Matthew 7:21-23 confuses me

[3rdgensooner]

Mother Teresa did awful work. Perhaps decent motivations but what went on in her order was a horror and abomination.

[Blinky]

It clearly states that you are all to become Nuns, post haste.

[Alabuckeye]

God doesnâ€t “send” anyone to Hell per se,  “God is not willing that any perish, but that ALL come to eternal life”.......people choose to reject God. Choose separation.

Do you believe that souls that do NOT end up in Hell are, so to speak, good to go?  Or do you believe that learning and spiritual growth continues in the hereafter?

There are two destinations. Only two. And that destination is set before we draw our last breath.

[K9Buck]

God doesnâ€t “send” anyone to Hell per se,  “God is not willing that any perish, but that ALL come to eternal life”.......people choose to reject God. Choose separation.

Do you believe that souls that do NOT end up in Hell are, so to speak, good to go?  Or do you believe that learning and spiritual growth continues in the hereafter?

There are two destinations. Only two. And that destination is set before we draw our last breath.

Well that doesn't answer my question but that's ok.  Thanks anyway.

[Alabuckeye]

God doesnâ€t “send” anyone to Hell per se,  “God is not willing that any perish, but that ALL come to eternal life”.......people choose to reject God. Choose separation.

Do you believe that souls that do NOT end up in Hell are, so to speak, good to go?  Or do you believe that learning and spiritual growth continues in the hereafter?

There are two destinations. Only two. And that destination is set before we draw our last breath.

Well that doesn't answer my question but that's ok.  Thanks anyway.

It did answer it...let me use different words. Our eternal destiny is set in this world. There is no purgatory, no heavenly waiting room, no choosing God based on his generous offer of grace and mercy after this life ends. Jesus tells parables that illustrates this in the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus...Luke 16

[Blinky]

Man, Alabuck believes in that Old Testament Santa, the one that will leave a lump of coal in your stalking if you don't be good for goodness sake.

[ChinaBuck]

Man, Alabuck believes in that Old Testament Santa, the one that will leave a lump of coal in your stalking if you don't be good for goodness sake.

Luke is New Testament.

[Orbit1]

Ok so the question is these verses...

““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!â€â€
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

There are two distinctions here. Those that say Lord Lord, and those that prophesied, cast out demons, and did mighty wonders IN HIS NAME.

The first group are those that say He is Lord, *BUT* do NOT DO the will of the Father. Scripture says in Matt 12:33 a tree is known by its fruit.
He is speaking of those that “say the right things” but there life doesnâ€t bear the right fruit.
These do not know Him and in turn He does not know them.

The second are those that prophesied, cat out demons etc...
Notice Christ did not say that they didnâ€t do these things. They did. So who is He talking to here?
We see in Matt 10:8 Jesus commissions the disciples and says...
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, ***cast out demons***.
Freely you have received, freely give.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
So in this case Heâ€s addressing those that were disciples.
And then we see in Matt 12 Jesus is accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub (Lord of the Flies basically Satan) but teaches that Satan cannot cast out Satan or his kingdom cannot stand.
So again itâ€s not people that were “of the world per se” but weâ€re doing the stuff he commissioned them to do. One final scripture is in Rev 2:4-5...

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.”
‭
So these ARE those that were disciples but have fallen away. They have left their first love, Jesus Christ, and need to Repent and go back to their first love and do the things they did before. We have to KNOW HIM. HE is the our reward. Knowing Him.
This is where IMO One Saved Always Saved falls apart. They did the stuff. But left their first love.
Look at the word to the church of Laodicea in Rev 3:15-16
““I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
‭‭and verse 19... “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
‭‭
Again Christ is speaking to a CHURCH. BELIEVERS, and telling THEM to Repent.

[ChinaBuck]

Thank you Orbit, that helps me to better understand.

[Blinky]

It also wants you to handle poisonous snakes, while playing the banjo.

[unc4corners]

It also wants you to handle poisonous snakes, while playing the banjo.

Your act gets tiresome. You fall well below pitch in these threads.

[Blinky]

It also wants you to handle poisonous snakes, while playing the banjo.

You act get tiresome. You fall well below pitch in these threads.

The prophecy of the talking donkey that currently resides in the White House was spot on.