Matthew 7: 23 Commentary

TO BE a WORKER OF INIQUITY IS TO LOVE DEATH!

To trick oneself that one believes in Jesus Christ and still keeps on doing what is against Jesus will, is to love death! Why? Because in the first place Jesus never knew such a one!So, how do we escape from such a condemnation from our Lord when He comes?

The key is to know what is to be a worker of iniquity. As some other translation put it to be a WORKER OF LAWLESSNESS! To be a worker is to keep on doing something. It means we practice or THINK AND DO that way-the way of LAWLESSNESS! A slave to that lawless kind of life.

Lawlessness is to be unrestrained not by the Law of Men but of the LAW OF GOD! To be unruly- one who does not want to follow the Standard that God set. An example: If God does not forbid something in marriage, and then someone forbid that, that is being a LAWLESS ONE! That is being a worker to please the King but for oneself and for men whom he want to please.

We do not say that there is no level for being a lawless one. For there is a sin unto death and sin not unto death. There is a level of transgression and which LAWS OF GOD ONE HAVE TRANSGRESS to be given death, but let us take care that when the Lord comes we will not be classified with the Goat or the Goat worshippers!

Some tries to trick themselves by making a vague definition of the LAW by calling it TORAH, MOSAIC LAW and any other extra Biblical term, so they could not hear the Law or remember it! They do not know that by doing that they are endangering themselves to be defined as a WORKER OF LAWLESSNESS or to receive any just recompense from such works! So it is good to make sure of this thing lest if we be so smug about this we may end up in the place we never wanted to.

Some tries to think verses that indicate us to remember the Law are passe and would not want to hear the Law of God and take refuge :

Malachi 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Proverbs 28:9 If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers shall be an abomination…

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven…

By TIUCHE (wrote 3265 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/18/2012 03:41 am

1. People often ask “Do you know Jesus?”
a. And that IS a fair question
2. But the more critical question to ponder is:
a. “Does Jesus know you?!?!”
3. These are NOT folks who were once saved
a. But then somehow lost their salvation
4. Jesus is QUITE CLEAR here
a. Stating that He NEVER knew them
b. Not that He ONCE knew them
5. Jesus reveals their works
a. As unrighteous and sinful products
6. I can NOT imagine their shock and horror
a. To hear these words of Jesus
b. To depart from His presence (forever)
7. I am sure they were quite certain
a. That they were GUARANTEED
b. A place in heaven
c. With Jesus WELCOMING them
d. With OPEN ARMS
8. But God will not be mocked
a. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Gal 6:7-8)
9. Now we cannot judge
a. The eternal destinies of one another
10. We have to leave that up to Jesus
a. For only He know for certain
11. Franklin Templeton, Sam Kinison and others
a. Come to mind who at one time ‘lived for Jesus’
b. Then walked away from serving Him
12. But rest assured that Jesus will not claim
a. A FALSE teacher as one of His own
b. For He NEVER knew them

By Tractorman (wrote 3584 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 1/17/2012 11:59 am

IT WOULD BE HURTFUL TO US, IF JESUS. WHEN HE COMES FOR THE 2ND TIME and we stand before Him, would tell us:

English Standard Version (©2001)
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

International Standard Version (©2008)
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you evildoers!’”

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And then I will confess to them, ‘I have never known you, remove yourselves far from me, you workers of evil.’

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

It would be better for us now to make sure what He really means by this Word!

By TIUCHE (wrote 3265 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 11/11/2011 17:53 pm

They work iniquity because they teach and believe that men do not need to repent. Thus they embolden sinners to live in profliguous sin, to sin to the extreme, and delude men into thinking that Christ will save them without repentance. Yet Christ says, in Luke 5:32, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” He came to call sinners, but TO what? Not to more sin! Rather, to repentance. “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” (Acts 8:22)

By josh (wrote 51 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 9/7/2008 20:06 pm