAY and narrow way
which the "wheat and tares" in the church follow. And it has always
been this way though the almost 2000 years of the Christian church.
Two different gospels are preached (synergism and monergism) and
only ONE of these gospel could be correct - the other is just heresy.
We could harmonize this reality with MANY verses saying some men
were NEVER MEANT to "be converted" or "have their sins forgiven"
... and verses promising unsaved "tares" would leave the church to
demonstrate they were never saved "wheat"... and verses showing
the unsaved "tares" in the church will show the "fruit" of preaching
heresies... but what has already been shown (above) is sufficient
to establish the CONTEXT and MEANING of these parallel passages.
BOTTOM LINE:
It is not possible to discern the MEANING of these verses unless/until
you first understand their CONTEXT... which is the LAST "wheat and tares"
calling themselves "Christian", when salvation is finished and the Lord Returns.
The TEXT cannot be applied to people who lived and died before salvation
is finished (the "door was shut") and before the Lord Appears in Glory.