The Most Terrifying Words
“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.’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
Herein lies a passage of Scripture which keeps a many of wounded souls awake at night. I cannot tell you how many have come to me worried sick that they may die and hear those dreaded words – “I never knew you.” Sleep has been lost and comfort deprived over a misunderstanding. In order to provide both clarity and comfort to our readers on a sensitive pastoral issue, let’s ask three questions: what is Jesus not saying, what is Jesus saying, and what should we do?
What is Jesus not saying? Jesus is not saying that our Father in heaven is fickle. We’re not going to spend our lives serving God, only for Him to wake up on the wrong side of the bed and deny us entry into His perfect heaven. We’re not going to glorify His name and hear Him say, “That’s not enough, so don’t let the doorknob hit you where I split you.” Remember, He is our Father who art in heaven, not our boss, not our manager. He is our Father, and He treats us as sons.
If that is the case, what then is Jesus saying? In the prior passage, Jesus deals with false prophets. These would be men who did great things with bad intentions. Each of us probably knows someone who puts on a good show on Sunday, but cusses their wife like a sailor on Monday. We all know someone who fits that bill. But do you know what that means? That means God has been dishonored, His name profaned, and glory spat upon. That means that they do not know God. That means they are workers of lawlessness. Listen to me very clearly – a big check and a worn pew does not equal a new heart. The heart is the principle part of religion. Period.
What then shall we do to avoid hearing those words “Depart from me, I never knew you”? To do mighty works in a lawful way means doing them from the heart by faith. Mighty works should not be done to hide our duplicity; mighty works are done to display the glorious salvation of our God. If our aim is a pat on the back and an “Atta boy,” then we should have real questions. If we are only interested in doing the mightily public works but cannot take out the trash, then we should have some real questions. Our Father in heaven only knows His natural Son and all those adopted into His family through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Believe in Him, receive the right to be His child, and live as His lawful children. And then, get a good night’s sleep.
If I can make a final suggestion: if for some reason an issue of this sort keeps you up at night, don’t hesitate to stop by the office. Christians of every stripe have sat on my porch. Listen, my calling is not to make better Presbyterians; my calling is to make better Christians. The door is always open, and my phone is always on. Let us all trust in Christ and sleep well.
