I Never Knew You

"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 the will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" Matthew 7:21-23

This verse, well actually "I never knew you" keeps going through my mind. It has been something that I have been dwelling on for a few days, maybe a week, now. I know God has been speaking this to me because He wanted me to dig deeper. He didn't just want me to dig deeper, He wanted me to write about it too.

The thought that I couldn't shake was that of course He knows. He knows everyone that has lived, is living, and will live. He is omniscient so He knows. I had to figure out what "knew" really meant. I felt like I needed to know what "knew" meant in the original Greek, and I was excited when I realized that what I thought it meant was right on. The word in Greek is "ginosko" and it means to have a knowledge of someone through direct personal involvement or experience. It is used to describe an intimate relationship, even a martial intimate relationship between a husband and wife.

Jesus is saying that He has never had an intimate relationship with people who claim to do all these in His name. They were after His name, the glory they could claim from doing things in His name. They didn't want Him. They just used Him.

They used His name to lead people astray. They wanted followers and who better to steal followers from but God. All they have to do is be a little like Him. They speak in His name. They focus their message on love and claim it is His. They preach worship, which is what they seek. They make sure they are in the spotlight, working the crowds, gathering followers, and never even wanting a relationship with the One they claim to be doing it all through.

The Bible is full of warning of false prophets, of people who make it sound good, look good, and lead people to their spiritual death. We can continue to put our heads in the sand and pretend we don't know that these men and women are part of today's church and culture. But they are there. They have books. They have TV programs. They have blogs. They have devoted followers. They have people wrapped around their fingers. And if anyone dares to speak against what they preach, they claim intolerance. If anyone dares to question the beliefs that they are professing, they claim that jealousy is the motive. If anyone dares to show them the Word, they twist it. They smile and say things that make the masses fall at their feet and follow them. We can be blind or we can pray that God reveals the Truth through the Light of His Word to us.

Maybe this feels too heavy for a devotional, but it is our eternal lives that are at stake. I can't be silent on what I know God has placed on heart to share. I can't be silent on the Truth of the Word. I can't be silent when God says there will be people, many people, that He tells, "I never knew you; depart from me."