The Final Doom of the Lawless

(Article for publication week of 8-29- AD 2013)

“And then will I profess unto them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’ “ (Matthew 7:23).

We have been writing the last few weeks on the danger of false profession and had begun to discover some of the root problems with false profession as shown by the words of our Lord in Matthew 7:21-23. In this passage our Lord declares that multitudes will discover to their everlasting anguish that they were lost church members and finally be sent to hell. Multitudes have a profession of Christ, but they are not possessed by Christ.

We had previously observed that these false professors never doubted their salvation and never examined themselves if they had the genuine article. We had also pointed out that they did not the will of God. They were disobedient and reprobate Titus 1:16).

Next to be noticed is that they were “workers of iniquity.” The Greek word translated “iniquity” here means “lawless.” If there is one word to describe professed Christians and preachers here in Simpson County, this is it- “lawless.” The professed church here in our area, and from what I hear throughout our land is, by and large, lawless. The majority of professed Christians completely disregard the law of God. How often do hear professed Christians and even ministers proclaim, ”we are not under the law, we are under grace”! Romans 6:14 is one of the most misunderstood, and most abused scriptures in all of God’s word. Multitudes are misusing it to their final and eternal ruin. I am reminded of a man who was a member of a church I once pastored. The report came to me that he had been getting drunk, and I went to see him to try to restore him. When I pointed out the seriousness of his sin, and the fact that this was behavior unbecoming to a professed follower of Christ, he protested, “you are trying to put me under the law, but I am under grace”! He completely misunderstood Romans 6:14, and what it means to be under grace, and not under law. I hope all you antinomians who think that Romans 6:14 gives you license to live in sin will go and read that verse and what goes before and follows after. It is true that believers in Christ are not under the law for their justification. It is also true that the believer is not under the condemnation of the law. But the happy consequence of this is that the believer in Christ is not under the dominion of sin. Those who justify their careless living by misquoting Romans 6:14, and insist they can live any way they choose will hear the words of Christ, “depart from me, you lawless ones”!

The Apostle Paul makes it clear in Romans 3:31 that faith in Christ does not make void the law, but rather establishes the law. Our Lord plainly stated in Matthew 5:17 that he came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. The believer in Christ does not look to the law of God for his justification, but he looks to it as a reflection of the perfect character of God. It is his rule of life, and thus can say “O Lord! How I love Thy law”, and “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” The believer in Christ knows he cannot be saved by keeping the law, yet he wants to please God and knows that God has revealed His will to us by the moral law, that is the Ten Commandments. By the moral law of God, the believer knows what is sin (I John 3:4), and is always repenting of his sins and looking to Christ Who saved him from his sins, by keeping the law to a jot and a tittle.

Lord willing, we will continue the subject next week.

Pseudo-Christianity Exposed

(Article for publication week of 8- 22- AD 2013)

“Not everyone 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 unto 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’ “(Matthew 7: 21-23).

The “day” to which our text refers is, of course the Great Day of Judgment. Dear reader, do you not know that “it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the judgment? Every one of us must appear before the Great Tribunal of God to give an account of the deeds done in the body. In that day it will be revealed who was truly saved and who was not, and there will be no appeal of that verdict. Multitudes on that Day will hear the awful words of Christ, “depart from Me”!

We had previously shown two root problems with false Christians. First, they were shocked to find out they were lost after all. They never questioned their salvation. Then secondly, they were not trusting in Christ Alone, but their own good works (so-called).

But now the third thing I will point out to you that was wrong with these false converts who never questioned their salvation (although they should have), is that they did not the will of God. Our Lord plainly says here that the only folks who will enter into heaven are those who do God’s will. Now don’t put the paper down yet. The scriptures plainly declare that a sinner is justified by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ Alone. A sinner cannot save himself by his good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). We have already pointed out that one of the root problems with these lost church members was that they trusted in their works instead of in Christ Alone. Our best obedience dares not appear before God’s throne (Isaac Watts), yet the evidence of being saved is obedience to Christ. Christ became the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). God will take vengeance in flaming fire on those who “obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 1:8). Obedience will not save a poor sinner, but a saved sinner will obey Christ. All those that God justifies, He also sanctifies. All those that God saves he gives a new nature in regeneration. God writes His law in a saved man’s heart, and works in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). Christ’s sheep will certainly follow Him (John 10: 27). A Christian will be sincerely and consistently obedient to Christ, though very imperfectly.

Now dear reader, examine yourself. Are you doing the will of God? Are you sincerely and consistently obeying Christ? Are you following the Shepherd? Now, before some poor sensitive saint falls into despair, let me quickly encourage you that Christ’s sheep often stumble, but Christ picks them up and carries them when they cannot walk. Christ’s sheep sometimes wander off; but the great Shepherd goes and gets them and brings them back to follow Him. I pray the Lord will use this short message to awaken the lost and encourage the saved.

Another Call for Self Examination

(Article for publication week of 8-15- AD 2013)

“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 unto 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.’ “

Last week we began to get to the root of the problem with false profession, praying earnestly that the Lord may awaken some of you from your false profession. Many of you who are reading the Narrow Way have nothing more than a dead, formal profession and on the Day of Judgment you are bound to hear the Lord say unto you, “depart from me”- FOREVER.

The first thing we noted about the pseudo Christians in our text was that they were completely surprised that they were in reality unsaved and lost in their sins. They really were astounded that the Lord was not impressed with them. They were so cocky, they never questioned whether they had the real thing or not. Whereas, a true Christian often feels the plague of his heart and is made to cry, ‘O! wretched man that I am!” False professors are self satisfied, but true saints say “amen” to Job when he said, “I abhor myself in dust and ashes.”

Now, the second thing I will point out to you is that these false professors were not trusting in Christ alone for their salvation. When Christ placed them on his left hand for their final judgment, they began to plead their own works as the reason Christ should let them into His heaven. They began to tell the Lord all the wonderful things they had done in His name. Notice what they did NOT say. They did NOT say, “Lord we trusted in you and your work alone for salvation. Lord, we read in your word where it said, “being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in YOU ALONE.” We believed you when you said, him that cometh to ME I will in wide cast out.” Though, as we shall see in another article, these hypocrites were works mongers, their works could not save them, and the Lord was not impressed with all their good works (so-called).

Now, dear readers, what are you trusting in to save you in that Great Day? I tell you again that your only hope is Christ and His imputed righteousness. You may be a prestigious church member, or you may be a wretched dope head; you may be dead in profession, or you may be dead in scandalous sins. Either way, without Christ you’re a dead duck. Friend, if you come to the Day of Judgment without Christ, you will be lost forever, and spend eternity in hell. But the scriptures promise us that though we are vile and wretched, Christ is mighty to save. Romans 10: 11 promises us that “whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.” Dear reader, repent of you sins right now. If you have been a lost church member, repent of your sin of hypocrisy and come to Christ as a poor sinner and throw yourself on His mercy. He is able and willing and ready to save, and He may spare you before it is too late. Your only hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ who lived and died, and was buried, and was raised the third day and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for all those for whom He died. Flee to the Saviour of sinners now.

A Call for Self-Examination

(Article for publication week of 8-8- AD 2013)

“Not everyone 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 unto 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.’ “

Dear reader, will Christ say these awful words to you at the Day of Judgment? Will Christ say unto you, ‘depart from me, I never knew you'? You had better examine yourself and be sure you are right with God, lest ye spend eternity where the fire is not quenched and the worm dieth not! If you have been a false professor and a lost church member, it is not too late for you (as far as I know- the Lord knoweth infallibly) to repent and come to Christ and be genuinely saved.

I have been writing on this text for several weeks now and warning you all of false profession, which is a reality, according to our Lord. Today we shall begin to examine the root problems with false profession, and urge each of you to examine yourselves by the word of God. Shake off all carnal security and be honest with God, yourself and the Church.

The first thing we notice about the false professors of which our Lord speaks is their surprise that the Lord would not have them and welcome them into His heaven. This is one of the main problems with pseudo Christians- they never have any doubts about their salvation. They are so cocky, they think there is no way they could be lost. After all, they accepted Jesus, joined the Church and do all kinds of religious things. Why many of them are even preachers of the gospel! At the final Judgment they are just absolutely astounded that Christ would not have them.

Now, please do not go off on any tangent here. I am not suggesting that true Christians cannot have a good assurance of their standing in grace. As a matter of fact, the scriptures urge us to “make our calling and election sure” (II Peter 1:10), and the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle John to write I John so believers could know they are saved (I John 5:13). But what I am warning against is the cocky attitude of many professed Christians who just “know” they are saved, but have no tangible, Biblical reason to know it. On the other hand, there are many true saints who are often filled with doubts and fears about themselves and are like one old boy who said, “Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief”(Mark 9:24)! True believers agree with the hymn writer, Isaac Watts, who wrote, “If my soul were sent to hell, Thou righteous law approves it well.”

Dear reader, don’t be so cocky. Come to grips with the fact that you may be in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity. If you have made a false profession, repent today and beg Christ to have mercy upon you. And finally, I want to warn all you who have never professed Christ, to shake off your carnal security also, for the Saviour warns that He will deny all those who deny Him. May the Lord have mercy upon you and save you.