Many Will Say "Lord, Lord"

Sunday at church, we went through Matt. 7:21-28. Some things I noticed about this passage:

Mat 7:15  "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Mat 7:18  "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

Mat 7:21  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22  "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Mat 7:23  "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Notice that these are religious people doing religious works and using the name of Jesus as if He sanctioned them.

These people try to justify themselves before Jesus Christ Himself--to His face, recalling their many deeds done in His name. Notice they have no fear of the Holy One of Israel, even in His presence; no humility before Him either, but an arrogance.

Things I noticed:

They  believe they are entitled, that they've earned their way into HIS kingdom by their own works, and they remind the Self Existent One of them.

They believe using His name sanctified their works. To them His name is like a rabbit's foot, a lucky charm; the thing that will get them approved by the masses and by God Himself. This is taking HIS name in vain.

They recommend themselves to Christ Jesus.

They use the name of Christ because it's lucrative for them, but He did not save nor send them.

Their religious works are sin to Christ because it's not in obedience to Christ, starting with loving God with all their hearts, believing and trusting in Christ and HIS cross work, repenting of their sin.

Rom 5:1  Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.....Rom 5:5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

They redefine what is "good". God says what is good is obeying HIM from the heart--doing what He says and doing it IN Him. Religious works aren't good by nature. It's about the foundation, the source by which one does things.

These people are self-justified, not justified by God.

They are lawless because they work on their own terms and standards, not God's.

Rom 10: 3  For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 

Their works aren't good. God gets to define what is good.

Their's is a superficial artifice built on sand which will be utterly destroyed along with them.

They seem to think they did Jesus a favor by doing all their works--miracles even--in His name--with an attitude of "how dare you question us? We did all these things in YOUR name and you stand there judging US?" Think: Pharisees. It's the same spirit, same religious elitism & hypocrisy.

They are arguing with Christ to enter Heaven even though it's HIS kingdom and HIS authority and HIS choice.

They believe that the Perfect, thrice Holy God should accept their lawlessness because it was't really lawlessness--they were "good" works, done in His name, after all. They redefine what is "good" and "bad".

They deny the lordship and kingship of Christ Himself--TO HIS FACE.

The numbers of people/leaders, followers, works, and trials doesn't legitimize these false leaders' ministry. Jesus Himself said they were lawless and their deeds were lawless.

They wanted to reverse the roads--make the narrow road broad, and the broad road narrow. This would allow these "many" into the kingdom. This is against His standard and authority. Jesus is the God of precision. HE alone is the ONLY way, truth, and life--no one can go to the Father except by HIM.

We can know who is of Christ and who isn't. We can by vigorously testing them by the Scriptures through the HOLY Spirit, NOT by appearance (numbers who follow them, years of "service", numbers of books and speaking engagements, numbers of famous men who approve of them, verbiage, seminary degrees, etc.):

Mat 7:15  "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mat 7:16  "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?
Mat 7:17  "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18  "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Mat 7:19  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20  "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Mat 7:5  "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Discernment is wisdom in judging what is right from what is almost right. It demands going beyond the immediate appearance.