Do you agree or disagree with this commentary on Matthew 7:22,23?

[Izdaari]

On page 1197 of Ray Comfort's, THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, he comments on Matthew 7:22,23 . . .

"These are perhaps the most frightening verses in the Bible.

I've never been a fan of a "get lost" Christianity. What I mean by that is, a Christian must live in a state of fear, where he thinks he is lost and needs salvation. It is this kind of statement that produces fear instead of a spirit of loving obedience.

The doctrines of sanctification and perseverance are undermined by this kind of teaching. The teens in my youth group were confronted with this kind of preaching at their Xian school. The evangelist told them if they had "unrepentant sin" in their lives, they needed to get saved. Actually, since we all have areas of sin in our lives that we massage, the "fix" is not getting saved all over again.

This strikes the soft underbelly of IFBxr'dom and certain evangelicals. These would certainly be the most frightening verses to a person whose Christianity is marked by how many souls they saved or how their ministry in life was to defend the text of the KJV at the expense of defending its teachings.

So... how should a believer apply these warning passages to his/her life? Realize that no matter how much we do in the name of Christianity, if we use good works to compensate for our secrete disobedience, it won't work!

Should a believer live his/her life in fear? Absolutely not.

This. Nothing more for me to add.

 

[IFB X-Files]

On page 1197 of Ray Comfort's, THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, he comments on Matthew 7:22,23 . . .

"These are perhaps the most frightening verses in the Bible. Vast multitudes of professing Christians fit into the category spoken of here. They call Jesus 'Lord,' but they practice lawlessness. They profess faith in Jesus, but have no regard for the divine law. They tell 'fibs' or 'white' lies, take things that belong to others, have a roaming eye for the opposite sex, etc. They are liars, thieves, and adulterers at heart, who will be cast from the gates of heaven into the jaws of hell."

SOURCE: THE EVIDENCE BIBLE, by Ray Comfort, pg. 1197

They are not "frightening" to me for the following reasons:

1.  I am secure in Christ.  Nothing can affect that.
2.  There are no Christians here.  This is an OT passage to Jews still under the Law.
3.  The context is in regards to the "Kingdom of Heaven" which is a physical, visable kingdom not yet established.

While we can make "practical" application to what God might say to the lost, we need to be careful about applying it "doctrinally" to the Body of Christ today.

"Right division" is key to understanding many passages in the Bible, especially in Matthew.