“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does
the will of my Father who is in heaven.
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: 21-23
NIV
A few weeks ago, my pastor referenced this passage in his sermon. I have to admit that these verses have often shaken me. These people approached Judgement Day very confident they were “safe.” But they were not. Jesus told them to go away from Him! Could that, would that happen to me? I had accepted Jesus as Savior years ago, but was that enough? Had I “done the will of My Father who is in heaven?” And what did Jesus mean by “I never knew you?” Didn’t He know everything and everyone?
In Genesis 4:1 (KJV), it states “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.” The word “knew” is the Hebrew word yada. Yada means more than to intellectually know. It means to know experientially, and to be known experientially. The NIV version puts it this way, “Adam a made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” Adam and Eve “knew” each other, and “were known” experientially. It was much more than head knowledge. They didn’t just know about each other. Yada is used the same way in other verses, ie. Gen. 4:17 where Cain knew his wife; in 1 Samuel 1, Elkanah knew Hannah and Samuel was born. You get the idea.
The second part of those verses in Matthew that really bothers me is verse 22. ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ How in the world can they prophesy and do miracles in Jesus Name and NOT know Him or be known by Him?!? If performing miracles isn’t enough… and I haven’t even one miracle … what is enough?
I / we need to remember, nothing that we do – not even everything we do – is enough. Our salvation is ALL JESUS! The grace to walk with Him and serve Him is ALL JESUS!
But if these people didn’t really know Jesus, how in the world could they perform miracles and prophesy? The text gives us a clue. These people said they performed these miracles IN JESUS NAME. The power to do miracles and prophesy is NOT in the holiness… or salvation … or anything… of the people. THE POWER IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS! And I don’t mean the automatic closing we use to finish our prayers. It is much more than that.
Matthew 28:18 tells us Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Philippians 2: 9-11 exalts His Name.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
So, the question is, do I know Jesus experientially, and does He know me? Have I asked Him to come into me, search me, and take all of me, or is my knowing Him just head knowledge?
Jesus isn’t interested in just an “intellectual” relationship with us. He wants us to really know Him, and let Him know us. He wants to share everything He is, with everything that we are. Yes, just the way we are! He meets us where we are and transforms us in His Love with His Spirit.
The world is a hurting place. People are hurt, wounded, and lost. Jesus wants us to know Him so well that we know His Heart for people, so well that we can love them with His Love.
My heart cries out, Lord, know me! And I long to know You more and more each day.
We aren’t called the Bride of Christ for nothing!
These are my thoughts. Please let me know your thoughts in the Comments. Thanks!