Posted on 10/22/2011 1:21:35 PM PDT by NYer
And yet you feel the need to ping me. Hmmmm.
Yes, it seems a very straightforward passage, very clear and consistent with Jesus’s ministry.
It takes quite a bit of work to avoid its meaning or application to ourselves.
“whose hands he is and who directs his actions”? Obama took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this land. If God puts authority in place then you must agree that the Constitution and the laws were set by those who God put in place. Would God then put in place a person who disobeys those laws? If God tells us to obey the laws of those He puts in place how could He then put someone in place who breaks those laws and still “direct his actions”?
There was evidence you could use a reminder...
Matthew 7:15-23 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 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.'
Neither would the nose of anyone who openly called a Catholic an "RC" on the streets of Limerick or Cashel or a thousand other Irish towns that still bear the scars and broken buildings of Cromwell's "evangelization".
But it would appear that the goats thought they were doing good works doesn’t it.
Matthew 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?
Are you sure you’re doing the good works that lead to the “good and faithful servant” or are you doing the “good works” that lead to “I never knew you”?
In your humble opinion I’m sure.
You prots keep posting that, as if I ever said anything to the contrary. Yet, on the contrary, none of you give evidence of having understood the sheep/goats passage, rather, you appear to be saying the opposite of what Christ said. BTW, FAITH is the badis for determining our salvation. Mayge that's what you meant, instead of fruit.
Even if Jesus were referring to those who do the works of feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, etc, if all we've done is that which is expected of us, we are unprofitable servants.
Besides, when Jesus comes to set up His kingdom and separates the sheep and goats, we've already returned with Him. We, who are believers who have been forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ, are not the ones being judged. This is not the standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded for our works which is a bonus to already having been saved.
When I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ because of my trusting in Him, then the works Jesus did are credited to my account and God sees those works, so even if I am judged based on works, God is looking not at my own worthless works that I thought were good enough, but at the works of Jesus imputed to me; credited to my account.
That does not deserve an answer, except that my Savior is my judge, not you.
In no way did I insinuate that it was mine to make. I simply pointed out that those who were told “I never knew you” thought they were doing good works. I then asked if you knew whether your “good works” were the type that got the comment “good and faithful” or were they the type that got “I never knew you”.
How would you know when we are told.
Isaiah 64 “and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”.
If I relied on my deeds to save me, I would be worried, for sure. Who can ever merit salvation? Not me, for sure. Yet i will serve Him to the best of my ability.
Yes. I know.
If you think the filthy rags phrase applies to you, then I’ll accept that.
You just had to go down that road again didn’t you?
I did not bring it up. You did.
Does anyone really think that verse from Isaiah applies to the Beatitudes? Its just another verse presented in a perverted bumper sticker mode to "prove" an unscriptural point.
I don’t know if anyone else is sick of hearing that “filthy rags” phrase or not, but I am. I would be just as happy to never see it again. However, you asked the question. Maybe that will be the last timr.
Its like observing 12 year olds using a "naughty" reference in front of adults. In an environment where even coarse language is immediately zotted from the thread the "12 year olds" have found one verse out of the over 30,000 verses in the bible that they can repeat and snicker over.
Like the hyper-Calvinists on these threads, its presence is highly disproportional to its importance and relevance.
The Religion Forum as a Jr High do-over. Yep. I see it.
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