Bible Study Focus: What Jesus meant when he said ‘Depart from me for I never knew you.’

Have you ever wondered how someone could do incredible things in the name of God, yet still end up completely separated from Him? It is a sobering thought. Maybe a young lady grows up leading worship, or a young man spends his summer building orphanages. Yet, in Matthew 7, Jesus gives us a terrifying warning. He describes a person who prophesies and performs miracles. However, Jesus responds to him or her with devastating finality. He tells this person to depart because He never knew him or her.

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23)

Notice the exact phrasing Jesus uses. He does not say, “I knew you, but you lost your way.” He says, “I never knew you.” This tells us something critical about salvation. A young man or a young lady can be extremely active in church work, yet lack the one thing that actually saves: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The works she or he performs might look spiritual on the outside, but if there is no genuine intimacy with Christ, salvation was absent even during the height of the service.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

Eternal life is knowing God. It is not merely knowing about Him. While works are good and necessary as fruit of salvation, actions are not the root. This truth brings incredible relief to another group. What about a young lady who quietly trusts Christ but does not have a massive public platform? What if a young man struggles and only manages a few quiet acts of faithfulness? He is still saved! Salvation is a free gift received by faith, not a wage earned by human effort.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

However, this does not mean our actions do not matter. The Bible clearly distinguishes between salvation and the judgment of rewards. At the judgment seat of Christ, a young man or young lady will not be judged to determine if he or she is saved; that is settled the moment he or she believes. Instead, God will evaluate a believer’s works to assign rewards.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

A young man might enter heaven with no rewards because his works lacked genuine love, yet he himself is saved. Conversely, a young lady might do mighty works but hear “I never knew you” because she never truly trusted Christ. Let us examine our hearts today. Do you know Him? Does He know you?

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God…” (Galatians 4:9a)