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?Mat 7:22
Are you saying this is spoken to atheists and those who actively reject Jesus as the Christ? I don't think so, brother! Jesus is clearly correcting those who only HEAR the Gospel and do not OBEY it. Faith without works is dead. This has nothing to do with pagans, but rather, the self-righteous who think they are already going to eternal glory just by hearing the Gospel.
Regards
I am sure that there will be persistent unbelievers who will call Jesus "Lord" and will claim to done great things in His name ... certainly once they see that the tide has turned against them.
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?Mat 7:22
Are you saying this is spoken to atheists and those who actively reject Jesus as the Christ? I don't think so, brother! Jesus is clearly correcting those who only HEAR the Gospel and do not OBEY it. Faith without works is dead. This has nothing to do with pagans, but rather, the self-righteous who think they are already going to eternal glory just by hearing the Gospel.
I don't think that you considering the fulness of the statements made by Jesus here.
Those that Jesus addresses are those which claim to have done works ... and Jesus says ... I never knew you.
He doesn't say ... you have heard the gospel, but haven't produced enough works.
He says ... I never knew you.
This isn't about works.
If we trust Jesus to know what He is saying ... He can't be speaking to anyone who has ever been a believer, for He says ... I never knew you.
According to what Jesus says here, ... he can't be speaking to those who once believed, because He says ... I never knew you.
Those to whom He speaks may be self-righteous, but they have to be the self-righteous who have have never come to Jesus, because He says ... I never knew you.
And isn't this the group that Jesus had the most trouble with in every case ... the Pharisees, the Scribes, the experts in the Jewish law, ... who saw themselves as having their own righteousness, ... and who looked down their noses at Jesus ?
Isn't this the group who, today, is in the most peril of missing the salvation of God ... those who think that they have no need of Jesus ?
To obey the gospel ... is to believe it ... and to come to know Jesus.John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?Once we believe the gospel, Jesus knows us ... because we enter into fellowship with Him.
29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.He could never say unto us, his children ... I never knew you.