Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
This paragraph continues the theme of the previous one. On the day of judgment, the false prophets, those who spoke and acted falsely in Jesus’ name, will expect to be received warmly into Jesus’ presence. But their end will not be at all what they expected.
Instead of a warm embrace, they will find themselves face to face with a Jesus that they never knew, never actually had a relationship with. Instead of spending their lives serving Jesus and submitting to His leadership in their lives, they had spent their lives using Jesus, wearing His name to advance themselves, and His words to persuade people to their way of thinking.
Even for those people who do miracles and drive out demons in the name of Jesus, if their motives are self-serving, if there is no real relationship there, none of those actions and deeds will save them on the day of judgment. The word “know” used here in Greek implies more than knowledge about something or someone. It carries the meaning of intimate knowledge due to a personal relationship.
It is only through faith in Jesus and in His finished work that that kind of relationship can be initiated. And it is only through time spent with Him in prayer and listening, as well as in obedience to His commands and to His leading, that the relationship begun by faith is maintained. (Cf. John 14:15, 14:23-24.) That is why Jesus accuses these false prophets of being “evildoers,” literally “you who work lawlessness.” Jesus is not accusing them of breaking the Old Testament ceremonial laws, but of not obeying His own commands.
Some believe and teach that once you accept Jesus that nothing more is expected of you – no longer any requirements or rules. But that flies in the face of what Jesus Himself said. In order to live in fellowship with Him, a fellowship that will be recognized on the day of judgment, we must obey what Jesus commanded. (Also see the end of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. There is a vital reason that part of Jesus commission is “teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”)
Father, You are doing important things in the world today. And being in real relationship with Jesus means being obedient to Him as we join You in these activities. Help me to keep these truths close to my heart today, and to keep my relationship with Jesus hot, never losing track of my first love (Revelation 2:4) or growing lukewarm in my devotion to Him (Revelation 3:16). Amen.