I was asked by a reader to explain in more understandable details what and why many on judgment day will be told by Jesus that He never knew them and they can't enter heaven afterall.
I will do my best.
In my opinion, the scariest words Jesus ever said are, "I never knew you." You can find His words in Matthew 7: 21-23. These might be the most terrifying words that Jesus ever spoke and here's why ..
He wasn't talking to atheists!
He wasn't talking to pagans!
He was talking to peope who CLAIMED HIS NAME, CALLED HIM LORD, and were confident they belonged to Him.
Now, before anyone says, " no no He was only talking to the Pharisees and people like them."
No, no He was not. Matthew 7 is part of the sermon on the mount. Jesus was speaking to the crowds following Him and to His disciples. He didn't say, "some religious leaders will say to me"... He said, "MANY will say to me." This is a loving warning to many (anyone) who claim to know Jesus without surrendering to Him. Many people say they know Jesus by saying He was God's Son, a prophet, a good man, someone who did appear in biblical times. They "think" that's knowing Him, by having knowledge He was real once.
Let me be clear because this is where people get confused.
KNOWING JESUS IS NOT about working your way into heaven. Scripture is clear--we are SAVED BY GRACE ALONE, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Works OR knowing of Him does not save us IE: being good, perfect church attendance, moral living, helping others, charity, volunteering, donating money, tithing, being a law abiding citizen, are examples of works that do not earn a right into heaven. Scripture is just as clear about this .. saving faith is never alone. Catch this:
REAL FAITH produces repentance.
REAL FAITH produces obedience.
REAL FAITH produces transformation!
NOT PERFECTION, BUT DIRECTION.
Jesus isn't rejecting those people because they didn't do enough good things. He's rejecting them because they used His Name without ever truly submitting their lives to Him. They wanted the "power" provided in His Name, not repentance. They wanted the "benefits" promised to followers, not obedience. They wanted salvation and a guarantee of eternal life in heaven, not surrender. And that's why Jesus is warning when He said many will hear, "I never knew you." NOT, "I knew you and you messed up." But instead, He's saying, "you knew Me, you spoke My Name, but you never really walked with me."
This isn't about performance .. we can't "work" our way into heaven no matter what good we do. This is and always has been about RELATIONSHIP. This is about whether your faith is real. Cultural Christiany is comfortable. It talks about Jesus without following Him. It wants forgiveness without transformation. BUT JESUS DOESN'T WANT FANS, HE WANTS FOLLOWERS! His words aren't meant to scare you, they are meant to wake you up because Jesus wants to know you as one of His but He won't be reduced to a label or prayer you once prayed during an altar call. DO YOU KNOW HIM? DO YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM? The last thing you'll want to hear when the book of Life is opened, is silence. You may look up and ask, "but what about me? Where's my name? I told others about you. I went to church nearly every Sunday. I dropped money in the collection plate. I wore a cross around my neck to show others I was a Christian." He will answer, "I never knew you." Knowing "OF" Jesus is not the same thing as KNOWING HIM.
Until He Comes,
-Pat-
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