Matthew 7:21-23 (NKJV)
“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!’ ”
The Living Bible ---- “You have never been mine”
NLT, Holman -------- “you lawbreakers”
NIV, NRSV, Phillips -- “you have worked on the side of evil”
The Amplified Bible - “you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]”
It looks like lawlessness is breaking God’s laws …
and those who practice lawlessness are doing it all the time!
It sounds like this the same as practicing sinning.
BACs who may enter the kingdom of heaven
● have done the will of Father God
● have NOT practiced lawlessness (evil)
BACs who may NOT enter the kingdom of heaven
● have NOT done the will of Father God
● have practiced lawlessness (evil)
Being a habitual sinner shuts you out of the kingdom
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies,
outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,
drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand,
just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things
will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
“For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man,
who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things
the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5-6)
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Cor 6:9-10)
Walking the narrow way to salvation is believing and obeying
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that
leads to destruction (eternal death), and there are many who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to
(eternal) life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Yes, it is not easy to overcome the flesh’s desire to sin!