Matthew 7:22-23 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
It seems that the Lord allows many who are not his own to borrow his name,power and authority to do good works as he wills. Yet these works won’t count for his acceptance of them as his own children in the day of judgment.
Also there is this...from Acts 19:13-17 “13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” 14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all[a] of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
God lends his authority to governments as wielders of the sword against evil doers!And his authority extends thru the parents of families! Many leaders are not Christian but may act in noble ways under God’s authority whether they are cognizant or mindful of that color of authority extended to and thru them.
Acting under his authority isn’t that hard to do as all are under the law of Moses if they are not under the grace of Christ.
This not to say Mr Tand R you may or not have anything to worry about with Christ. My comments are strictly about authority and who can wield it in Christ’s name! Your points about love are noted!
To the greatest extent possible, I try not to use Christ’s Name, but to allow Christ in me to do the work through me. It is not me doing the work. My strength is in my weakness. When I feel His Love in me, I desire nothing, but to do His Will.
As St Francis would say, “to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.”