Jesus said there will be people before Him on judgement day who call Him Lord. But sadly, they will hear Him say, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." (Matthew 7:21-23). If you call yourself a Christian does that verse terrify you? Let me explain 3 reasons why Jesus would say that. But before I begin, this blog isn't to scare you. It's to make you sure you understand why these words of rejection were spoken by Jesus despite the fact these folks believed they were "Christians" (and could apply to anyone today for that matter).
According to the verses from Matthew 7:21-23, what made the people addressed by Jesus believe they were safe and their salvation secure? After all, they reminded Jesus of all the good things they had done: they prophesied IN HIS NAME. They cast out demons IN HIS NAME. They performed many miracles IN HIS NAME. How then could Jesus possibly say He never knew them when they did all that in His Name? They may have done good things in His mighty Name but they continued to purposely and habitually sin after becoming a Christian. How do we know this? The words from Matthew 7:21-23 tells us why, "you who practice lawlessness." What is practicing lawlessness (sin)? It is a willful, persistent, choice to keep on sinning (originally from the Greek word "Anomia") meaning: living in a way that disregards God's moral standards and characterized as a continuous, deliberate pattern of sinning rather than occasional mistakes. Notice Jesus used the words "you who PRACTICE lawlessness.
Practice= to repeat.
Lawlessness= sin.
Now refer to these two supportive scriptures. Luke 6:46 Jesus speaking again, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do what I say?" This is also a perfect example not only of disobedience, but of paying lip service while continuing to willfully commit sin. It's serving GOD with words and not heart! That's what those people in Matthew 7:21-23 had done all through their Christian walk. And others are doing the same thing today! Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8:11? What did Jesus say to her? He said, "Go, and from now on sin no more" (English Standard Version) OR Jesus' words can be understood this way ..You are forgiven of the sin of adultery, NOW FROM HERE ON DON'T KEEP DOING IT. A person who calls Jesus their Lord cannot expect to be accepted into the Kingdom of God through empty lip service. It requires a close relationship to Him and obedience to His Word once you are forgiven. Your journey begins there.
Being saved and following Christ is a call to transformation, not instant sinless perfection. It's a journey of change and a distaste of and turning from a deliberate pattern of sin. Those to whom Jesus will say, "I never knew you" were and will be strangers to Him. They are people remaining outside the family of God despite announcing and believing they are Christian because no genuine commitment on their part was ever made to change. No desire to turn and give up deliberate sin, to walk in a new way though they claimed Him as Lord of their lives. While the Christian consensus acknowledges humans will still face temptation and occasionally fall, Jesus's ultimate expectation is that we desire to sin less and thereby grow in holiness. Holiness? Who can be holy?
The bible verse from Old and New Testaments, 1 Peter 1:15-16, "be ye holy in all you do" AND Leviticus 11:44, "For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy" is not some impossible task when you understand what He is asking. We are to forsake our sinful habits, vices, deeds. Not remain in them, but changing from our old life into the new. God isn't asking for flawless perfection on our own. Instead, "be ye holy" means being "set apart" from the sinful patterns of the world to reflect His loving character and relying on His Spirit to transform your everyday life. We simply cannot achieve holiness by trying harder not to sin. It requires a true faith, relationship, and commitment to want it -- then achieve it by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to change the desires of your heart from the inside out!
So here are three Reasons For The Biggest Rejection Of All Time as taught in Matthew 7:21-23..
1) They KNEW ABOUT Jesus, but never actually KNEW HIM. Pay attention. When Jesus said on that day many will say, 'Lord, Lord' and He responds, "I never knew you." It's not that they didn't know enough about Him education-wise. In the Bible to "know" signifies a relationship not information! You could have every verse and chapter memorized from the Bible, attend church every Sunday, go to every Sunday school class ever offered and still be a stranger to Him. The question has never been how much you know about God, it's whether He actually knows you!
2) They called him Lord but never let Him be in charge. The word Lord means MASTER. A lot of people want Jesus as Savior to rescue them but not as Lord to run anything. Many say 'Lord, Lord' when they want something or even on Sundays then live Monday through Saturday like an unsaved person. A Jesus who saves you but never gets to lead you isn't Lord at all. He's just a label. Either He runs it or He was never really King of it.
3) Their faith never once changed how they lived. This is what almost nobody catches. It's not that any kind of works save you, they don't. It's that, real faith always produces fruit. The same way a fruit tree can't help but grow fruit. Jesus said, "You'll know them (His actual children/followers/true believers) by their fruit." Simply said: by what is manifested as change not by what is said. A faith that changes your playlist but never your choices, your talk, your intentions, your heart, that's not weak faith, it's an empty profession. The proof was never a prayer you said once, it's a life surrendered that slowly and quietly started looking different.
Again, this isn't about being scared. It's about being sure. And there's a world of difference between 'knowing about' God and 'being known' by Him. If that fear ever drove you to your knees, that's the heart of someone running home. Do you know Him? Has there been a real change away from your old way of life? Has there been a distaste for where you once were replaced by a longing desire to follow and obey the Him? Congratulations, you're on the right path. Keep growing and let the Holy Spirit slowly and faithfully make changes in you as you surrender to His will.
Until He Comes,
-Pat-













