then I will declare to them,
"I never knew you; depart from me"
Matthew 7:23
The question in this section of Matthew 7 is "[who] will enter the kingdom of God"?
In the first sentence, Jesus says, "21 he who does the will of My Father ... will enter the kingdom of God." It's an echo of James 2:17, "faith, if it has no works, is dead."
But in Matthew 7:22-23, it's more than works. Jesus talks about people who "prophes[ied] ... cast out demons ... in [Christ's] name" -- works -- but it wasn't enough. They "never knew [God]." This is an echo of Romans 3:28, we are "justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law"; it's faith and relationship rather than works.
So which is it -- faith or works? 1 John 3:7 shows how it's both. The Apostle says, "the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just a He is righteous." Practicing righteousness makes us righteous. How? By drawing us close to the One who is righteous. It's a relationship. It's faith.
Faith draws us to the righteous one, and as we begin to reflect him, we become like him -- righteous. Simplify that: Relationship inspires righteousness ... and faith inspires good works.
God's will is not good works. It is for us to know Christ. Faith.
In Christ's Love,
I guy who wants to turn around
our verse for today:
a guy who knows Christ,
and yearns to hear, "Come to me"
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