“Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of haven, but he who does the will of My Father in haven. And many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, have we not cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” Matthew 7:21-23
Now John answered Him saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” But Jesus said, “do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. …For he who is not [against you[us] is on your[our] side. Mark 9:38-40
Jesus said “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin.” John 15:24 Both Elijah and Elisha have raised the dead. Elisha has fed hundreds from a bowl and has cured a leper but never had anyone cast out demons with a word nor the blind to see and the deaf to hear until Jesus.
So when Matthew 7:22 speaks of those who cast out demons, they did it in the name of Jesus, since in no other names are they made subject. “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” Luke 10:17, said the disciples. And when the inhabitants saw His works they marvelled saying: “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”Mark 1:27 Mark and Luke also record the comments of John, how one who does not follow with them was exercising power in the name of Jesus to cast out demons. Therefore, in that day those who say “Lord, Lord, have we not done this than that..” are not speaking in general terms but claiming have we not done those things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Matthew 7:21-23 speaks of those that sought justification by their works: “have we not done this and that in Your name?”, yet they continued in sin. That is, there was no change in them, they thought their works will account for their sins. It is salvation by faith and faith alone and it is made evident in this statement, “he who does the will of My Father.” this is not what they claimed it to be, [prophesied, cast out demons, done mighty works]. But Jesus explains what is the will of His Father, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29 Therefore when Jesus says to them, “I never knew you,” and “you who practice lawlessness.” He is speaking of something fundamental.
“Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4
Then the question is who are those who make a practice of sinning? John writes saying, that the very purpose “Jesus was manifested was to take away our sins and in Him there is no sin.” 1 John 3:5 and tells us that “He who practice righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the the devil.” 1 John 3:7-8 In speaking this John is describing two natures a righteous nature belongs to Christ and a sin nature belongs to the devil. Then, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” 1 John 3:9 Then the simple explanation is that those who practice lawlessness are those who are not born of God. Therefore they are not recognised by Him, because their nature does not accord with His.
“You are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. Romans 8:9
Before addressing the issue of those who say “Lord, Lord..,” Jesus describes two trees, a good tree and and a bad tree. And explains each tree will produce fruits according to its nature. This is the same concept described above the nature of the flesh [sin] and the nature of righteousness [the Spirit]. And Paul writing to the Corinthians says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” Then he goes on to describe what the unrighteous [flesh, sin nature] make a practice of such as fornication, idolatry, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards and so on and qualifies it with “And such were some of you.” That is though you were once like that are not any more. 1 Corinthians, 6:9-10 The emphases being the change.
And also in his the letter to the Galatians he describes what the works of the flesh are [fornications, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outburst of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries and the like:] and warns saying those who make a practice of such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 And continues to describe what the fruit of the Spirit are, [love, joy , peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control] and those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24 The point is each tree will continue to produce fruit according to its kind, if it is of the flesh it will make a practice of sin and if it is of the Spirit then it will brings forth what accords with righteousness.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15
Then in speaking of those who render such mighty works and mislead others, they are the ones who appear to be the servants of the Lord, but within they are still composed of the same old nature, to which Jesus points to. The same warning is given by Paul in Acts saying, “Savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Acts 20:29-30. And Peter also says the same, “there will be false teachers among, who secretly bring in destructive heresies.” 2 Peter 2:1
These who appear one way but have a contrary nature will lead many astray. Peter describes them saying, “and those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority” and gives a further description saying “having eyes full of adultery and that can not cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have hearts trained on covetous practices, and are accursed children.” and last point to take from his letter is that “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.” 2 Peter 2:10,14,19 And Jude describes them as: “they would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause division, not having the Spirit. Jude 18-19
In all these letters the same concept is repeated, they speak of the same people who appear to walk among the righteous but contain in themselves the nature of sin. They can not cease from sin, they are slaves to corruption, they are sensual [flesh] people and the defining part is “not having the Spirit.”
The reason for their folly is that they do not have the spiritual nature in order to know the things of the Spirit. As such whatever they teach and propagate is a tainted view and in this deception they mislead themselves and others. Paul teaches on this in his letter to Corinthians saying: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Likewise this telling themselves, they serve the Lord yet are not of Him and what they understand naturally they teach and leave by, and by it they are destroyed.
It is not to say that we will always walk perfect or if by some misfortune if we have fallen that we are now cast away. No, Paul and John write how we ought to bare one another’s burden: “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1 and “If anyone sees his brother sining a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask and He will give him life. 1 John 5:16 This being said, each one of us ought to know from which tree we stem from. Paul says to “examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith” 2 Corinthians 13:5 That no one can teach you what you truly are, they may point to you the principle but at the end it is the spirit within you that knows the truth. And if you have the Spirit in you, He will testify with your spirit that you are a child of God. This witness is what counts, not the head knowledge.
“Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the Rock.” Matthew 7:24 The Rock is Jesus. He is not speaking of what we add to it, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 3, but the foundation is Jesus. That a parson has to be set on Him, be born of Him or no amount of might works is worth anything.
And a person who is born of the Spirit of God imitates the One he is born of. A good tree produces good fruit, and bad tree bad fruits. All the characteristics of the fruits exhibit a change in nature not something that is worked. However, this might not be immediately evident, as Paul speaks of how he plants and another waters but it is God who gives the growth. That as you continue to walk in the faith, the reality of the truth is made manifest. “By their fruits you shall know them.”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
Bread Bait. 
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