Workers Of Iniquity

     Jesus tells us that at the end of time, the time we are now living in, there will be "few" who are following Him correctly, who "hold the truth in righteousness".  In contrast there will be many who think they are following God but in reality they are following Satan.  How is that possible?  How can someone think they are right and in the end be all wrong?

     The answer is clear and simple.  Am I living according to the express command of God?  Am I doing right, or following my own ideas of right?  In Luke 13:24-27 Jesus says there will be many who are shut out at the end who were constantly in the presence of God.  They had His teachings, His words, "in our streets".  That is God's word was brought right to where they live.  They were so familiar with Jesus that they "ate and drank" with Him.  They were comfortable with God and viewed Him as a part of their daily life.

     Yet Jesus says they were "workers of iniquity".  They did not DO what He said.  His words were listened to but not obeyed.  They were not brought into the everyday life.  Too many of us think we can say what God says, but not do what He does.  We are able to tell others what is right, but we do not show them by our life what is right. 

     In Acts 16:16-18 we are told about a situation Paul confronted in Thyatira.  There was a girl who started following them around telling everyone:  "These are the servants of the most high God, which show us the way of salvation".   Sound good?  Would you be happy to have the heathen advertising for you?  Paul wasn't.  God's word says in the name of Jesus Christ he commanded the spirit to come out of her.  Paul knew what we need to know.  So he did what we should do.  There can be no true proclaiming without true living.  "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."  (Ephesians 5:11)  And "come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you."  (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

     In English, the word righteous changes to unrighteous with just two letters.   In Greek it is just one letter.  The prophet of God says:  "The track of truth lies close beside the track of error, and both tracks may seem to be one to minds which are not worked by the Holy Spirit, and which, therefore, are not quick to discern the difference between truth and error."  {1SM 202}   2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 tells us the only way to be saved is to be in love with the truth of God's Word.  Unrighteousness is deceptive.  We are easily deceived into thinking error  "isn't really bad, just mistaken perhaps".  The lost will finally believe the devil's lies because they "had pleasure in unrighteousness".  That is they "think well of", or "approve" what is not righteous.  Of Jesus it is written: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity".  (Hebrews 1:9)  

     "Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only?"  (GC 625)