Blog Detail

Who to believe?

Matthew 7:21-23 “Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves.  (16)  You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs.  (17)  A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit.  (18)  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit.  (19)  And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire.  (20)  So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.  (21)  “Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do.  (22)  When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’  (23)  Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

— Jesus is making a powerful judgment on all false ministries in the world today…

— So you will know a Christian by what he or she does.

What about miracles done in those various ministries?

SEE verses (22-23)  When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’  (23)  Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

— Let’s examine this issue a little further in scripture…

1/ First SEE Luke 7:37-39  In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume  (38)  and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them.  (39)  When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!”

— How does Jesus respond?

Luke 7:44-50  Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  (45)  You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came.  (46)  You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume.  (47)  I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”  (48)  Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”  (49)  The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”  (50)  But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

— Note it is not Jesus’ faith (and knowledge of God) that saved her. It was her own faith and innermost understanding and love for Christ that moved God’s hand and heart.

2/ Also SEE Luke 8:43-48  Among them was a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding for twelve years; she had spent all she had on doctors, but no one had been able to cure her.  (44)  She came up in the crowd behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and her bleeding stopped at once.  (45)  Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, the people are all around you and crowding in on you.”  (46)  But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I knew it when power went out of me.”  (47)  The woman saw that she had been found out, so she came trembling and threw herself at Jesus’ feet. There in front of everybody, she told him why she had touched him and how she had been healed at once.  (48)  Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

— Who’s faith does Jesus say is responsible for this other hurting woman’s healing?

SEE Verse (48)  Jesus said to her, “My daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

3/ For a little different outlook SEE Luke 17:11-19  As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  (12)  He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease. They stood at a distance  (13)  and shouted, “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!”  (14)  Jesus saw them and said to them, “Go and let the priests examine you.” On the way they were made clean.  (15)  When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.  (16)  He threw himself to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan.  (17)  Jesus spoke up, “There were ten who were healed; where are the other nine?  (18)  Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?”  (19)  And Jesus said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”

— These men are all healed of leprosy because of the authority of Christ, However, it could be understood here that the continued blessings which came from this healing are only given to this one who has recognized Jesus’ authority and has returned to put faithful thanksgiving to Christ.

— This explains why Jesus would cap off his healing in verse (19)  And Jesus said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has made you well.”

4/ Finally staying in the book of Luke18:35-43  As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging.  (36)  When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, “What is this?”  (37)  “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.  (38)  He cried out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”  (39)  The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”  (40)  So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him,  (41)  “What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.”  (42)  Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.”  (43)  At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.

— Again what do we hear Jesus telling this man?

— Verse (41)  “What do you want me to do for you?” “Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.”  (42)  Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.”  (43)  At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.

— His faith was that Jesus had the ability to make his blind eyes see again.

I will conclude with Matthew 13:53-58  When Jesus finished telling these parables, he left that place  (54)  and went back to his hometown. He taught in the synagogue, and those who heard him were amazed. “Where did he get such wisdom?” they asked. “And what about his miracles?  (55)  Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t Mary his mother, and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers?  (56)  Aren’t all his sisters living here? Where did he get all this?”  (57)  And so they rejected him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is respected everywhere except in his hometown and by his own family.”  (58)  Because they did not have faith, he did not perform many miracles there.

— Who stopped Christ’s miracle-working power for their lives?

— Verse (58)  Because they did not have faith, he did not perform many miracles there.

So too, in any ministry where the Good News of Jesus is preached, IT IS NOT the power or faith of the minister that works a miracle in the hearers, IT IS THE FAITH OF EACH BELIEVER.

— This explains how a charismatic leader may see miracles in his ministries, even when that minister is motivated not by God, but by personal ambition and avarice.

— Such are the ministers who come to Jesus in Matthew 7:22-23  When the Judgment Day comes, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! In your name we spoke God’s message, by your name we drove out many demons and performed many miracles!’  (23)  Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you wicked people!’

The real question is not why these ministers are denied and shut out, even when miracles occur… It is really about WHERE DO YOU PUT YOUR FAITH?

— And may God open all our eyes to see Him and believe… (KK)