Originally posted by Eladar
When Jesus said that not all who call to Jesus lord lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, was Jesus just being a liar?
Let's compare the relevant passages:
First
Romans 10:8-12
But the righteousness which is out of faith speaks in this way, "Who will ascend into heaven?" that is, to bring Christ down. (v.6)
Or, "Who will descend into the abyss?" that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. (v.7)
Just taking this much, the Bible is saying that eternal salvation is not in what you and I can do. It rests in Christ Who came down from heaven by way of incarnation and rose from the dead in resurrection.
We could not bring Him down. And we could not raise Him from the dead.
And we certainly could not force Him to die for our sins.
The WORK of saving us was out of Him.
Then Paul goes on about faith in Him and His finished work which saves us.
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart," that is the word of faith which we proclaim, (v.8)
That is you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (v.9)
For with the heart there is believing unto righteousness, and with the mouth there is confession unto salvation. (v.10)
This passage is about being eternally saved, eternally redeemed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the belief in the heart and the confession of the mouth in the Christ Who is Son of God Who came down from heaven, died a redemptive death and rose in a victorious resurrection.
The work is His to save us forever.
We believe with the heart and confess Him as
"Lord" with the mouth, and we will be saved.
Now the passage of
Matthew 7:21 is about entering into the kingdom of the heavens. This calls for living the highest level of righteousness by the grace of Christ. In other words just being forgiven is not all of God's purpose. He also has a government, a kingdom, a realm of authority that those saved are called to live in. And just calling on the Lord for eternal redemption alone may not qualify one to enter into that kingdom of the heavens.
" Not every one who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he who does the will of My Father who is in the heavens. (v.21)
Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, was it not in Your name that we prophesied, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name did many works of power? (v.22)
And then I will declare to them: I never knew [or acknowledged] you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness."
Christ can save men eternally for believing in His finished work and calling on His name.
Christ can also temporarily exclude men from His kingdom because though they have been saved forever, He did not acknowledge their methods of serving Him, falling short of living out the will of His Father.
The word for
"knew" in the phrase
"I never knew you" is the same word used by Paul in
Romans 7 where he says what he does he does not acknowledge.
"For what i work out, I do not acknowledge." (Rom. 7:15a)
He did not approve or agree with what he did.
And Jesus will tell some who are eternally redeemed, when the millennial kingdom come, that He did not approve or acknowledge or agree with their methods of work as Christian workers.
They will be punished temporarily as saved yet
"workers of lawlessness".
How can it be justified that this punishment could be temporary and not eternal punishment?
Read the next post to see.