Matthew 7: 21-23 are alarming words the Church needs to hear because of their sheer intensity. Why do I say that? Simply because I am concerned for souls. Pick up your Bible today and read the verses closely! In it, Jesus is rejecting and telling Christians to depart from Him. Did I say, Christians? Yes. If you look closely at the two verses you will see that the people He is addressing had to be believers and followers of Jesus Christ because the only way a person can cast out demons in 'Jesus name is if they have been baptized in the Holy Ghost! Therefore, they had to be Christians who had been filled with the Holy Ghost. They also had admitted to doing other mighty works in His name as well as the gift of prophecy. By these, they thought they were worthy to enter heaven, and yet, were directed by Jesus to depart! Why? All Christians have a guaranteed ticket to heaven, right? Once saved always saved no matter what, right?
As a follower and believer in Jesus, you realize non-believers are not able to cast out demons, right? Where have you ever read in the Bible that a non-believer ever cast out Satan or cast demons out of people? A non-believer is simply not able to do that. Only a believer who has been filled with the Holy Spirit can do that. Then who were these who came to Jesus admitting they had cast out demons in His name and expected by that to be able to enter heaven? The "casting out power" comes from God alone within a believer not a non-believer. Jesus said, "Greater things than these shall you do ONCE THE HOLY GHOST HAS COME UPON YOU" John 14:12. It requires the Holy Ghost to do these things! These people were Christians! Again, why would Jesus cast them out? Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and I know My sheep and am known by My own" John 10:14. Ask yourself, if they were filled with His Holy Spirit and admitted they had cast out demons in His name, wouldn't that make them a part of the body of Christ? Jesus answers that question in the same verse. Watch closely. He said, "Depart from me YOU WORKERS OF INIQUITY." Jesus did not say, depart you who are sinners. Jesus did not say, depart you who do not believe. Jesus did not say, depart you who are lost, you who have transgressed, or you who have never heard of Me. He specifically called them workers of iniquity. It is pertinent we understand what being a "worker of iniquity" means. That's the key to Jesus' rejection.
In the Bible, three offenses are mentioned: Sin, Transgression, and Iniquity. There is a distinction we need to understand between these three. Put on your thinking caps. In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’” In this one verse, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” are all mentioned. Basically, the three words communicate the same idea: evil and lawlessness as defined by God (see 1 John 3:4). However, upon closer examination, each word also carries a slightly different meaning which you need to grasp. Let's break it down:
The word sin and its two other similar words are used 786 times in the New International Version of the Bible. Sin means “to miss the mark.” It can refer to doing something against God or against a person (Exodus 10:16), doing the opposite of what is right (Galatians 5:17), doing something that will have negative results (Proverbs 24:33–34), and failing to do something you know is right (James 4:17). In the Old Testament, God even instituted sacrifices for unintentional sins (Numbers 15:27). Sin is the general term for anything that “falls short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin leads to a downward progression that, without the restoring power of the Holy Spirit, we all tend toward. The sin nature is present in every human being born since the Fall of Adam (Genesis 3:6–7; Romans 5:12). Naturally, it's why your 2 or 3-year-old will stomp his feet in rebellion, refusing to obey, and screaming no at you. That's not something you taught him. It comes naturally because of our fallen nature! Once a person reaches the age of accountability, continual sin if left unchecked, leads our sinful nature to gravitate naturally toward selfishness, envy, and pride, even when we are trying to do good. The apostle Paul alluded to his propensity to sin when he wrote, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18).
The sin nature leads to trespassing. A trespasser is someone who crosses a line or climbs a fence that he should not cross or climb. A trespass may be intentional or unintentional. Trespass can also mean “to fall away after being close beside.” Peter trespassed when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:34, 56–62). We all “cross the line” in thought, word, or attitude many times a day and should be quick to forgive others who do the same (Matthew 6:15). But what about transgression. Transgression refers to presumptuous sin. To transgress is to choose to intentionally disobey; transgression is willful trespassing. Did you get that? An example would be Samson intentionally broke his Nazirite vow by touching a dead lion (Numbers 6:1–5; Judges 14:8–9) and allowing his hair to be cut (Judges 16:17); in doing so he was committing a transgression. David was referring to this kind of sin when he wrote, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Psalm 32:1). Today we could say it's when we knowingly run a stop sign, tell a lie, or blatantly disregard an authority, we are transgressing.
However, INIQUITY is more deeply rooted! This is the one we need to focus on and the one you must understand clearly. Iniquity refers to a premeditated choice; to commit iniquity is to continue in sin without repentance regardless of what you have learned what God wants of you. David’s sin with Bathsheba that led to the killing of her husband, Uriah, was iniquity (2 Samuel 11:3–4; 2 Samuel 12:9). Micah 2:1 says, “Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light, they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.” In David’s psalm of repentance, he cries out to God, saying, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). This is what God has shown me again and again I must show BELIEVERS! As a believer and follower of Christ Jesus, to plan, think on, plot, and purposely continue in a particular sin whether it is (as an example) an adulterous affair, fornicating outside of marriage, drunkenness, homosexuality, etc. without any remorse, repentance, or turning from the vices you once lived in aligns you in a category of "you that work (or are workers of) iniquity. Why do you refuse to repent and turn from these sins? You simply cannot come to Christ, accept salvation, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, then continue in a life of deliberate debauchery. God forgives iniquity, as He does any type of sin WHEN WE REPENT AND TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS (Jeremiah 33:8; Hebrews 8:12). However, iniquity left unchecked leads to a state of willful sin with no fear of God! The build-up of unrepentant sin is sometimes pictured as a “cup of iniquity” being filled to the brim (Revelation 17:4; Genesis 15:16). Continued iniquity leads to unnatural affections, which leads to a reprobate mind. Romans 1:28–32 outlines this digression in vivid detail. The sons of Eli are biblical examples of reprobates whom God judged for their iniquities (1 Samuel 3:13–14). Rather than repent, Eli’s sons continued in their abominations until repentance was no longer possible. There can come a time it's too late once you've known the truth and still reject to obey what you know to do. And there is no excuse to remain disobedient because the Holy Spirit is the power within you to perform it. 2 Peter 2:21, "It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness, than, to know it and then reject the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21). Look at this verse, "We know that God's children do not make a practice of sinning" (1 John 5:18 NLT). This, therefore, is the key!! God's children DO NOT LIVE IN INIQUITY. Children of God do not remain in and willingly continue to practice a particular sin (being a "worker" of iniquity) that remains a part of their old life! Will we slip, commit sins, and miss the mark of perfection? Of course! But we always feel remorse, we repent, we ask for forgiveness, then we keep marching to finish the race. A true follower of Jesus who has been "saved" and baptized in the Holy Ghost will not remain in their old lifestyle, refusing to leave sins they enjoyed before being saved.
Regardless of how depraved a human heart may become, Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to cover all sin (John 1:29; Romans 5:18). Psalm 32:5 ends with these words: “And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” I implore all Christians who are non-compliant, purposely and knowingly practicing sin(s) from the past, to REPENT REPENT REPENT. Finally, if you call yourself a Christian but:
*Continue coupling outside of marriage or continue an extra-marital affair...
*Willfully continue drinking and ignoring what God has shown us in Revelation that no drunkard will inherit the Kingdom of God ...
*Refuse to end your homosexual relationship ...
*Are Entangled in the debauchery involving immorality or perversion without remorse or fear of God ...
Please repent. Do not be a worker of iniquity any longer. You will be in danger of judgment because you have rejected the command you were given to live a life separate from the world and unto Christ. God will forgive you and give you the power to overcome if you repent and turn from your old lifestyles. Do it before it's too late.
Until He Comes,
-Pat-
