Matthew 7:21: Additional Thoughts

In past blog posts i had said that the false prophets spoken of by Christ (in Matthew 7) were, in part, expecting to be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven because of their works (rather than grace alone). I had allowed the past teachings of others i had listened to in previous years influence my thinking on that. But, in retrospect, i now see clearly that the false prophets were actually claiming a spititual relationship with Jesus Christ. It wasn’t really about them trusting in their works. It was about the supposedly supernatural aspect of those “many wonderful works” (KJV). They will claim to have had a supernatural relationship with the Lord. And Christ’s answer will be that He never knew them. They had no spiritual relationship with Him. They prophesied falsely and did not truly follow Him in discipleship even though they had done seemingly supernatural things in Jesus’ name. The “iniquity” (KJV) was the false miracles with no supernatural power behind the deceptive acts. Christ likened them to ravenous wolves. Hungry wolves attack and scatter the sheep. They follow their own lusts rather than the good Shepherd. Those who don’t truly kmow the Lord walk in darkness rather than the light. Their fruits will be selfish in nature rather than giving. This sort of false convert / practicing charlatan will be asking for money and enriching themselves rather than doing acts of charity towards the needy. The good Shepherd knows His sheep who take up their crosses and follow Him in word and deed. He does not know those with, not only no fruit of the Spirit, but bad fruit (iniquity).

Acts 13:48 Examined

Calvinists point to Acts 13:48 as a proof text that all those “ordained” (KJV) to eternal life were predestined to believe. We’ve already seen in this blog that predestination is not unto faith. Rather, the Bible indicates that predestination is unto the adoption and eternal life in the fullest sense of the words. Both have a future fulfillment at the time of the resurrection of believers. Believing in/on Christ for salvation does not obligate God to give us eternal life, but it’s His will that all who do believe may have eternal life.

John 6:40 makes it clear:

(John 6:40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 1:12 says:

(John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power [1849] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

The Strong’s definition for G1849 reads:

“… from G1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:—authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.”

Everyone who received Christ (believed on Him for salvation) was given the authority or right to become a child of God (born of God) and thereby have eternal life (the gift of salvation) with a promised future fulfillment.

Now let’s look at Acts 13:48:

(Acts 13:48) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained [5021] to eternal life believed.

The Greek word for “ordained” in this verse is G5021 in the Strong’s Concordance. Here’s the Strong’s definition:

“… a prolonged form of a primary verb (which latter appears only in certain tenses); to arrange in an orderly manner, i.e. assign or dispose (to a certain position or lot):—addict, appoint, determine, ordain, set.”

Here is the verse in context:

(Acts 13:44-49) And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shoauldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

The Young’s Literal Translation of the verse reads:

(Acts 13:48 YLT) And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the Lord, and did believe — as many as were appointed to life age-during;

Who were appointed to eternal life? Again, John 6:40 says:

(John 6:40) And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

All those Gentiles who heard Paul and Barnabas, and believed, were those appointed to eternal life. It’s God’s will that all who believe (receive Christ) may have eternal life (are given the authority to become children of God). But the Bible is very clear that this God given authority is according to God’s will, not man’s. I believe that’s why Acts 13:48 reads the way it does.

(John 1:12, 13) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Again, faith does not obligate God to give us eternal life at all. He does the drawing through the gospel of Christ. And He gives all who believe (in their heart) eternal life according to His will. But i think an understanding that has escaped past theologians is the comparison between John 6:40 and John 1:12, and the full meaning that develops from that key verse comparison.

Earlier in this blog we saw how the Bible indicates that the drawing of the gospel of Christ is not irresistible. A man or woman can turn their ear away rather than incline their ear according to the drawing of the gospel of Christ (word of God) which is the power of God unto salvation. We can be drawn to believe or we can turn away from that spiritual drawing when we turn our ears away from the gospel and listen to our own carnal wisdom.

(1 Corinthians 1:16, 17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

(Romans 1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Conclusion: I think Acts 13:48 means what it plainly says, but not how people think. I think the Bible indicates that all those Gentiles who were appointed to eternal life believed. But the Bible also indicates that it’s God’s will that all who believe may have eternal life. I think the answer to the mystery of Acts 13:48 is paradoxical in that their God-given appointment to eternal life is divorced from their believing on Christ to receive eternal life in an obligatory context on God’s behalf, but not in a context where it’s God’s will that all who do believe may have eternal life. I think this is why Acts 13:48 reads the way it does. Faith only receives. It has no obligatory power over God.

The REALITY of the Holy Spirit

The year was 1987. It was Christmas Day. I was 18 years old. My Dad decided to take my Mom and i to church for Christmas. This was a whim on his part since we weren’t a church-going family. Plus, being introverted in social settings back then, i didn’t want to go to a place where people meet and greet. But i reluctantly agreed to go anyway.

What would happen next was totally unexpected and supernatural!

I remember the title of the sermon that day was “Why ’88 Will Be Great.” But that’s all i remember obout the sermon since i wasn’t particularly paying attention to what was being said. I just wanted to go through the motions and sit quietly until the sermon was over.

But unbeknownst to me, God had other plans that day!

During the sermon i began to cry…and cry…and cry! More than is humanly possible! And there wasn’t anything about the sermon to cause such a huge reaction in me. I wasn’t very nervous. There was nothing on my mind. Nothing bothering me. I wasn’t under any great pressure that might cause such an emotional reaction. I wasn’t trying to be noticed or disrupt the sermon. It literally just happened out of the blue! And, like i said, there was nothing going on in me to cause such a huge reaction. I literally had no clue as to what could cause me to cry so much all of a sudden. The tears were gushing out and there was no explanation for it. At that moment i realized that what was happening was 100% supernatural.

I had said the “sinner’s prayer” at home probably hundreds of times before, but i didn’t want to do anything wrong at that moment. I didn’t know why i was crying, but i wanted to do whatever i was supppsed to do. Whatever God wanted me to do at that moment. I was totally compliant. My heart was broken and i had nothing to do with it. I stood up when the pastor gave the altar call, walked to the altar, and said the prayer with a man as i knelt. After the prayer, i got up, still crying. And when i turned around i then realized that i was facing the whole congregation. Tears still gushing out of my eyes , i remember a deacon shook my hand to say goodbye as i walked up the aisle to leave. The tears were still flowing during the car ride home. It kept going on even after leaving the building. It just wouldn’t stop.

Christmas Day, 1987. A day i will never forget. The Holy Spirit is very real. And it happened in a Baptist church!

Beware of “Free Grace” Teachers!

Have you ever come across a ‘Christian’ video on YouTube in which someone, who thinks they really know the truth, attempts to tell you how wrong it is for you to try to live holy out of fear that you might not be genuinely saved? They will tell you that ongoing sanctification is not essential at all to entering the Kingdom of Heaven through the Strait Gate and Narrow Way. They will also tell you that the Strait Gate and Narrow Way is simply to believe the gospel. And you potentially could live like the devil after conversion, and never exhibit any fruit at all. I have listened to such videos and read such articles in the past. And you know what? A number of these people seem to have one thing in common: They cannot be corrected by the very same scriptures that they claim to follow.

I used to think “Free Grace” teachers might be onto something. I no longer do.

Let me explain: David J. Stewart is probably one of the most well known “Free Grace” teachers on the internet. He has a massive website with many links and articles in support of the “Free Grace” position. There’s one problem with that. He’s promulgating grievous error through his website and is probably leading many astray. I’ve e-mailed him and tried to offer biblical correction privately a couple of times. Each time I texted him about John 6:40, i tried to be respectful and not press the issue. I just presented him with a single verse comparison along with a short explanation. I don’t know if he even really looked at what i was saying.

And this isn’t a matter of differing interpretation regarding a verse. This is a matter of the truth vs a lie of misinterpretation. There is no gray area here: David J Stewart is teaching a lie. Why am i singling out David J Stewart? Because his website has, no doubt, probably led many people astray for many years. When you know someone is teaching something that can be demonsterably proven to be a lie, you have to try to offer them correction. And a born again believer in Christ should want to listen and welcome correction instead of choosing to ignore it.

(Proverbs 1:5-7) A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

(Proverbs 9:8-10) Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Here is David J Stewart’s error. On one of his webpages at his website, he teaches the following:

“Jesus plainly tells us why the religious group in Matthew 7:21-23 were not allowed into Heaven, and if you have ears to hear and eyes to see, then please listen to the holy Scriptures…

Matthew 7:21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Every one of the religious groups I just mentioned have not done GOD’S WILL concerning salvation. What is God’s will to enter into Heaven? Jesus gave us the plain and simple answer in the Scriptures…

John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The will of God the Father is to BELIEVE on Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Did you read John 6:40? Or did you read the verse how David J Stewart reads the verse? Let’s read it again, but how it actually reads this time:

(John 6:40)  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Did you catch that? What is God’s will specifically about in the context of this verse? Is His will that a man believes? Or is His will specifically about His reaction to faith? God’s will is specifically that everyone who believes, may have everlasting life. It’s specifically His will to give everlasting life to believers.

Now compare with Matthew 7:21-25:

(Matthew 7:21-25) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 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? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

In John 6:40, we see that God’s will is specifically about what He does (gives everlasting life).

But in Matthew 7:21, we see that God’s will is specifically about what man does (ongoing sanctification),

These two contexts are not about the same will of God, and therefore, John 6:40 cannot be used to define the specific will of God spoken of in Matthew 7:21, There are two different wills of God in view when John 6:40 is carefully read with discernment (rather than just superficially).

Also, notice the words i highlighted in Matthew 7:21-25. The context shows that Christ was speaking of doing His sayings (Christ spoke the Father’s words and did the Father’s will) in relation to entering the Kingdom of Heaven through the Strait Gate and Narrow Way.

One thing Christ said to do was to beware of false prophets (who do many wonderful works (false miracles) to lead the sheep away from the good Shepherd). But Christ’s sheep hear His voice and He knows those who follow Him (do what He says (in the Bible):

(John 10:27)  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

(John 10:5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Matthew 7:21-25 indicates that ongoing sanctification (doing the will of the Father) is likened to a wise man’s building of a house that has a solid foundation (Christ). And he is known by his Lord (because Christ knows His sheep who follow Him (by doing what He says in the Bible).

Compare with

(1 John 2:15-17) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Getting back to John 6:40. Notice in 1 John 2:17, that the will of God is to be done, just as, in Matthew 7:21, it is to be done:

(1 John 2:17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

(Matthew 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

And that has to do with doing righteousness (ongoing sanctification). Yes, believing in/on Christ is how we become saved initially, but the saved life is one of ongoing sanctification (being conformed unto Christ’s image over the course of our entire lives until the process of our sanctification is finally complete at the resurrection of believers).

And again, in John 6:40, the will of the Father is specifically about what He does (gives everlasting life):

(John 6:40)  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Different contexts, different wills of God.

This erroneous interpretation of Matthew 7:21 is the same error that every “Free Grace” teacher is making today, May God bring correction to these teachers on YouTube and the internet, who are off the mark and may be causing many to think they’re saved when they may not be.

Do Calvinists Worship Another Jesus?

Previously in this blog we’ve seen how John Calvin’s TULIP is filled with mostly really bad theology. His whole idea of limited atonement was not guided by the Holy Spirit. Since his foundation that he builded upon has lots of error, that means it came from his own carnal wisdom. By extension, we can say it’s the intellectualism of man.

Like the Mormons, Calvinists are actually worshipping another Jesus. I know that’s a shocking statement to make, but let me explain. If our Jesus is a Jesus that differs from the orthodoxy of historical church doctrine (if it’s a “new truth”) then we should be very concerned. There are certain essentials of the Christian faith (fundamental truths) that must be adhered to and maintained, otherwise apostasy can result.

The Mormon believers who founded the Mormon church followed a man (Joseph Smith) who claimed additional revelation from Jesus Christ. They even have an additional book called “the Book of Mormon.” Smith received revelations that changed how people saw Christ. Mormons broke away from the fundamentals of the Christian faith when they believed that Christ is not an eternal Person of the triune Godhead. They believe the Son ascended to Godhood status. They also believe that the children of God who ovecome can do the same. They believe male Mormon believers will each potentually be ruling over their own planet and having celestial sex with their wives in Heaven. As a side note, Kenneth Copeland and like-minded preachers within the ‘prosperity gospel’ movement also believe that men are gods (with a “little g”, as if that makes any difference).

Similarly, Calvinists believe in a different Jesus. They believe in a Jesus who did not die for all men and women of the world. A Jesus who did not pray for the world because God did not want the whole world to be saved. A Jesus who called, but did not really want all that He called, to be saved because it wasn’t the Father’s will that all be saved. (Makes you wonder why the devil has to take the word out of people’s hearts to frustrate salvation if it’s all predetermined, doesn’t it?) Calvinists believe in a God who plays word games and doesn’t really mean what He says. A God who loves some, but not all since His Son was not given to die for all. Calvinists claim that because the “non-elect” have the warmth of the sun, and the air to breathe, that that means that God does love them (but not enough to give His Son to die for them).

Calvinism makes a lot of claims, but doesn’t give a lot of answers.

Calvinism takes away faith instead of encouraging it. Makes believers afraid that God didn’t really save them and there is no hope to ever be saved. Frustrates the believer’s love for God and makes John 3:16 impersonal in effect. Faith, hope, and love are what believers are to live in everyday, but Calvinism hinders and stifles our Christian livng in the Spirit. Calvinists believe “the elect” will overcome, but Calvin’s doctrine of limited atonement only encourages fear instead of faith, hopelessness instead of hope, and hate instead of love. Remember what the Bible says:

(1 John 4:19) We love him, because he first loved [25] us.

(John 3:16) For God so loved [25] the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Did God give His Son to die for you? Calvinism has no answer, but the Bible does: John 3:16 (above).

Self examination is biblical and should be done to have assurance that your conversion was based on the gospel of Christ being received and believed in the heart and not just superficially, but Calvinism causes those who are truly saved, to doubt their salvation and fear that they might be hopelessly “non-elect” if they have any sin in their life. Yes, if we’re truly saved we will have fruit, but Calvinism brings a feeling of hopelessness if we have a bad day and fail the Lord. It makes people who have been Christians for a long time, think that if they’re not saved by now, they never will be. The hope of eternal life at the resurrection is something that we as believers are to have in order to keep our faith strong and overcome the world. Remember what the Bible says:

(Romans 10:9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

(1 Corinthians 15 :1-4) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Continuing in the same chapter at verse 12:

(1 Corinthians 15:12-19) Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Calvinism makes believers miserable every time it makes a man or woman doubt their salvation, thereby taking away their hope of eternal life at the resurrection.

Continuing in the chapter:

(1 Corinthians 15:20-23) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

(Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for [1679], the evidence of things not seen.

(1 Corinthians 15:19) If in this life only we have hope [1679] in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

(Titus 1:2)  In hope [1680] of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

(Titus 3:7) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope [1680] of eternal life.

To the reader of this blog post: If you’re truly saved, you will want to know the truth by searching the scriptures and thereby eventually come out of Calvinism (like i did). If you don’t think you’re saved, and are in Calvinism and maybe feel confused, study the account of the thief on the cross. Carefully study what was said by the thief, and by Christ, in the account. And notice how the thief saw himself, and how he saw Christ, at that moment. And also notice what he said when he verbally confessed the Lord Jesus.

Best wishes, may God bless.