I agree that someone calling Jesus "Lord" really doesn't mean anything. That was the thought I had too when Refreshed and I were talking about Judas not calling Jesus Lord when the rest did. It was interesting that all of them did but him, but had he called Jesus "Lord" that wouldn't have changed anything. People do call Jesus Lord all day long that are nothing but wolves in sheep's clothing.
That passage in Romans 10:9 where it says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord... you will be saved", means a lot more than just saying the words outwardly which people do all the time and don't really believe or mean them.
I think you've seen my thinking on Matthew 7 before that these people were depending on their works for salvation. They can't believe the Lord would cast them out because they've done all these good things and then they start listing them. Instead for those saved, the Holy Spirit convicts them that they have nothing to depend on but Christ's righteousness alone, what he has done alone. Yes, obedience is very important. But until someone comes to rest in Christ's righteousness alone for salvation, there will be no obedience.
That's what Paul tries to get across over and over, that we are not saved by the law (anything that we would do in obedience). That's why Romans 7:4 says we had to die to the law, quit depending on the law for salvation, before we could bear fruit to God.
"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God."
If the people in Matthew 7 were trusting in Christ alone, he would never say to them he never knew them. Their disobedience was trusting in something other than Christ (their own good works).
Romans 10:
1Brothers,a my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
"The law" can include anything we are trying to do to earn salvation and gain God's favor. We are to die to all that and trust in Christ alone. Then there can be obedience.
Ephephians 2:10
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
So isn't that what the people in Matthew 7 are doing? Are they not appealing to their works? What would all they have done for the Lord have to do with why he should not cast them out? Why are they not talking about what Jesus has done? Yes, I agree, they are disobedient, unrepentant sinners, but the reason they are disobedient, unrepentant sinners, is that they haven't trusted in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation as Romans 10 talks about.
"I think there was one where you were in favor of healing the sick and casting out demons as a part of what the Lord has given His followers to do... or maybe i am mixing that up with someone else :)."
I'd have to see it to believe it. :) As far as I know, Vektek and Vitamixgirl have been pretty in sync throughout the years. I hope! lol
Now praying for the sick or someone that has demons, I'm pretty sure both Vektek and Vitamixgirl are all for that. They both believe in healing, just not through "special healers" anymore other than God himself.
One of my husband's best friends says he is now out on the streets healing all these people. He's all excited. But his wife is still sick! Why why why is there always stuff like that? His wife is joining in all this with him, so it's not like she's against it all or anything.
Bill Johnson's son is still deaf but says he prays constantly for healing. Why?
Not only do I see the scriptures showing the gift of healing fading away when it's purpose had been fulfilled, but I see so many things that make no sense when it comes to those that believe and teach that God is still gifting people with the gift of healing today. All these people remain ill around them, and even they themselves fall ill to the same ills as everyone else if enough time goes by. I was reading about someone from way back that believed in the gift of healing not long ago. I wish I could think of his name now, but can't. Anyway, whoever it was, was a pastor I believe and all these people in the church kept dying and even his own kids were dying.
Sickness is part of life. Dying is part of life. Yes, God heals sometimes, but he doesn't always. That's the reality I see and all these "healers" don't seem to be changing that reality from what I can see even though they claim they are with all the sick people, including their wives, kids, etc. remaining sick.
I hold out for this. This is reality for me:
Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
The former things have not passed away yet. And even when Jesus walked the earth and healed many people, and the apostles too, sickness still fell, even among the very faithful, including the apostle Paul himself who had healed many people himself and some of the other apostles too.
I'm all for healing. I believe God can heal directly or indirectly through other means and that he often does that. But I don't believe he is healing anymore through "healers with the gift of healing" as he did through the true Apostles. When I see my husband's friends's wife miraculously healed instead of him continually talking about all these other people he's healing off in another state that we can't see, then maybe I'll think twice about all this. And his wife will have to be truly healed not just be healed for a day or so. These street healers don't know if the people remain healed or not. Sure, someone can feel like their pain left or whatever for the moment the "healer" is standing there with them. That's the whole nature of street healing. Hit and run. lol
But you knew all that already, right? :)