Mat 7:22 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?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity
Who are the workers of iniquity that were apparently able to think that they were in the will of God?
2006-10-15 07:32:51 · 15 answers · asked by Southern Apostolic 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Benny Hinn and other Word of Faith preachers?
2006-10-15 07:36:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anthony M 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Dear Southern Apost,
These are religious people who attended temple, church, synagogue, mosque, etc who had never been saved (redeemed) by the Lord Jesus Christ. These are some of the most frightening verses in the Bible because there are individuals who faithfully follow all the teachings of their denomination or religion but were never given eternal life by the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8,9 and Titus 3:5 tells us that there is no "work" we can do to guarantee salvation and entrance into heaven. There are people today that believe they have been "saved" because they said the sinners prayer, or were baptized in water, or are a member of ____ church.... None of these works can save a person. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save a person and it is His Sovereign choice and grace. "For many are called, but few are chosen."
2006-10-15 09:01:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not enough for us to say we believe in Christ and then do what we think is right. It is absolutely necessary that we find out what God’s will is on the matter. Jesus showed this in his Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will.”
We could even be doing what we believe to be “good deeds,” and be doing these in the name of Christ. Yet all of these would be of no value if we failed to do God’s will. We would be in the position of the ones Christ next mentions: “Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.” We can be doing things that we think are good, and for which other humans may thank us and even praise us, but if we fail to do what God says is right we will be regarded by Jesus Christ as “workers of lawlessness.”
Since many religions today are not doing God’s will, we cannot simply assume that the teachings of the religious organization we are associated with are in agreement with God’s Word. The mere fact that the Bible is used by a religion does not of itself prove that all the things it teaches and practices are in the Bible. It is important that we ourselves examine whether they are or not. Persons in the city of Beroea were commended because, after the Christian apostle Paul preached to them, they checked the Scriptures to make sure that the things he was telling them were true. (Acts 17:10, 11) The religion that is approved by God must agree in every way with the Bible; it will not accept certain parts of the Bible and reject other parts.
Someone may ask: ‘If a person is sincere in his beliefs, won’t God approve of him even if his religion is wrong?’ Well, Jesus said he would not approve of “workers of lawlessness” even though they believed they were doing what was right. (Matthew 7:22, 23) So sincerity alone would not be approved by God either.
2006-10-15 10:33:04 · answer #3 · answered by BJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All these people who "think" they know JEsus and don't.
There are all these people who think they are getting some reward.
Jesus and God doesn't want people who do things for rewards, they want people that do things because in thier hearts they know its the right thing to do!
It takes a pretty big person who Captures or Kills Osama to come forward and say: Here. There's your Osama and then walk away.
Most people will say: Now where's my 25 million dollar reward!
Do YOU have the moxy to just WALK AWAY and not claim that reward after you capture or kill Osama!
12 or 25 million is a lot of money to just walk away from.
God and Jesus is looking for the person who isn't doing it for the reward.
The selfless act.
Someone here once asked if your Son was not in the Book of Life would you give your own life up to get them in.
My answer was, that will not get them in. All YOU can do is turn down your place in heaven and ALL that will say to God was that God made the right choice in selecting you, afterall!
2006-10-15 07:57:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Their name is legion. Have you been over to the "Gay & Bi" section of Yahoo! Answers lately? There are trolls over there taking your lord's name in vain to make trouble for innocent people just because they are not what is wanted by their limited moral view. There are people who somehow get the idea that what they do "in the name of Jesus" is justified by that name, even if it would be wrong otherwise. The crusaders did not all end with the late middle ages, after all!
It is my opinion that Jesus was a very kind, generous, warm-hearted man who had no intention of turning people against one another, but tried to make the point that all men are brothers (and all women sisters), and that we need to be respectful of one another, not hurtful. The people who make war on other religions, who feel they can impose their values on others, seem to me to be the abominations Jesus mentioned.
2006-10-15 07:41:46 · answer #5 · answered by auntb93again 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Those that have not been given authority to act in God's name. Those that say they follow Christ, but in fact, have other motives. Those that preach the philosophies of man trying to expound on what Christ taught, but don't rely on the Lords Spirit to teach them.
There are many more, but these are just a few that this might apply to.
2006-10-15 07:37:48 · answer #6 · answered by AT 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am sure there are many....sadly, more than are preaching/teaching the truth. I think most people think that they don't know what IS the truth....but even that will be NO excuse unto the Lord, because He will send the truth to us all....most will reject it. I think that this verse is maybe to the ones that are KNOWINGLY preaching untruths (I could be wrong; wouldn't be the first time)....they will say but Lord, we preached/taught in YOUR name.....just what I have been taught....I guess one day soon we/they will know to whom this was meant for.
2006-10-15 07:43:08 · answer #7 · answered by nici a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many. Basically it is people who *say* they know the Lord and use the Lord's name to try to justify what they say and do, and yet they never seek God's will but only seek--and serve--their own.
2006-10-15 07:36:42 · answer #8 · answered by Gestalt 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are the "wolves in sheeps clothing"
They are the "goats amidst the sheep"
They are the "tares amidst the wheat"
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They look to the MANIFESTATION of the Holy Spirit of God as evidence of their own salvation, yet are deceived themselves. They deceive themselves, and they themselves are deceived.
It is the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit (namely, LOVE) that is evidence of salvation. However, "love" can be imitated, even as Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
No one knows the HEART of a person, except that person and God Himself. And since one must "believe in their heart that God raised Him (Jesus) from the dead...", NO one can fully know whether another person is saved.
Only a person can know for sure about themselves, yet many are very deceived into thinking that they are saved...yet wind up in hell. That is why the scriptures beckon you to "test yourself, to see if you are in the faith"...and to "test the spirits, to see if they are from God"....and to "test all things, and hold on to that which is good."
Those who think they are going to heaven based on their WORKS, and yet end up in hell - THESE are the workers of iniquity that are spoken about in Matthew 7:22-23.
Salvation does not come by WORKS, it comes by GRACE alone through FAITH alone...in Jesus alone, according to the Word of God alone, all for the Glory of God alone.
Everything else is rubble to be burned....
2006-10-15 08:26:27 · answer #9 · answered by yachadhoo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People who say that they are Christians, but are not. People who do all the right things according to God's word, but Christ is not in their hearts. People who do all the outward things, but inwardly they are as filthy rags. The workers of iniquity are religious people---do and say the right things, but have no love in them.
2006-10-15 07:37:41 · answer #10 · answered by Preacher 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of false preachers that pervert the Word of God. They say they are doing God's work, but are really being led by the Devil.
2006-10-15 07:39:03 · answer #11 · answered by ted.nardo 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋