ARE YOU A SLAVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS?

[BradC]

You're terribly wrong in this:

Matthew chapter 7

[13] Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
[14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
[15] Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
[17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
[18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
[20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
[21] 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.
[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?
[23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
[28] And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
[29] For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

The underlying Greek word which is here translated as "wonderful" is "dynamis"...

Greek Lexicon :: G1411 (KJV)

...and it is the same underlying Greek word which Luke used in the book of Acts to describe the "power" which Christ's disciples received on the day of Pentecost and it's the same underlying Greek word which is regularly used in relation to Christ's "mighty works" all throughout the New Testament. NOBODY can peform these "wonderful works...without grace and without the Spirit" as you alleged.

Anyhow, according to Jesus Christ, just merely performing Holy Spirit empowered works in His name is not enough. No, Christians are called to "hear His sayings AND DO THEM".

In (v.22) they are the ones who profess to Christ (the judge) that they have done those wonderful works in his name, but in the following verse Christ tells them to depart from him for they worked iniquity. Those wonderful works they claimed to have done were only from their own perspective and not from God's and they were works of iniquity. In giving their account they wanted Christ (the judge) to believe that those were wonderful works they had done in his name as a work of God. It was not the work nor the will of God they were doing through those wonderful works because they did not hear his sayings to do them as a wise man, as the rest of the chapter conveys. Anyone can claim that they are doing God's work but they are doing so without grace and the Spirit and we have to be able to discern these things through the Spirit.

 

[JesusistheChrist]

Allowing one self to be completely led by the Spirit, denying our own carnality is not accomplished without much prayer and fasting.
I am far from being a perfect slave, but a slave of Christ I remain, not because I deserve to be his servant. But Jesus purchased me with his own blood and refuses to give me up.
Praise be to God forever.

If Christ "refuses to give us up", then what we just read in Matthew chapter 7 makes no sense at all nor does much of the entire Bible. Again, Christ was referring to CHRISTIANS here or to those who had performed many "wonderful" or Holy Ghost empowered "works" in His name. Although they would have had to have known Christ at some point in time to receive such an "empowerment", Christ ultimately tells the same to "depart" in that He NEVER KNEW THEM. How can this be? It's not that complicated, actually. IOW, although these CHRISTIANS had once received Holy Ghost "empowerment", they were "workers of iniquity" or those who merely heard Christ's Words but refused to DO the same. Through the prophet Ezekiel, the LORD said:

Ezekiel chapter 18

[24] But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
[25] Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
[26] When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
[27] Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
[28] Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
[29] Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?
[30] Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
[31] Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
[32] For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

In the same manner in which the LORD remembers our sins and iniquities no more when we turn away from the same, He likewise remembers our righteousness no more when we turn away from the same and refuse to repent. As such, these impenitent "workers of iniquity" or those who merely heard Christ's Words and yet refused to DO THEM are referred to as those whom Christ NEVER KNEW.

That's not a popular teaching nowadays, but it is the truth, nonetheless.

 

[JesusistheChrist]

In (v.22) they are the ones who profess to Christ (the judge) that they have done those wonderful works in his name, but in the following verse Christ tells them to depart from him for they worked iniquity. Those wonderful works they claimed to have done were only from their own perspective and not from God's and they were works of iniquity. In giving their account they wanted Christ (the judge) to believe that those were wonderful works they had done in his name as a work of God. It was not the work nor the will of God they were doing through those wonderful works because they did not hear his sayings to do them as a wise man, as the rest of the chapter conveys. Anyone can claim that they are doing God's work but they are doing so without grace and the Spirit and we have to be able to discern these things through the Spirit.

Please read my last post on this thread.

Thanks.

 

[The_highwayman]

In (v.22) they are the ones who profess to Christ (the judge) that they have done those wonderful works in his name, but in the following verse Christ tells them to depart from him for they worked iniquity. Those wonderful works they claimed to have done were only from their own perspective and not from God's and they were works of iniquity. In giving their account they wanted Christ (the judge) to believe that those were wonderful works they had done in his name as a work of God. It was not the work nor the will of God they were doing through those wonderful works because they did not hear his sayings to do them as a wise man, as the rest of the chapter conveys. Anyone can claim that they are doing God's work but they are doing so without grace and the Spirit and we have to be able to discern these things through the Spirit.

I think Jesus was also telling us the danger of Being self called in Matt 7. If you break down the Greek, you will come to understand the word "knew" comes from a derivative of the word approved.

So in a sense Jesus is saying depart from me, because I never approved of you....

Being self called to do his works is nothing more than blind ambition and won't get you far in the will of God.

I have also been chewing on if Jesus was saying that many will do great works in my name through the law....and if Jesus was saying that self righteous works done in his name will also not be approved....I ahve to study that out a bit more, before going further...