What did Jesus mean in Matthew 7:21-23 and Mark 9:38-41.
Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord," shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, 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!'
Mark 9:38-41
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 frobid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side. For who ever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
2 comments:
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus was refering to those who think they can get to heaven by just doing good works, or those that worship other gods. They will claim to have followed Jesus, when in fact they did not. That's what I think, anyway.
Jesus is simply teaching that some people pretend to be Christians when they actually are not.
One way they pretend is to do good works (charity). God is not fooled. But we can be. At least, if someone is running around pretending to be a Christian by loud charitable deeds, he is not in a position to activily critize the Lord too soon.
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