Right, I agree we need to know the Lord and allow His good work to work through us. But how do we have an assurance that we know the Lord? 1 John 2:3 says we can have an assurance that we know the Lord by keeping His commandments. 1 John 2:4 says the person who says they know the Lord and they do not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in them. But why did Jesus cast them out? Was it because they did good works? No, not exactly. While it is true that all good works is done by the Lord (John 15:5), Jesus did not say depart from me ye that do good works without me. For in John 14:23 Jesus said,
“If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” So the reason why Jesus said to depart from me was for the reason of what He actually said. Jesus said,
“…depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23). Iniquity is sin. So they were believers who justified sin while under God’s grace. So while these believers did good works in His name, they also worked sin or iniquity (Which is why they were condemned).
Now, while it is possible they never actually knew the Lord ever
(by the fact they were pretending to accept Jesus or by fact that they accepted another Jesus), there is also another possibility according to Ezekiel 3:20.
“Again, When a righteous
man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 3:20).
Not sure you understood this verse, but it is saying that if a righteous man turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity (sin), it says all his previous righteousness shall not be remembered. This means that there are no more good deeds for the Lord to remember for a believer if he turns back to their sin. Seeing the Lord associates with those who do righteousness (1 John 2:3) (John 14:23) (1 John 2:29) (1 John 3:7), it only makes sense that if a believer turns back in doing righteousness and commits sin, there is no more righteousness to remember for the Lord and thus He does not know them because God associates or knows a person by their keeping His commandments; For we can have an assurance that we know the Lord by keeping His commands (See again: 1 John 2:3). So in Matthew 7:23, Jesus can say to the believer in whom He might have known once as saying He never knew them because there is no righteousness to remember in their life anymore on account of their sin.
We see in
Revelation 2-3 a report card on various churches and we know that select churches were told to repent. One church in particular was told to repent because they lost their first love. They were told to repent and do the first works (Revelation 2:1-7). What first works? To love God and love others (i.e. to love with one’s heart purely when worshiping God, and to love purely when one preaches the gospel, preaches the Word, helps a brother or sister in need financially, or in helping the poor). For if we give our whole bodies to be burned and we have not love, it profits us nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).
Can you lose your first love and be saved? I don’t think so.
For if we are not loving the Lord we are accursed according to the apostle Paul (See: 1 Corinthians 16:22).
Works is one part or aspect of the package of our obedience to God. There is putting away sin, and denying ourselves and following the Lord in all things. I like the words “
Sanctification by the Spirit” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) because it really gets to the heart of the matter of what needs to happen for a believer after they are saved by God’s grace. God is the One who helps us to live that holy life over time.
But we should not say that we do not like the word “works” because the Bible itself teaches positively about the word “works.”
“Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:24).
Do you not like James 2:24 because it uses the word “works” positively in relation to our salvation?
Granted, most in the Belief Alone camp do not believe James 2:24 and they attempt to change this verse to apply to being justified before men only and not before God. But that does not fit the context of what James is talking about.
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” (James 2:1).
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:21-22).
“Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12).
