On Faith
Paul Mcgrade

“Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out devils, and in Your name perform many wonderful works? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:22, 23

To prophesy, cast out devils, and perform many wonderful works in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ would seem to be doing the will of the Father. Yet the “many” in this passage find out this isn’t the case. Their good works haven’t been good works after all. The Lord shuns them away with the most horrible of all curses, “I never knew you; depart from me;” He gives them the title of those “that work iniquity.” It’s a strange thing that the Lord would do this to those that probably clothed the naked, visited the sick, fed the hungry, and were filled with many other supposed wonderful works; although it be a strange thing, here He casts them off as an unclean thing. He considers all their wonderful works to be iniquity; they’re workers of iniquity even while they’re feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick.

You ask, ‘How could these works be counted as sin?’ These ‘many’ were unbelievers, that is, they didn’t do their works in faith but thought God would be pleased in the works themselves. Prophesying, casting demons out, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and many other wonderful works have no virtue in and of themselves. Good works are good works in the sight of God because they’re done in faith. As Luther said, if the work is done in faith, it’s good, even if it were such a small thing as picking up a straw or you could say a leaf.

There will be those who prophesy, cast demons out, feed the hungry, etc., and yet the Lord will declare to know them. He will confess them before all and it will be a wonderful, peaceful, rested day for those saints.

The strange thing is that both groups do the same works, yet the Lord counts one group to be doing sin, while He counts the other to be doing good; the answer is faith. One did what they did in faith and the others didn’t. “Whatever is not of faith is sin.”

I think if we look at verse 21 of Matthew 7 we will see that just because people are casting out demons etc, does not mean they are doing the will of the Father.

It should be that we should be doing God's will, not what WE want. What we want is nothing compared to doing God's will.

As it is, faith is not mentioned in these 3 verses, but God does look for faith in His people, because without faith it is impossible to please God, Heb 11v6.

God bless.

As Luther said, if the work is done in faith, it’s good, even if it were such a small thing as picking up a straw or you could say a leaf.

I would say a new leaf.

It should be that we should be doing God's will, not what WE want. What we want is nothing compared to doing God's will.

Please why don’t you share with me what God wants. I want to make sure that I am walking in his perfect will.

Rom 11:29 -- For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentence. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy throught their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! 34 for who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever, A-men. (Thompson Chain-Reference).

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Christiaan

Miccah wrote,

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Christiaan

It smells of the devil all over it, and how does the devil smell? It was to my understanding that the devil was a Fine Looking Angel, so how could he smell bad.

The devil mimics the works of God by foolery and tricks, this is not what my bible says.
My bible says that he comes to Cheat, Steal and Destroy.

This is what I see when I see the word in.iq.ui.ty/immortality

51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkiling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put immortatilty, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Je sus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, foreasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (Thompson Chain-Reference)

Immortality, same as iniquity according to the STRONGS means

110 athanasia, deathlessness
861 aphtharsia, unending existence

Adb el, ad-beh-ale; from the root word (grieve) in the sense of chastisement and disciplined of God; Adbeel, a son of Ishmael Adbeel.

861 attuwn, (Chald.), at-toon; prob. From the corresp to 784 esh, aysh a prim word meaning fire or burning, fiery, fire, flaming hot, as in a fire place (861) furnace.

This is Immortality, but God desires that we be immortal and incorruptible.

Immortal: Eternal, everlasting, ceaseless, never-ending, perpetual
Incorruptible: Morally upright, and honorable

I also looked up the word in.iq.ui.ty and I know that it hurts to see ourselves in this way. When the fear of the Lord comes upon you and over-shadows you as you quiver in hopes that you will not die and that your name not be taken out of the book of life, as you run to the alter, may you remember the psalm of David, when he said as he prayed that one time, against you Oh Lord have I sinned and done this wickedness.

Figtreelives,

I have been reading your post, and rereading it. I have been trying to look at it from every different angle to try to understand it. I got nothing.

So that we are on the same page... Devil=bad. Smells of the devil is an idiom I used to explain my feelings of the devils deceptions, schemes. I have no idea how the Devil smells, but I do know that his looks would have nothing to do with his smell. I have found that some of us look really good and smell really bad, this can be literal and/or an idiom as well. :-)

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Christiaan