="BillG, post: 3784380, member: 252071"]Jesus would.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
(Luke 6:46; 13:26, 27)
21 “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
After all the above did do the things that Jesus commanded them to do and more.
Matthew 7:21-23
I Never Knew You
(Luke 6:46; 13:26, 27)
21 “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
After all the above did do the things that Jesus commanded them to do and more.
Everyone ever born does "something" God has commanded at some point. It's not the "lawful" things these folks did that Jesus sited as the reason He didn't know them, it was the "Lawless" things they practiced.
I think you are "omitting" some important facts about this scripture.
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?
What is "That Day" and why are these folks defending their religion in it?
"That Day" is the "Last Great Day" when all who have not been raised in the first resurrection with Abraham, are raised and judged.
Their eyes are opened, they see the lake of fire and realize what has happened and their impending fate. That is the time they will plead with the Christ and defend their religious lifestyle.
Not before that day. Before "That Day, before they died, Jesus says for them to "Repent", deny yourself (leave your practice of lawlessness) and Follow Him. He offers those who "Love Him and Keep His Commandments" Mercy. But that time is passed in this Example He gives us.
On this Day He is speaking of, there is no mercy offered, even though these folks clearly claimed to know Him and clearly claimed "belief" in Him.
On "THAT DAY" there is no offer of His Grace, even though these Folks gave Jesus all the credit for all the "good" works they did, even though they "believed" in Him..
On this day there is no instruction to repent, the window of repentance is closed. (As David in the Spirit says "Today" if you hear His Voice, harden not your hearts)
In the defense of their religion which called Him Lord, Lord, they are only telling you those things they did that were not lawless. Folks who spend their time defending their religion rarely confess to those things they do which are lawless. (breaking His Sabbath, creating images of God, following man made traditions while rejecting God's instructions, etc.)
So your attempt to use this scriptures and say that Jesus rejected these "Christians" because they were following His Commandments is not only a horrible thing to imply, but is also about as false as a person can be.