Matthew Chap 7:21-23

Post by **_Anonymous** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 3:33 pm

How can a person keep from being one of the ones that the LORD never
knew? PLease help me with these verses.

Post by **_Anonymous** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:23 am

Here are the verse you are asking about. “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. 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?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'”

I’m not sure exactly where you are in your knowledge and relationship with our Lord Jesus, so forgive me if I miss the mark with my response.

When looking at such verses, it is easy for us to focus on the wrong part and then become concerned over our relationship with Jesus. In my opinion, the important phrase is Jesus statement “I never knew you.” This brings up, as you indicated, the question of how we “keep from being one of the ones that the LORD never knew?”

Doing religious work certainly isn’t an answer since these people did “many mighty works in your [Jesus] name.” Simply using the right religious words isn’t the answer since these people declared “Lord, Lord.”

Here is an important clue: they were “workers of lawlessness.”

John tells us that “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). He is referring here to those who he mentioned in verse 2:22-23: “Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? …Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.”

Note the parallel between “workers of lawlessness” and making a “practice of sinning.”

So I think I would conclude that the ones Jesus never knew were lawless people who made a practice of sinning and by this habitual sinning show by their actual lives that they denied that Jesus is the Christ.

You can ensure that you are not one of those who will be rejected by Jesus “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.”

Note the emphasis on making Jesus Lord of ones life. It means to give Jesus the supreme place in your life and pledging him implicit obedience and reverent worship. Also, your belief must come from the heart, not just an intellectual assent.

If you have never made this type of confession, sincerely ask God for his help and then pray (confess with your mouth) that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.” God has promised us that "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."

Post by **_Anonymous** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 11:44 am

Good answer Blind Beggar!

Post by **_Steve** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:32 pm

I agree. "Blind Beggar" has given an excellent answer!!!

I might add that the book of 1 John gives four tests as grounds of assurance that we are truly among those who are born of God:

Confession of Christ (2:22-23/ 4:2-3, 15/ 5:1, 20-21)

Obedience to His commands: a righteous life (2:3-5/ 3:6-10/ 5:3, 18)

Love for the brethren (2:10-11/ 3:10,14-16, 18-19/ 4:7-8, 12, 16-21/ 5:1/ John 13:34-35)

Possession of the Holy Spirit (2:20, 27/ 3:24/ 4:13/ 5:6-10)

This last test may seem somewhat subjective, and I think it is. It has to do with the inner witness that we are the sons of God (Rom.8:16/ 1 John 5:10). This subjective factor might not be conclusive by itself (since something else may be mistaken for it), but when combined with the first three tests, I believe it is conclusive.

Post by **_Paidion** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:37 pm

Blind Beggar quoted:

“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.

Let's follow these simple words of Jesus. It is necessary to "do the will of the Father" to enter the kingdom of heaven. And the will of the Father is exactly the same as the will of the Son. For Jesus said He always did the will of His Father. The will of the Son is, "If you love me keep my commandments."

1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

Let's examine the answer that Jesus Himself gave to the question, "How can one keep from being among those whom Jesus never knew?" He said these words immediately after He made the statement:

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ Matthew 7:23

And here is Jesus' answer:

Matthew 7:24-27 "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock;and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it."

Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 are filled with the specific instructions Jesus gave to His disciples. They must be obeyed.

The last words Jesus gave to His disciples was:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

This is the essence of what must be done to enter the kingdom of heaven.
How do we do it, when we are so weak and incapable? That is the very reason Jesus died:

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness...1 Peter 2:24

...He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:26

We may really try to do what Jesus said, and fail. For we were all born with sinful natures. But when we change our minds about how we have been living, and submit ourselves to Christ, He by His power will enable us to do His will. We will be able to do what we could not naturally do by our own will and effort.

For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Titus 2:11-14

We hear many religious people tell us "Only believe in Christ. Nothing else is needed." But unless the word "believe" is understood to include submission and obedience, it avails nothing.

Post by **_STEVE7150** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 4:13 pm

"Teaching them to observe all that i have commanded them" Matt 28.18
begs the question what did Jesus command? I think the beautitudes are not suggestions or guidelines but actual commands for those who wan't to follow Christ and to know him. Of course so are the love commands by Christ and his other statements like "But i say to you." These are the commandments that Christ meant by "all that i have commanded you" because the you were his listeners. So it's not referring to the 10 commandments in the OT but statements Christ gave to his followers,that's how he knows us.

Post by **_Anonymous** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:36 pm

when Jesus spoke of casting out demons etc. in these verses
is that a hyperbole

Post by **_Anonymous** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:17 pm

Jesus didn't say anything about casting out demons. Those who came before him said "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?"

Paidion: Is that picture new? I don't recall seeing one associated with your posts before. Very nice.