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Philharris
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Username: Philharris

Post Number: 2687
Registered: 5-2007


Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 6:54 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here’s a quote that seems to have much meaning:


quote:

“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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matt. 7:21-23 ESV)



For starters here is what I’m seeing:

1. Not all who claim that Jesus is their Lord will enter the kingdom of God.

2. Some will point to this passage and claim that the key to enter the kingdom of God is that you must obey God meaning you must ‘keep the ten commandments', etc. This line of thought makes it sound like a ‘work’ on our part. What it simply says is that those in the kingdom of God will ‘do the will of God’ which has a much different meaning. Simply put, those in the kingdom of God will do the will of God and have been in God's kingdom long before this meeting with their Savior.

3. The key to understanding this passage, I believe, is what Jesus will say to those who are lost; “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” What Jesus is saying is that a personal relationship with him is what places a person in the kingdom of God.

4. In-other-words, those who claim to be doing something to earn or secure their salvation such as “keeping the law” that Adventist theology teaches are really ‘workers of lawlessness’.

5. Never does our assurance of salvation give anyone authorization to sin. When Jesus becomes our Lord that means he is the one directing our lives.

What might the rest of my forum family see in this passage?

Phil
1john2v27nlt
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Username: 1john2v27nlt

Post Number: 392
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 10:15 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This scripture spoke to me in church today & opens my understanding as to what you are pointing out Phil:
James 2:8-13 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

9 But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.

11 For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law.

12 So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free.

13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

In my 1996 version v 8 reads 'obey our Lord's royal command'
in my sda life I read 'obey commands' as the OT 10Cs. NOW it reads 'Love you neighbor as yourself.'

But the real hit in my former sda head is from v 12 --- which again speaks more clearly to me from my 1996 version:

So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be JUDGED BY the law of love, the law that set you free.'

The LAW that I will be judged by is the ROYAL LAW OF LOVE.
That is Jesus commandment - if WE LOVE HIM we will OBEY HIS COMMANDS.

So Phil, my work of lawlessness is being un-loving.
I can do good things for wrong motives, do them without love, & be lost & be a stumbling block for others.

J9

I hope the capitalization does not come across as screaming! I don't know how to italicize or underling or use color in posting here. (yeah I have read the how-tos but am tech challenged)
Lifeanew
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Username: Lifeanew

Post Number: 255
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 10:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Phil,
After Bob and I discussed this posting this morning, there seems to be a very common theme in Jesus’s parables. Where a group of people think they deserve a place in paradise, like the parables of the ten virgins, the parable of the master of the feast and the story of the good shepherd. In Jesus’s time the ones cast out were the religious establishment who thought they deserved God’s reward because of their works. But today I think it’s anyone who doesn’t understand grace. We agree with Phil, at the very core it’s having a growing relationship with Jesus. We know Him and more importantly He knows us. Boy Phil we sure miss you and Jan & River too.
Jan & Bob
Asurprise
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Username: Asurprise

Post Number: 2505
Registered: 7-2007
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 11:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I believe Jesus knows us by the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. The reason the religions of the world don't know Him is because they don't have the Holy Spirit. Only a person who accepts God's Atonement Jesus receives the Holy Spirit - not those who PARTLY accept the Atonement such as SDAs. If anyone tries to, for example, put Jesus' free robe of righteousness over one shoulder and their own t-shirt over their other shoulder, they aren't accepting Jesus free gift and they won't have the Holy Spirit within.

The seriousness of this is spelled out in Romans 8:9; "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His."
River
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Username: River

Post Number: 7829
Registered: 9-2006


Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2012 - 8:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey Jan, we had our 50th in our day room yesterday and it easily held about 35 with long tables, a food line and extra couches and chairs.
I was really surprised at the room and it has a kitchen too.

I am thinking of trying to sponsor a big 'Former' get together for some Saturday,sometime this summer.
My vacation is planned for May, so it would probably be in June or July.

I sure miss you all too.
River

P.S.

I agree on the scripture, the words "I never knew you mean just that. If I said I never knew you and Bob, or Phil and Jan, it would be a lie, we did meet and there was a relationship established.

That's the only thing that would make you say, "I sure miss you."

All people who do things in Gods name don't necessarily know him personally.

This reminds me of the happening in Acts 19:13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."

Acts 19:14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

Acts 19:15 But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"

Acts 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Even the evil spirit knew Jesus better than they did, but of course the evil spirit had no relationship with Jesus and the men did not know him at all yet they were saying "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."

They were religious people. You can tell when religious people don't really know Jesus, they try to mimic a relationship with God, They may try to use the right words, they may quote scripture, but they can't ever quite get it right can they?
River
Willy430
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Username: Willy430

Post Number: 25
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Monday, April 02, 2012 - 7:35 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Not to difficult
Willy430
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Username: Willy430

Post Number: 26
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Monday, April 02, 2012 - 7:51 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

This passage seems to bother quite a few believers, the answer is in Acts, those that call on the name He never knew are not believers of any fashion, but those persons who try and use the name of Christ for magic, don't assume that the term "in that day" means all of time either.
A common problem among SDA's and formers is the inability to see Christ as addressing the Jews in much of His prophecys and warnings.

Somehow we see the admonition to cut off a hand or gouge out an eye as metaphorical, but other warnings are seen as directed to spirit filled believers.

If you want a very simple test, no person who has ever wondered if Christ will say that to them will ever have it said to them, only those who don't have a clue who God is.

I would strongly recommend Arnold G Fruchtenbaum "Ariel Ministries" he is a former Jew who converted to Christianity, (not a Messanic) He is the only man I ever met who has memorized all of scripture, his book Footsteps of the Messiah, is a must have for any Christian library.

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