“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).
These sobering words of Christ indicate that many professing Christians, calling Him “Lord” and presuming to speak in His name, are actually unsaved. They have not done His will as revealed in His word and therefore will not “enter into the kingdom of heaven” (note verse 21).
These are not people who, when they did their “wonderful works,” were true Christians, but who later became apostates, for He will say to them in that day, “I never knew you!” Especially in the last days, “there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” said the Lord Jesus (Matthew 24:24). “Go not after them, nor follow them,” He warned (Luke 17:23).
But how can we distinguish these false prophets, with all their Satan-empowered signs and wonders and exorcisms of demons from God’s true pastors, teachers, and evangelists? Do not such miracles authenticate their message?
No, not since the end of the apostolic age and the completion of God’s written word. Everything we need for doctrine and practice until Christ returns has already been given us, in the written word of God, the Bible, and it is our duty and privilege to believe and obey it.
The Lord will cast out all prophets and wonderworkers who “work iniquity.” Here the word for “iniquity” is anomia, literally meaning “without law.” That is, these men and women either reject or ignore the law of God, His inerrant written word, as they do their supposedly wonderful works, and thus they never really know the Lord at all. HMM
