Matthew 7:
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
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.'
There are those who prophesy in the name of Jesus, cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and do many mighty works/miracles in that name. Yet they are called workers of lawlessness, i.e. those whom the Lord will not recognize as His, in their self-appointed ministries. Lawlessness, better translated here as iniquity, is not speaking of the transgression of the mosaic covenant. What the Lord is saying that the many great works, prophecy and preaching these “men of god” perform are actually iniquitous, (wicked) works. Those who walk in these works are lawless ones.
These are the ones Paul speaks of in 2Cor 11:1-15; of which 2Peter2 and Jude1 warn the church; and whom John calls “antichrist”; 1John 2:18-27.
The workers of iniquity preach another gospel, of another Jesus, by another spirit. What they do, they do in the name of a “jesus” who is not the Jesus of scripture, i.e. the Son who came from the Father, the one of whom the apostles and the written scriptures attest to.
It is not the invoking of the name along with corresponding “miracles” ( chanted like an incantation or talisman so common in today’s professing churches) by which the fruit of the true vine is revealed. The fruit of the true vine is seen only through those who do the will of the Father of the only begotten Son.
Matthew 7:21 "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.
Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
What is that will?
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
The only “work” that the Lord is concerned with regarding the elect is that of belief. Those who believe (faith alone) in the Christ of scriptures, the Christ of the apostles and prophets, will preach His Gospel. The ones who seek only signs, mighty moves, “breakthroughs” etc. etc. do not preach the Jesus of the Word.
The apostolic ones (the church) are those whom the Lord has sent. The apostates are those who go out on their own. They are the workers of lawlessness. Thus all are known by their fruit.
2Timothy 2:19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
Those who refuse to depart from their iniquity are those whom the Lord refuses to recognize.
“'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (iniquity).”
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
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.'
There are those who prophesy in the name of Jesus, cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and do many mighty works/miracles in that name. Yet they are called workers of lawlessness, i.e. those whom the Lord will not recognize as His, in their self-appointed ministries. Lawlessness, better translated here as iniquity, is not speaking of the transgression of the mosaic covenant. What the Lord is saying that the many great works, prophecy and preaching these “men of god” perform are actually iniquitous, (wicked) works. Those who walk in these works are lawless ones.
These are the ones Paul speaks of in 2Cor 11:1-15; of which 2Peter2 and Jude1 warn the church; and whom John calls “antichrist”; 1John 2:18-27.
The workers of iniquity preach another gospel, of another Jesus, by another spirit. What they do, they do in the name of a “jesus” who is not the Jesus of scripture, i.e. the Son who came from the Father, the one of whom the apostles and the written scriptures attest to.
It is not the invoking of the name along with corresponding “miracles” ( chanted like an incantation or talisman so common in today’s professing churches) by which the fruit of the true vine is revealed. The fruit of the true vine is seen only through those who do the will of the Father of the only begotten Son.
Matthew 7:21 "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.
Matthew 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
What is that will?
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
The only “work” that the Lord is concerned with regarding the elect is that of belief. Those who believe (faith alone) in the Christ of scriptures, the Christ of the apostles and prophets, will preach His Gospel. The ones who seek only signs, mighty moves, “breakthroughs” etc. etc. do not preach the Jesus of the Word.
The apostolic ones (the church) are those whom the Lord has sent. The apostates are those who go out on their own. They are the workers of lawlessness. Thus all are known by their fruit.
2Timothy 2:19 But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."
Those who refuse to depart from their iniquity are those whom the Lord refuses to recognize.
“'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (iniquity).”
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