Raeneske said:
those who claim to be rich, yet despise the commandments of the Lord. ....
Such are workers of iniquity, and Christ will tell them to depart from Him. He who ventures to transgress God's law is not standing upon the solid rock.
Rae, you assume too much with your incorrect allegation that Christians despise the commandments/the law.
Such allegations are common from legalists.
However the Christians who you make such allegations against, actually consider the law to be just, holy and good (Rom 7:12).
What we really are seeing is a debate on grace verses the law, where legalists accuse those in the grace camp of "despising the law" and failing to love. Both very misleading allegations.
As for your claim that Jesus said "depart from me" to those who do not follow your doctrine of works of the law, that allegation is incorrect.
Consider the "depart from me" scriptures.
Note Matt 7:21
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.
And what is God's will?
John 6:40
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life
Hence we see the workers of iniquity who are told to depart are those who reject God's will that we believe on Jesus.
Who are these workers of iniquity?
They are those who claim deeds of the law is the measure whether one is righteousness or not. Thus they bring themselves under the law and will be found guilty of ALL the law, (James 2:10, Gal 2:18) making themselves workers of iniquity as they rejected the covering of Christ.
Note also Matt 25:41 where Jesus also says "depart from me" to the goats. It likewise refers to the gospel of grace, as opposed to deeds of the law.
The goats are those who did not help the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, in prison, nor take in strangers.
How did they not help?
Remember scripture is
spiritually discerned (1Cor 2:14).
If we read it in physical terms we will misunderstand, just like Nicodemus who thought born again meant one had to go back into his mother's womb.
Who is the hungry and thirsty Jesus referred to in Matt 25?
It's the lost who are
spiritually hungry/thirsty, lacking Christ our
spiritual food/drink, 1Cor 10:3,4.
Who are the naked?
It's the lost, who are
spiritually naked, lacking the robes of righteousness, the garment of salvation, Isa 61:10.
Who are the sick?
It's the lost who are
spiritually sick, Isa 1:5,6
Who are those in prison?
It's the lost who are in
spiritual prison, Isa 61:1
Who are the strangers?
It's the lost, who are
spiritual strangers from the covenants of promise and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, Eph 2:12,19.
The sheep let their light (Christ) shine (Matt 5:14-16), preaching the gospel to the
spiritually hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, in prison and strangers. The sheep preached grace, and not deeds of the law for righteousness.
But, the goats were
not preaching the gospel of the kingdom to the lost.
Those who are told to depart from him had failed the grace of God.
Heb 12:15-17
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
How did they fail the grace of God?
Gal 5:4
Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
God will not even accept a lukewarm mix of works of the law, with grace, Rev 3:15.
Rom 11:6
And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
As you can see above, scripture does not support your claim that works of the law is part of salvation.
