Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Notice what Jesus calls these people, "workers of lawlessness." What were the these lawless works they were performing? Prophesying in His name, casting out demons in His name and doing many mighty works in His name. These deeds done without faith in Him are counted as "lawlessness." They not only fail to merit approval, they are a source of condemnation. The works do not just fail to register a positive response from Jesus, they inspire a negative one. In other words, lipstick makes the pig more offensive, not less. It only goes to show that even our very best, if not redeemed by the grace of God, is iniquity.
Isaiah 64:6
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
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