WONDER WORKERS OF INIQUITY
OR
OBEDIENTLY HEARING AND DOING
SUNDAY SEPT. 1, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“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 [iniquity].’”
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.”
“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matthew 7.21-27
Something To Consider:
Jesus is continuing to speak on the subject of false prophets, and yet, He broadens His target audience to include everyone. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he [or she] who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Anyone, including false prophets, is able to repeat religious sounding words such as Lord, Lord. Evidently many were, as many are today, able to prophesy in Jesus’ name, cast out demons, and do many miraculous appearing wonders in Jesus’ name.
Now, the general public may appear to be impressed, but Jesus is not in the least impressed or interested in their wonder working iniquities or lawlessness. Lawlessness, from a biblical perspective is the breaking of the law or disobeying the Word of God. The word used by Jesus in our Scripture to consider in verse 22, lawlessness, means iniquity. In the original language the same word is used by the apostle Paul in Romans 6.19, and by Jesus in Matthew 24.12.
The word iniquity is not a word that is used much in our day and age. The word iniquity carries with it a sense of gross immoral sin and of course false prophets are not inclined to bring that subject to light often! From our study text we must take notice that the false prophets of Jesus’ day were somehow convinced in their own minds that they were doing the work of God.
According to Jesus, in the end, these false teachers of false doctrines will say in their defense, that they prophesied or proclaimed the Word of God, or at least some of the Word of God. They remind Jesus that they were able to cast out demons and did many wonders in His name. They were indeed impressed with themselves, but that was not the bottom-line impression Jesus had of them and of others just like them.
Therefore, will we be found by Jesus guilty of similar wonder working of iniquity or will we more rightly resemble those obediently hearing and doing things according to His Word? All of eternity hangs in the balance according to Jesus!
Something Else To Consider:
What is it that does impress Jesus? “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I [Jesus] will liken him [or her] to a wise man [or women] who built his [or her] house on the rock.” Jesus takes notice of those who intently listen to His sayings and who willingly hear His Word and then obediently does what He declares.
Jesus always looks beneath the surface when hearing what our mouths speak. He searches our heart’s hidden motives and examines our inward thoughts that prove the existence of iniquity or obedience. What is it that He will find in our hearts this day? Will it be our self-righteous clinging to our human abilities as wonder workers of iniquity or our humble obediently hearing and doing what Jesus has declared us to do?
Jesus announced in John 10.27; “My sheep [true born again believers in Jesus] hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.” That is a far cry from, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice [willfully practice or habitually do] lawlessness [or iniquity].” Just look at the society around us in every nation of the globe, and we will see and hear of the abounding lawlessness or iniquity on an ever-increasing scale.
And the worse part of the ever-increasing lawlessness and or iniquity, is that many who willingly take part in it claim to be Christian. Why is that? It is because false prophets and false religious teachers have for nearly a century been able to propagate messages such as once saved always saved, and easy grace, as well as neglecting the teachings of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others that teach holiness and strict obedience to the Scriptures!
But, a great day of awakening is coming! The Day of Judgment for the false prophets of Jesus day and of every generation since will take billions by surprise. Therefore, let this great awakening in the earth and a true searching of our souls first begin in the house of the Lord and with each of us individually. Let us be found obediently hearing and doing what the Word of God calls for!
Something More To Consider:
King David sensed God searching his soul in Psalm 139.1-3. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up: You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.” Jesus is well aware of our being either wonder workers of iniquity or obedient faithful followers who are willing to hear and to do what His Word declares.
The eternal outcome of our spiritual houses greatly depends on the truth of who we really are in Christ’s eyes. So, when the rains descend, and the flood waters rise, and the winds of adversity blow, will we be found standing for Jesus? Or will we be found still relying on our human efforts such as casting out demons and working wonders to amaze the least spiritually discerning of church goers?
And indeed, the rain of demonic terror and the lawlessness of those amazed with themselves within so-called Christendom is already upon us. The flood waters of iniquity are ever rising and expanding its borders in the earth today. The evil winds of adversity and Christian persecution are and will continue to blow hard until they reach hurricane-force strength or until the Lord returns. Will we be found by Jesus enduring to the end as He has commanded, and thereby be saved as He has promised?
A Few Final Words:
Will our spiritual house be built upon the rock foundation of Jesus Christ and His non-conforming Word and biblical teachings? If so, our spiritual houses will stand among so much religious appearing rubble of foolish false doctrines of demons approved of by religious appearing men and denominational corporation-like organizations.
And yet, among so much unbridled end time lawlessness and or iniquity, many of us true enduring to the end believers in Jesus will probably lose our lives in accordance to Daniel, Jesus, and the Word of God. So, if we are faced with death, we are not to fear him who can kill the body but cannot destroy the soul which will live forever in one place or the other.
But he or she who has built their lives upon the shifting sands of easy salvation, false promises made by false prophets who did not know Jesus, great will be their eternal fall and destruction. For according to Jesus, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he [or she] who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, help us not to deceive ourselves, and impress upon us the importance of being obedient to Your written Word. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 