What did Jesus mean when He said, "I never knew you. Depart from me"?

Our Lord Jesus Christ said to the people of His day, as recorded in Matthew 7:21-23: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. 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 will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Such people then may have been very active in what is called Christian work - they have preached, they have cast out demons, that is, their influence has been such that men and women have found deliverance from satanic power through their ministrations in the name of Jesus, they have professed with their lips, they have accomplished many wonderful works, but they are found in that day among the lost, and when they plead their great activity and their earnestness in Christian testimony, the Lord says to them, “I never knew you.” Notice, He does not say to them, “I used to know you, but you have forfeited My favor and I do not know you any longer.” He says, “I never knew you.”

That all who take upon themselves the service of Christ must own Him as Lord need scarcely be said, for otherwise he would have no right to call himself a Christian. But not all that call Him Lord love either Him or His service. There are many reasons why people enter that service. It is taken up by some as a respectable way of earning a living; by others for the purpose of gaining ascendancy over the souls of men; not so many take it up out of pure devotedness to the interests of Christ. But those who take the place of His servants have the responsibility devolving upon the position, and may have a talent given to them to be used in their service for Him. “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 have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22-23). The fact of their being servants of His and gifted with power to serve Him does not prove them to be in vital relationship with Him. These certainly were not, for He says: “I never knew you.” That He is omniscient and knows all men is just what the Word says (John 2:24-25), But here it is knowledge involving intimacy in the Divine life and nature. Jesus says, “I know My sheep, and am known of Mine, as the Father knows Me and I know the Father (John 10:15). This is the intimacy that subsists between Him and all His own, and outside of this is every other human being. The wicked servants are not in this fellowship.

Christ knows His sheep. True it is that He knows all things; but He peculiarly knows His own. The acquaintance is mutual. They know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, and He knows them. "He knoweth them that trust in Him." Many a professor will come in that day, saying, "We have prophesied in thy name, and in thy name done many wonderful works;" but Jesus will say unto them, "I never knew you: depart from me." They never had any acquaintance with Christ — had no personal dealing with Him. Have you, dear friends, known this personal intimacy with Jesus? Have you known what it is to be reconciled to God through the death of His Son? Those who know Christ, however feebly, do not hesitate to cast themselves into His open arms; and such always prove Him to be a Friend that loveth at all times, a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. "Happy they who trust in Jesus! Sweet their portion is and sure; When the foe on others seizes, He will keep His own secure: Happy people! Even though despised and poor."

'And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.' (verse 23)

This awful moment will take place when these false professors will appear before the throne of Christ to receive their final sentence to damnation (Rev. 20:11-15).

The judge is the Lord Jesus to whom the Father has given all judgment because he is the Son of man (Jn. 5:22 & 27). He will no longer be the gracious Saviour of sinners but the Judge seated upon a great white throne. The sentence will be as follows, 'I never knew you.' It is not that these men are not known to the omniscient Lord but that He cannot accept them and their deeds. They may often have used his name and therefore in a certain sense have 'professed' Him but He will testify to them that they have not believed in him and therefore have no relationship with him.

What a proof these words are that a true believer cannot be lost again, for otherwise the Lord would have to say to them. 'It is true that I have known you but now I do not know you any more.' But no, he will say to these people:, 'I never knew you.' On the other hand He will say to those who have taken refuge in faith with Him, 'I know those that are mine and am known of those that are mine' (Jn. 10:14, N. Tr.).

To many who claim to have done wonderful works in the Lord's name, the answer of the Lord will be most solemn, "I never knew you." At no time had they ever been believers, for there is no possibility of one being born a new and yet afterwards lost. In answer to their claim of wonderful works, they are called "workers of iniquity."

But in our text, which closes the sermon on the Mount, it is another truth: not redemption (which was not there the object) but the absolute necessity of obedience in all who call Jesus Lord. To say Lord, Lord, without doing His Father's will, is worthless. Many shall say in the future day of account, Have we not prophesied through Thy name, and through Thy name cast out demons, and through Thy name done many works of power? But He will answer, I never knew you: depart from Me, workers of lawlessness. It was hollow profession, whatever the works of power, which only aggravated the guilt and will add to the endless remorse. There was no life possessed in Christ, and consequently no obedience, to which every believer is sanctified (1 Peter 1:2). Without holiness none shall see the Lord (Heb. 12:11). The point is here that obedience is indispensable from each one that bears His name.

Many professors will be shut out. In the parable of the ten virgins we are told that, after the door is shut, many will come knocking, saying, "Lord, Lord, open unto us;" and here, also, our Lord says, "Many will say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets; but He shall say, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." On another occasion our Lord speaks of these persons as saying 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? then will I profess unto them, I never knew you!" These things clearly show us that many who have professed to be servants of Christ, and who may have accomplished great things in His name, never knew the value of His sin-atoning work for their own souls, never entered into the strait gate for their own salvation. How very awful this is! They may have striven to accomplish "wonderful works" in His name, but never knew what it was to "strive to enter in at the strait gate." What a solemn warning this presents to any who have not yet trusted in the atoning work of Christ for the salvation of their souls!

Here the Lord calls they who are eternally damned 'ye that work iniquity.' Literally it means 'workers of lawlessness'. For the Jews listening to His words in this passage are disregarding and trespassing the law of Sinai. Such is also the meaning of this word in Hebrews 10:17 where it is mentioned together with 'sin'. In other references lawlessness signifies more than that, for example in 1 John 3:4, where we read: 'Sin is lawlessness' (N.Tr.). Lawlessness in this verse is rebellion against the will of God which is binding upon every man. Lawlessness therefore is the true character of every sin. So 'those who work iniquity' are not the only guilty ones but all who do not want to submit to the will of God even if they have accomplished great things in the name of the Lord during their lives.

"Not every one who saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father, who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out demons, and in Thy name have done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye who work lawlessness!"

That this has no reference to the Church is evident. The Church meets the Lord in the air, and every believer has in Christ's day to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. But at that judgment seat no mere professors of Christ's name will appear, and no "Depart from Me," will be heard from the lips of the Lord, the Head of the Body. Nor does this word here in Matthew refer us to the great white throne. When our Lord says "in that day," He means the day when the kingdom of the heavens is come by His return to the earth. Then many will be found but empty professors, who in spite of their works and using His name were none of His. From this dispensational aspect, we may well look to our times. The name of Christ is upon many lips, and there are many who speak in His name, and do works of power in His name, yet they are not saved and know Him not. Christian Science, falsely so-called, may be mentioned here as well as others. Not outward profession brings into the kingdom and makes one an heir of it, but doing the will of the Father. This is continued in the last paragraph. "Therefore, whosoever heareth these words of mine and doeth them, is likened unto a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock, and the rain and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (verses 24-27).

Matthew 7:21-23. The question is of those fit, not to enter into heaven, but into the kingdom of heaven; and it speaks of their then existing dispositions, as the whole sermon on the mount does, while Christ was on the way with them. Their righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, or they could not enter, etc. Christians are in the kingdom of heaven. That is clear. All Christ adds is, that those who have made a profession, and wielded spiritual power, if not godly, will be rejected, which is very clear, in that day - the day He judges in (the epoch being left in perfect obscurity). The truth is, the kingdom of heaven was coming in a wholly unexpected way (as shewn in chapter 13), as to which the Lord does not lift the veil here.