The Bible is totally true and trustworthy. However, some argue that it is full of contradictions because it will say one thing in one passage and say the opposite in another passage. Let’s look at two sets of passages in the same gospel account and see, while they say different things on a surface level, they actually are saying the same thing. The gospel account we will explore is Matthew. Let’s begin with Matthew 7.

 “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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matt. 7:21-23, ESV).

Look closely at that part that says people who the Lord never knew actively and successfully cast out demons. The main point of this passage is that there are some who have been around the Christian faith but never really had it. Jesus says he never knew them. These fake Christians did works of ministry, including casting out demons.

And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matt. 17:14-20).

Jesus credits His disciples’ inability to cast out a demon to their lack of faith.

This would lead us to believe that faith is required to cast out demons, but faith was absent from the fake Christians in Matthew 7 and they cast out demons.

Is this a contradiction?

No, the Bible is totally true and trustworthy. OK, but how is this not a contradiction? There are a few things here that need unpacking. First, God is the One who does miracles and casts out demons. Whether you believe these signs and wonders are still active or not, that is beside the point, because we are speaking of what the Bible says here in the gospel of Matthew. We are not examining current events. We are looking at the Bible.

In the Bible, God is the One who does this work. Yes, He will use means, like the disciples or even fake Christians, to accomplish His work. But He is doing the work. From the perspective of how a demon is cast out, God does it.

As you think about the means of how God does it, we can see that we are getting two different lessons from God’s Word. Matthew 7 is warning us of false faith even in the midst of productive ministry. This is a real issue to be concerned with.  Matthew 17 is warning us of a lack of faith among those closest to Jesus. This, too, is a real issue to be concerned with.

While the illustrations of both center on the work of casting out demons, the lesson learned is that proper faith is necessary for both ministry and salvation. Proper faith is one that depends on Jesus and not on yourself.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10).

Our salvation is through faith, not by our works. There is no more clear statement than this here in Ephesians.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6).

It is impossible to please God without faith. Your ministry to God and for God, however great, doesn’t please Him if it is done without faith. Your faith must be centered on Jesus and not on yourself. That is the God-pleasing faith.

Article Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash

About the Author

Gary joyfully serves as Senior Pastor of White Plains Baptist Church in Scottsville, Kentucky and writes books and resources to help you know and follow Jesus. He earned his Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Gary is the founder of Discipleship Studio.

Email: gary@floydgarypierce.com
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