CF Family,
I didn’t mention this passage Sunday……not sure why, but maybe God wanted us to consider it today on Wednesday…..
Matt 7: 21 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. 22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Has this passage ever troubled you? Not too long ago the words “I never knew you” rang in my ears……..like I could almost hear His voice saying the terrible words “depart from me.” If you really think on it, this passage will likely leave you feeling a little uncomfortable too……maybe a lot.
So, should we just sit in our discomfort? Or should we try to make sense of it? I’m opting for the latter……so I can sleep at night. This troubling passage seems to synthesize well with the passages we considered this Sunday (Matt 5:13; 10:16-22; 13:1-9, 18-23; John 15:1-6; Col 1:21-22; 1 Tim 1:18-20; 2 Tim 4:6-8; 4:10; Heb 10:26-31). It seems, if you keep those passages in view, that those who’ll hear the words “I never knew you; depart from me…..” are those who once did mighty works in His name but later bail on Christ before their end. It seems it’s those who walk out on Him and either abandon faith in Christ altogether or adopt a gospel and a jesus, that’s not our gospel or our Jesus (2 Cor 11:4).
However uncomfortable or unfashionable it may be, it seems working through hard scripture like this is profitable. Consider Paul’s words to the church at Corinth:
2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
Paul’s word “examine” is a greek imperative……meaning it’s a command!!!! So, not only is it acceptable to ask yourselves hard questions about what (or who) you’re trusting in…..it’s encouraged….commanded even. And as you examine yourselves, you’ll either find your faith is built on sand or rock. If on rock, you’re affirmed to keep building. If on sand, at least you realize it, and you can pick up and move to a good rocky spot.
I want to build on ROCK…..no matter what anyone thinks of me (or us)……no matter what anyone says about me (or us)......no matter if there are five of us or five thousand of us (His business where that lands). There’s too much at stake to be careless or cavalier or quippy dealing with eternal matters.
More to follow later today or tomorrow…
Ben
