Scripture:
Matthew 7 v 21-23: "Not everyone that saith unto Me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and
in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I
never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity."
I have always considered the words of Jesus in this
passage, "I never knew you", as the four saddest words in the whole
Bible. We need to see the context of when they will be said.
"In that day" always refers to the Day of
Judgment when we will all appear before God to receive the reward or punishment
for how we have lived out our salvation before God.
So it is also noted that those being judged in this
passage are people who are familiar with miracles, deliverance from demons,
prophecy in Christianity. But the problem arises concerning either doing the
will of the Father or being someone who works iniquity.
Iniquity is sin and those who indulge in sin reap death.
The ultimate death is separation from the Father and eternity in Hell.
Jesus took all our sin upon Himself on the Cross so that
we could walk in holiness before God. It takes effort to cleanse ourselves of
past bad habits and lifestyles. We are told to work out our own salvation with
fear and trembling.
Doing the will of the Father means that we are well
acquainted with The Holy Bible and are being obedient to what is written in it.
Everything that is written in it - not a few choice scriptures that happen to
agree with your version of who God is.
In Revelations 3 v 5 Jesus says "He that overcometh,
the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name
out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and
before His angels."
In other words if you do not overcome sinfulness in your
life Jesus will blot out your name from the book of life and say to His Father
"I don't know him/her".
At those words the person is judged without any second
chances or excuses and consigned to hell. The Bible says there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth.
Jesus has been pressing me in spirit to share this
information clearly for many are under the impression that their sins are
eternally covered when they get saved and they can live how they like and they
are safe.
There are a number of preachers who are living double
lives, doing drugs, having affairs, being holy on Sunday in the pulpit; who
twist God's Word into strange doctrines who will one day hear those final words
from Jesus "I never knew you". Unless they repent and get their lives
straightened out right now.
Hebrews 6 v 4-8 says that its impossible for those who
were once enlightened and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, if they fall away
into sin, to repent again because they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh and put Him to an open shame. They will be rejected, cursed and burned.
(Paraphrase).
These are hard words to write but it is what God has said
in His Word. It is sent to shake us out of complacency and compromise; to stop
coming to Church for entertainment; to realise that we are living in the
closing era of this world and that the Day of Judgment may soon be upon us.
Nevermind the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation and
the upheaval all over the world - what about you? Are you 100% sure that you
will never hear Jesus say to you "I never knew you"?
Are you living a life that is a good example to those
around you? Do your friends and colleagues know and respect you as a Christian?
Do you understand that your worldly achievements, your fame, your fortune, your
sports trophies, your Merc, your dress size, your listing on the Stock Exchange
is not a passport to Heaven?
God cares for none of that! He is looking for humble
people who truly love Him and obey His Word as well as the personal commands He
gives them daily.
Those who diligently seek Him and follow Jesus' footsteps
are acceptable to Him. He wants us to love one another as He loves us. That's
what will give us eternity with Him.
Prayer: Heavenly Father we want to spend eternity with
you - the alternative is unthinkable! Help us to live our lives according to
Your plan for us so that Jesus will confess our names before You in THAT day.
In Jesus' name. Amen.