(Part 2 of 5)
⚓ Floatie: Results Are Not Credentials
Matthew 7:21–23 (21)“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22)On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ (23)And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
One of the most persistent errors in religious thinking is the assumption that results validate authority. Jesus directly contradicts that assumption.
Not everyone who speaks correctly, acts powerfully, or produces visible outcomes is operating with permission. Scripture doesn’t deny the outcomes. It denies the claim of legitimacy.
That distinction is where discernment either begins—or dies.
✒️ Forge: Function Without Permission
There are things in creation that function regardless of how they were acquired. A stolen coin still works in a vending machine. A stolen seed still produces fruit when planted. A stolen sword still cuts, and the one who bleeds bleeds the same.
Function doesn’t authenticate ownership. Scripture assumes this reality everywhere, even when we don’t notice it. That’s why Jesus can say, without contradiction, that people will point to their works as evidence—and still be rejected (Matthew 7:21–23).
Notice what He does not say. He doesn’t say, “Those things never happened.” He doesn’t say, “Those results were fake.” He says, “I never knew you.”
That’s a relational and jurisdictional statement, not a functional one. The problem isn’t power. The problem is permission.
⚒️ Anvil: When Success Delays Exposure
Acts gives us one of the clearest contrasts in Scripture on this issue.
On one side, we see people invoking a holy name without assignment or relationship (Acts 19:13–16). The result isn’t neutrality—it’s exposure. The fire they attempt to wield turns on them.
On the other side, the disciples encounter someone outside their group casting out demons in Jesus’ name (Mark 9:38–41). The text implies repeated activity, not a one-off attempt. Enough, at least, to provoke concern.
What’s striking here is what Scripture doesn’t resolve for us. We’re not told whether the man fully understood Jesus. We’re not told his long-term standing. We’re not told whether his authority was delegated or temporarily permitted.
Scripture leaves all of that ambiguous on purpose. Because the point isn’t to give us a formula.
The point is to break our obsession with outcomes as proof. Stop for a moment. Read that last line again until it changes every thought going forward.
Authority in Scripture isn’t mechanical. It’s recognitional.
Some authority is rejected immediately. Some is tolerated for a time. Some is delegated clearly. But none of it is proven by success alone.
🔥 Ember: The Lie Hidden Inside “It Worked”
This is where self-deception enters quietly. Most people don’t trust outcomes explicitly. They trust them implicitly.
We act. Something happens. We assume God approved. But Scripture never allows us to reverse-engineer legitimacy from results.
In fact, Scripture repeatedly warns that success can delay correction rather than prevent it. False prophets are allowed to speak. Deceptive leaders are allowed to gather followers. Fruit can appear on trees that will later be cut down (Matthew 7:15–20).
That should unsettle us.
It means effectiveness isn’t the same thing as faithfulness. It means visible fruit doesn’t guarantee rightful roots. It means God’s patience can look like endorsement if we’re careless.
Stolen fire is especially dangerous because it trains people to trust what works instead of what was given.
🌿 Covenant Triumph: Ownership Is Revealed in Time
Here’s the hope that doesn’t excuse presumption. God isn’t threatened by misuse of authority. He’s patient with it. He allows coins to circulate. He allows seeds to grow. He allows outcomes to appear.
But Scripture is clear: function is not final judgment.
Eventually, ownership is revealed. Eventually, authority answers to its source. Eventually, borrowed fire is either returned—or burns the one holding it.
For those who fear misusing authority, this is good news. Permission matters more than performance. Relationship matters more than results.
For those who rely on success as validation, this should be a warning. Because Scripture never asks, “Did it work?” It asks, “Who sent you?”
In the next message, we’ll confront why justice so often looks like fire—and why mercy applied too early doesn’t heal, but weakens.
Not because God is cruel. But because formation can’t be rushed.
For now, hold this steady: If your defense is “it worked,” you’re already asking the wrong question.
Fire that burns is common. Fire that was given is rare. And the difference is everything.
[⚓ Floatie] [✒️ Forge] [⚒️ Anvil] [🔥 Ember] [🌿 Covenant Triumph]
This post follows the Forge Baseline Rule—layered truth for the discerning remnant.
Walking With Christ 
Leave a comment