Tony Evens in his book Totally Saved gives his readers the comfort of their secure position of eternal salvation by quoting Matthew 8:12
A third consequence of spiritual failure is disinheritance in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 8:12 that the sons of the kingdom were cast in outer darkness at the start of the kingdom banquet. That is, they were not admitted to the banquet to enjoy this thousand-year party called the kingdom. They’re still saved people, but they are the ones who whose works are burned up at the judgment seat of Christ and so they have nothing to present to Him from their time on earth. Their judgment is to be put outside, not of heaven but of the kingdom banquet.
Jesus said this judgment would cause “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This isn’t the suffering of hell but the anguish of those who missed the greatest party of all time and eternity. Page 232
This sounds like the soothsaying of the false prophets in Jerusalem who were saying the people need not fear the judgment of God. They told the people they are secure and God would not judge them as Jeremiah had said, for they shall dwell in the safety of peace.
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.[1]
We today have those who say the same thing to us today. Do not fear God’s judgment for we are saved. Weeping and gnashing of teeth is only a regret for not being invited to the party, but hey you are still saved! We dwell in peace and safety because we acknowledge our God and call him Lord and savior.
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.[2]
Have we learned nothing from scripture? Jesus speaking in the book of Luke talks again of being outside of the kingdom. First of all He says, make every effort to enter through the narrow door because many trying will not be able. Jesus calls those outside of the kingdom evil doers. Jesus also declares He does not know them who didn’t make it through the narrow door. Does this sound like those who missed the greatest party of the millennia as Tony Evans proclaims are saved?
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.[3]
So let us comfort ourselves with our doctrines that speak peace and safety to us. Let us encourage each other that we are saved at conversion and once we are saved we are always saved. Lull yourselves to sleep and rest in the comfort of your false teachers and possibly find yourselves knocking on the door that will forever shut to many who are on the narrow path.
Or be like those who without great volumes of commentary and Greek Lexicons can see the simple message of God in His word. Why is it the wise and learned miss the simplest teachings of scripture?
[1] Jeremiah 6:14
[2] Matthew 7:21
[3] Luke 13:24-28