Thank you for responding and clarifying, I genuinely appreciate it.
You did, but no apology needed.
I am simply following your suggestion of comparing interpretations with others to make sure we are not deceived into believing false interpretations. I asked a very simple question to compare your understanding of these two scriptures to my understanding.
What is the difference between, or is there any difference between these two scriptures.
Prov. 28:
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer
shall be abomination.
And
Matt. 7:
22 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?
23 And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.
If you don't know that's fine, if you are uncomfortable discussing these scriptures that is fine as well. If you just don't want to answer, that's OK too.
But please, don't just change the subject.
I look forward to your answer whatever it may be.
Evening Studyman, or afternoon where you are.
I don’t mind discussing scriptures even those we may disagree with. Discussion is good when it’s with the proper intent. To build each other up.
Just so you know I only post my thoughts when I am fully settled on them. If I am not sure I wouldn’t respond with my thoughts but ask how one came to those thoughts (like I did with H last night) and then seek for myself to ensure I am not in error.
So if ever I happen to disagree with you, it’s not me going at you. And if ever I do let me know.
I am not here to fight but to encourage, to love and to learn.
So if I understand your post above you are asking me if the two passages you quoted related in any way or be reconciled with each other.
Before I answer I would like to say that with regards to Matt 7:22 I thought I gave my thoughts in post 41097.
So if I have understood your question correctly here are my thoughts.
To me the one who turns away from the law has no regard for the law.
If they have no regard for the law then they have no regard for God.
With regard to the law I am not fully sure if it’s the 10 commandments and the levitical laws.
I come down on the side of the 10 commandments and the levitical laws that expand them.
But why would such people pray?
For a religious effect.
Just like the Pharisees who Jesus came against.
I won’t post the verses as they are quite long but we have Jesus comeing against them in Matt 23 13:36. The woes.
But we find
Matthew 23:12
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
The above verse leads in the woes.
The Pharisees exulted themselves above the very people they were to lead and teach in the ways of God.
Yet they burdened them, and made big prayers so everyone who could here.
Luke 18:10-14
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The link I see with regards to Matt 7:22.
Verses 15:20 talk about fruits and you shall know them by them. False prophets do not bear fruit bad trees, but good trees bear fruit.
Verses 24:27 talks about building on the rock which we know is Jesus. To do so is to follow him and walk in what he has taught us, we can only do that if he is our rock. Genuine belief in him. When testing comes our house will be stand the storms (Jesus our house).
If we do not build on him then we have no regard for him or his ways. Therfore the house is fall.
So to try and wrap this up so I don’t continue to bore people reading this.
Jesus summed up the 10 commandments in two.
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
To me the people mentioned in Matt 7:22 are those who have no regard for God and Jesus is not their rock.
They appear clean on the outside but inside they are filthy.
Everything they do and say is for personal appearance and gain.
They fall foul of the 2 commandments given by Jesus that sum up the 10.
They claim all those great works, some may be genuine some may be not.
But such people were never converted, Jesus was not their rock, their foundation.
They break God’s laws through rejection of the Father’s will as taught by Jesus. Having never known Christ, they never learned to do what he commanded, or were not even interested.
The will of the Father is that all place their faith in Jesus.
When one does then they want to love God with all their heart and soul and love our neighbour as we love ourself, Jesus took it further and told us to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us and pray for them.
The law of love which Jesus commands and which he judges on when he separates the sheep from the goats.
So the goats are rejected becuase they had no love, they were too busy with the facade on the outside whilst filthy on the inside.
Workers of iniquity.
No regard for God, no regard for Jesus and no regard for people.
Self centred, self serving, pious, and so on.
Now some of they have read the above will think “He hasn’t talked about sin”
So I could be accused of saying sin does not matter, works of iniquity.
Thats not the works of iniquity that Jesus talks about.
Jesus said he had to go away so the Holy Spirit must come, our helper.
His job is to convince us of the claims of Jesus and when we place our faith in him, he will help us to conform us to the image of Christ.
As we follow and allow him to work in us.
We will decrease and Jesus will increase.
Hard hearts become flesh, and sin decreases.
To me it’s a no brainer.
The grace of God is not an excuse to sin, but it covers our sin. If we think it’s ok to sin then it’s a wrong attitude.
Which Paul addressed in Romans 6.
The grace of God sets us free to be the children he has asked to be.
Sorry it’s a long response but I hope I have answered your question.
Bill
