Knowing Him
There is a verse in the Bible that really bugs me. In Matthew 7:22-23, Jesus tells the story of men pleading their case before the throne of judgment:
"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name, did we not cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.‘"
These verses really bug me because the people Jesus is describing sound like they should be rock stars. I mean, look at the fruit they are producing: prophecy, casting out demons, performing miracles…These are the people who Get It. Yet Jesus says He never knew them. What gives?
The answer hit me while I was putting gas in my truck today. There are two things wrong with their answer. First, they are reciting a list of works they have performed, but Jesus didn’t call us to be slaves, or even employees. He called us to have a relationship with Him. What does he say in His answer? "I never knew you." Second, these men were trusting in their own accomplishments to earn their way to salvation. But grace is a gift. It is not by my power or holiness that I am made righteous, but only by the blood of Jesus, given freely by His love that I can stand unafraid before the throne of Jehovah.
