Depart From Me, I Never Knew You
Depart From Me, I Never Knew You
For years, Matthew 7:21-23 terrified me. I read Jesus’ words, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity,” and I thought, What if that’s me? What if I miss something? Does He know me? It created fear, self examination, confusion, and pressure. But once I began to understand the gospel rightly, once I saw this passage through the finished work of Christ, all of the fear went away.
Because Matthew 7 is not about believers who knew Jesus and somehow lost Him. It is not about Christians who struggled, failed, or weren’t perfect enough. Jesus doesn’t say, “I knew you, but you didn’t measure up.” He says, “I never knew you.” This passage is describing people who were religious, confident, and active, but who never truly knew Him at all. They remained in iniquity because they did not trust in the one who could forgive them, they were going about seeking to establish their own righteousness.
These are not atheists or outsiders. They call Him Lord. They point to their ministry, miracles, obedience, and spiritual works. They stand before Jesus with confidence. But what stands out to me now is what they appeal to. Their defense is not Jesus. It’s not His blood, His righteousness, or His finished work. Their confidence rests in what they did, what they accomplished, and how faithful they believe they were.
That’s the tragedy of Matthew 7. It is a warning about a false gospel, one that looks holy, sounds biblical, and produces a lot of activity, but ultimately places trust in self instead of Christ. These people didn’t reject Jesus outright. They likely admired Him and thought they were working for Him. But they never trusted Him as their righteousness.
To know Jesus is not merely to imitate Him or be inspired by Him. To know Jesus is to trust Him completely. It is to believe that He is your righteousness, that His obedience made you right with God, and that apart from Him you have no standing at all. The gospel is not that Jesus died to give us a second chance to prove ourselves. The gospel is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us and we are made righteous by trusting in Him.
Standing before God with a résumé of our spiritual works is not faith. Faith is standing before God empty handed, trusting entirely in Christ alone. That is why Matthew 7 is so heartbreaking to me now. Because these are people who were busy for God, but never rested in Christ. People who pursued perfection instead of dependence. People who trusted their performance without trusting the Savior.
Eternal life is not found in your performance, holiness, or works, but in Jesus Christ alone. His righteousness, not human effort, is what brings salvation.
