Workers of Iniquity

“Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

(Matthew 7:22-23)

How surprising is it that those spoken of here in this text boasting of great assurance in the presence of God are nothing more than moral, zealous, condemned religious sinners?! Why does our LORD call them workers of iniquity? This text is not describing drunkards, fornicators or the scum of society but the religious leaders of Christ’s day. Many today may be so-called as well. In the name of charity or for their popularity and prosperity they promote themselves and their self-righteous works rather than the ONE SINGULAR WORK of the LORD Jesus for acceptance before God. As one famous contemporary ‘preacher’ said in an interview, “I fully adhere to the fundamental tenets of Christian faith for myself and my ministry but as an American, I respect other paths to God.”

What are we to make of such a statement? Will it stand before Almighty God? The Scriptures make it plain that many profess to know the LORD but He does not know them or own them as His own and never has. Many in sincerity, believe that they are serving God but the LORD will profess to them, “I never knew you.” To know the LORD in Truth is to have been known of Him in His election before the world began and for whom the LORD Jesus came into the world to pay their sin debt. Peter describes those that are known of Christ as having “...obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:1) Faith is obtained by God’s sovereign will and determination and not man producing it.

The terms of the Gospel of our LORD are clearly outlined in Scripture. Salvation is of the LORD, 1 Cor. 1:30. If any are saved, it is God Who saved them by the shedding of Jesus’ blood unto death, Hebrews 10:10-14. In time the Spirit reveals Christ in them through the singular Gospel message of Christ and Him crucified, 1 Cor. 2:2. He is the Sovereign, Savior, Absolute Substitute and the One Who satisfied all of the holy requirements of God the Father on behalf of those He has chosen by His Grace. Anything less than God’s Righteousness imputed through the work of the LORD Jesus is unrighteousness and iniquity, Isaiah 64:6.

When the LORD Jesus says, “Depart from me,” He is speaking to those who strive in their own condemned efforts to please God. They may be religious and moral but do not have the righteousness God imputed to them at Christ Jesus’ death, Romans 10:2-3. Therefore, their condemnation is everlasting separation from Him Who is Life, Truth, Righteousness, Grace, Mercy and the Prince of Peace. There is only ONE WAY. That’s God’s way. There is only ONE TRUTH and that is in the person of the LORD Jesus and His finished work at the cross.

Our LORD Jesus did not question their claims of doing the miraculous or even casting out demons. From this then we conclude that sometimes God in His sovereignty may grant miracles through pretended believers and yet they are deceived and deceive those who follow them, 2 Thessalonians 2:11. Furthermore, they even did these things in the name of Jesus. Yet, they were never called or sent by the LORD Jesus. All the while pronouncing His name, they were destitute of the Spirit of Christ or the revelation of His person and work in them or their message. Someone has said, “If mere preaching could save, Judas would not have been damned. If prophesying could save, Balaam would not have been a castaway.” Someone else appropriately exclaimed and it is true: “What a terrible word! What a dreadful separation! Depart from ME! From the very Jesus whom you have proclaimed and professed union with Him and in Whom alone eternal [everlasting] life is to be found. Truly, united to Him, all is Heaven but separated from him, all is hell.”