The Fatal Loss
Some of the most unnerving passages in the whole Bible are found in the New Testament book of Mathew 7:19-27. These passages show that some will stand before Jesus on Judgment Day thinking they will receive reward, only to find that they are destined for Hell, the Lake of Fire and destruction.
It's obvious that not everyone will make it into the Kingdom, but these are those who say they have prophesied in His name, cast out devils and performed wonderful works, ministries that most of us have not done in our own walk with Jesus.
Who are these people? It looks like they have a relationship with Jesus, but something is wrong? How is it that someone could believe they are saved only to find out that their souls are lost to destruction? Let's open this up a little more and take a look at these passages and dissect their true meaning.
| Mathew
7:19 Every
tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the fire. Mathew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mathew 7:21 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. Mathew 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? Mathew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mathew 7:24 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: Mathew 7:25 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. Mathew 7:26 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: Mathew 7:27 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. |
After reading this disturbing passage in Matthew 7:23 it would imply that Jesus never had a relationship with them and was speaking of those who would say, “Lord, Lord,” but did not do the will of the Father. Jesus also shows that these same people would be those who would seek entrance into the kingdom another way claiming to be workers of miracles in the name of Jesus Christ, but Jesus would have to say in Matthew 7:23 “…I never knew you: depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”.
This shows us that God’s grace will not cover deliberate disobedience. Those who practice deliberate disobedience show God that there is no genuine repentance for their sinful acts because if there had been true repentance, they would not keep on doing them. In other words, they would have turned away from their sinful acts. Repentance implies remorse for sin and the turning away from it.
| Albert
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Commentary
states: Mathew 7:23 Profess unto them - Say unto them; plainly declare. I never knew you - That is, I never approved of your conduct; never loved you; never regarded you as my friends. See Psa_1:6; 2Ti_2:19; 1Co_8:3. This proves that, with all their pretensions, they had never been true followers of Christ. Jesus will not then say to false prophets and false professors of religion that he had once known them and then rejected them; that they had been once Christians and then had fallen away; that they had been pardoned and then had apostatized but that he had never known them - they had never been true christians. Whatever might have been their pretended joys, their raptures, their hopes, their self-confidence, their visions, their zeal, they had never been regarded by the Saviour as his true friends. I do not know of a more decided proof that Christians do not fall from grace than this text. It settles the question; and proves that whatever else such people had, they never had any true religion. See 1Jo_2:19. Life Application Bible Commentary Mathew 7:21-23 Jesus exposed those people who sounded religious but had no personal relationship with him. On "judgment day" only our relationship with Christ—our acceptance of him as Savior and our obedience to him—will matter Many people think that if they are "good" people and say religious things, they will be rewarded with eternal life. In reality, faith in Christ is what will count at the judgment. |
So how do we keep from hearing these horrible words uttered by Jesus? In the chapter of John we find an important element for having a relationship with Jesus and that is to simply Keep His Commandments. But in today's spiritual climate, keeping God's commandments has lost its importance.
See Keep My Commandments Below
By keeping God's commandments, we build a closer relationship with Christ and Jesus makes it clear in John 17:3 that His gift to us is Eternal Life. Eternal Life is a gift because we will know Jesus and have a relationship with Him. We will keep God's commandments, not as a work to obtain Eternal Life, but because we love God.
| (John 10:28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. |
| (John 17:3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. |
But God's commandments have even come under attack. How is this you may ask? This attack has come by elimination of the second commandment in the Catholic Catechism and today most churches are not following the fourth commandment as stated in Exodus 20:8.
| Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9: Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 10: but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. |
Most churches today worship on Sunday and not Saturday like God has commanded in His 10 Commandments.
The prevailing thought is that since Jesus died on the cross for our sins, he did away with the Law. This could not be further from the truth.
Jesus said in Mathew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." In other words, all the prophets and Laws of God were pointing to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. With His coming, He had fulfilled the words of the prophets and of the Law which is the essence of God's character.
As Jesus says in John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Keeping God's Law is something the Last Day Church will do, also called God's People or the Remnant Church. As mentioned in Revelation 12:17 " And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
The woman in Bible prophecy refers to God's people, or church. The Last Day Church will keep the Commandments of God, which is the Laws of God. Again, when I say the church I am not referring to a specific church or denomination, but rather anyone who does God's will, keeps God's commandments, and has their foundational faith in Jesus. Those who have these characteristics, are the true church, not just a building or denominational affiliation. We do need to congregate together, but belonging to a church will not save you.
| Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. John Gill's Expository of the Whole Bible Revelation 12:17 who keep the commandments of God: and not the traditions of men: nor are the commands of the moral law of God so much designed, though it is true that these were kept by the seed of the church; but rather the ordinances of the Gospel, the commands of God our Saviour, such as baptism and the Lord's supper; which were kept by these faithful ones, as they had been delivered, when they began now to be sadly corrupted by the antichristian party: and have the testimony of Jesus Christ; the Gospel, which is a testimony concerning him; This they had in their hearts, a spiritual knowledge and saving experience of it; and this they had in their hands, they made a profession of it, they held it forth, and held it fast; all which was the reason of Satan's enmity against them, and war with them. |
On a final note
Jesus
gives us an illustration of what a foolish
man will
do that will result in the destruction of his life.
Mathew
7:26 "And every
one that heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not, shall be
likened unto a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.
"
Mathew 7:27 "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.
Those who profess to be a Christian while practicing deliberate disobedience are opening the door to hear Jesus' rejection of them in Mathew 7:23.
Be sure to check your relationship with Jesus and live a life that will allow you to stand before Jesus on Judgment Day and hear these wonderful words..
| Mathew 25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. |
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