martyr, thanks for the encouragement. I hear you brother, hang in there.
_________________Oracio
Oracio,I am not disagreeing with the content of this thread, but would like to hear an explanation on how this is possible: 22Many 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? 23And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS. Matthew 7:22-23 NASB.ginnyrose
_________________Sandra Miller
hi ginnyrose. I'm not sure exactly what you are asking about that passage. If you are asking how can those who preach and do miracles in Christ's name be lost at the final Day, I would say it is because they had a form of outward godliness but did not have the power of God at work in their own hearts. They tried to live a double life, with one foot in the Lord and the other in the world. Judas is a prime example of this kind of false conversion. The apostles never suspected that he was a false convert during their 3 and a half year ministry with the Lord. Judas did everything that the other apostles did outwardly. But inwardly his heart was far from the Lord. He had not truly repented of his sins and surrendered all of himself to the Lord, like the others did.
Also ginnyrose, there are many lost who call Christ their 'Lord' but do not have any public ministry like the people in that passage in Matthew 7. These people only have a verbal profession of faith in Christ and do not have many outward religious performances that go with it. They too, have had a false conversion experience of some sort.
hi, jesus said depart from me ... for i never knew you.therefore they never were saved because they never had a relationship with Jesus. it is all about our relationship with Him,being born from above into the family of God.jimp