I Don't Know You

Meditation June 18, 2020

Matthew 7

21Not every one 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. 22Many 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? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The immediate reference, I think, is to the false prophets about whom Jesus was just speaking. That seems to be indicated in Jesus saying they ‘will say to me in that day, Lore, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? It would be a mistake, however, to suppose it applies only to ‘false prophets’; i.e. those who are teachers by vocation. Jesus is declaring a principle and applying it here to false prophets. He is stating a principle, nonetheless, applies to all who profess themselves to be followers of Christ and one we should take as a warning to make our profession of faith fast and one that we can hold without wavering. (Heb. 10:23)

“Not every one that says to me…” clearly indicates there are some who suppose themselves to be teachers and professors of faith in Christ who in fact are not so. Jesus with this warning reiterates the connection between faith and works He has just set before His hearers; i.e. ‘you will know them by their fruit.” This is a sore subject in many theological circles but I set before you that which it seems clear to me Jesus is setting before His hearers on the mount and that is that true faith produces a change in values, attitude and consequently conduct and if your faith has not produced a change you need to ask yourself some serious questions about your salvation for Jesus is very clear that “not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven….”

Did you notice how calmly, with fanfare and trumpets, Jesus with authority just announced Himself to be the Judge? “Not every one who says to ME, Lord, Lord….” To all those, then and now, who may mistake Jesus to only an outstanding teacher of morality, an example of holiness after which we should pattern our lives, Jesus here early in His ministry calmly declares it is He who will judge whether or not they or you or I will enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. And not all who say to Him, “Lord, Lord….” Many call Him Lord when to them He is only a Savior, a hope of avoiding hell. They never intended that he should be Lord, that He should set the boundaries of their conduct. If they at all accept the law Jesus said He came not to destroy but to fulfill, they declare that since Jesus came, we are under no obligating to keep any but such as they approve. We are no longer under the law, they say, meaning not that indicated by the Bible but that we are no longer obligated to the law to obey it, or if they still hold some biblical law to be applicable to us it must be necessarily adjusted to comport with the accepted moral standards of the day. If it doesn’t fit contemporary morals standards, then it was, they claim, a cultural ethic of the time. To all these Jesus says, they “will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father…” That will God gives in the Scripture. He has not left us in ignorance. He has given us the Spirit of truth. (Jhn. 17:26) who sanctifies us, sets us apart as belonging to God by the word of God which is the truth. (Jhn. 17:17) So it is written “to the law and to the testimony and if they speak not according to this there is no light in them. (Isa. 8:20) That is the work of the Spirit He gives to us and if we have not that Spirit, we are not His. (Ro. 8:9) Now, we must keep in mind that throughout the sermon Jesus is calling us to the inward man, to the intents of the heart. He knows well we cannot perfectly keep the law, his being among us in the flesh was due to that,  but the intent of the heart is to be obedient to every word and failure brings the lowliness of spirit and the mourning which leads to repentance and the hungering and thirsting after righteousness of which he spoke. If on the other hand that is not the heart’s desire but having our conduct dictated by the desires of the flesh rather than the desire for the holiness of God as clearly set forth in the Scripture, then such are among those to whom He will say, “I never knew you.”

But lest we fall on the other side of false-righteousness, there are those who hold a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. They are all correct doctrine, every theological I is dotted and every theological t is crossed but works suitable to righteousness are missing. It is a dead faith. (James 2:14-17) It is amazing the number of ways I have heard this teaching of James vacated. But listen carefully, it is what Jesus is teaching here (you will know them by their fruits) Paul teaches the same (we are created in Christ Jesus unto good works that we should walk in them – Eph. 2:10) Correct doctrine that does not bring us to conform our hearts and conduct to the will of God, to love one another, to seek justice, care for the poor, defend the widow and orphan etc.  is as much an outward show as standing in a place of prominence to pray loudly I thank God I am not like that Publican.

On that day, on the day men would enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus will profess to all such men, “I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity.” This is spoken not to those who stumble and wander along the narrow path, but to those who have never entered on it. Workers of iniquity as KJV and others is literally those practicing lawlessness; i.e. those denying, disobeying, making of no effect the law of God., the word of God. Many are those who will be familiar acquaintances of Jesus, who will say to Him in that day, “’We ate and drank with your and you taught in our streets.’ And He will answer, ‘I tell you; I don’t know where you are from. Depart from me.;”

Vernon McGee observed “I hear many people talk about believing in Jesus, then they live like the Devil and seem to be serving him. My friend, saving faith makes you obedient to Jesus Christ.” That is just the thing Jesus is impressing throughout this sermon. To love Him is to keep His commandments (John 14:15); to call Him Lord, Lord is to say give to Him obedience, keep His commandments and if we do not do so, if we seek a savior but will be our own lords, the in that day we will hear “I never knew you.”

“Obedience to the faith is very important to God. God saves us by faith, not by works; but after He has saved us, He wants to talk to us about our works, about our obedience.” Vernon McGee.