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“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
— Matthew 7:23 (NIV)
This is one of the most solemn statements that ever came from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is not speaking to atheists. He is not speaking to people who deny His existence. He is speaking to people who call Him *“Lord, Lord”*, who claim to minister in His name, who appeal to their spiritual activities as evidence of their relationship with Him.
The central theme of this song and this passage is this:
Outward profession without inward obedience is spiritual deception.
Or to put it more sharply:
It is possible to do impressive religious works in the name of Jesus—and yet not be known by Him.
So we must begin where Jesus begins: not with our emotions, not with tradition, not with what we have always assumed, but with the written Word of God.
> “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
> but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
> — Matthew 7:21
Everything in this passage turns on two questions:
1. Does Jesus truly know me?
2. Am I doing the will of the Father—or practicing lawlessness?
Our eternal destiny hinges on the answers.
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The words in Matthew 7:21–23 occur at the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). This is not a casual teaching. Jesus is laying the foundation of life in the kingdom of God. He is speaking primarily to His disciples, with the crowds listening (Matthew 5:1–2). So these words are addressed to religious people, to professed followers.
At the close of the sermon, Jesus gives a series of warnings:
1. The Narrow Gate and the Broad Road (Matthew 7:13–14)
There are only two ways: one leads to life, the other to destruction. Many are on the broad way; few find the narrow.
2. False Prophets in Sheep’s Clothing (Matthew 7:15–20)
Not all religious leaders are genuine. Some are inwardly wolves. The test is fruit, not gifts or words.
3. Empty Profession vs. Obedient Reality (Matthew 7:21–23)
Not all who say “Lord, Lord” belong to Jesus. The criterion is doing the Father’s will, not impressive spiritual performances.
4. Two Foundations (Matthew 7:24–27)
Hearing Jesus’ words is not enough. The wise man *hears* and *does* them. The foolish man hears but does not do.
The statement “I never knew you” comes in this context of *final separation* and *ultimate testing*. Jesus is speaking of “that day”:
> “Many will say to me *on that day*…”
> — Matthew 7:22
“That day” in Scripture is commonly the day of judgment, the day when each one will stand before God to give an account (cf. Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). So we are not dealing here with temporary discipline, but with final rejection.
Notice also:
Jesus assumes His own role as Judge.
They will stand before *Him* and appeal to *Him*—“Lord, Lord, did we not…?” And *He* will pronounce the verdict. This is an unmistakable claim to divine authority.
The audience:
We must put ourselves in their place. They are shocked. They are not expecting rejection. They are convinced they are on safe ground. This is what makes this passage so searching. It reaches into the church, into ministry, into the lives of those who are active, visible, and confident.
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### 1) “I never knew you” — οὐδέποτε ἔγνων ὑμᾶς
The key verb is “knew” — Greek: ἔγνων (egnōn) from γινώσκω (ginōskō).
In biblical usage, *to know* is not merely intellectual awareness. It speaks of relational, experiential knowledge. In the Old Testament (Hebrew *yada*), “know” is used of the most intimate relationship:
> “Now Adam *knew* Eve his wife, and she conceived…”
> — Genesis 4:1 (ESV)
To “know” in this sense means:
So when Jesus says, “I never knew you”, He is not saying:
“I have no idea who you are.”
He is saying:
“I have never entered into covenant relationship with you. You were never truly Mine. There was never genuine intimacy or submission between us.”
The adverb οὐδέποτε (oudepote) — “never” — is absolute.
Not “I once knew you and rejected you,” but:
“I never, at any time, in any way, knew you.”
Their entire religious life was outside a real saving relationship with Him.
### 2) “You who practice lawlessness” — οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν
The phrase “you who practice lawlessness” translates:
ἀνομία (anomia) comes from:
So *anomia* is absence of law, rejection of law, disregard for God’s standard. It is not ignorance but rebellion—living as if there were no binding divine authority.
This deepens the meaning:
The lyrics repeat:
“You who practice lawlessness… you workers of lawlessness.”
That is exactly the Greek nuance: habitual workers of rebellion, no matter what spiritual labels or manifestations may surround them.
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### A. “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
The phrase “tell them plainly” (NIV) or “declare to them” (ESV) comes from ὁμολογήσω (homologēsō) in some manuscripts, but here the verb is ὁμολογήσω / ἀποφαίνομαι type sense—an open, clear, authoritative declaration. This is not a suggestion. It is the judicial pronouncement of the Judge.
We must note two elements:
1. The Relationship Denied — “I never knew you.”
The root issue is relational, not merely behavioral. Their works, however remarkable, never flowed from a true union with Christ.
2. The Separation Commanded — “Away from me.”
This echoes Psalm 6:8:
> “Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity…”
> — Psalm 6:8 (NKJV)
Jesus takes the language of the righteous sufferer in the Psalms and applies it as Judge. To be told “Away from Me” is the essence of hell. The greatest horror is separation from the presence and favor of the Lord.
The combination is terrifying:
### B. “I never knew you—depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
Notice the repeated emphasis in the lyrics. This is not for poetic effect. It reflects the emphasis of the passage. The problem is not lack of charisma, or lack of gifting, or lack of ministry opportunities. The problem is:
Scripture confirms this principle elsewhere:
> “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him,
> being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
> — Titus 1:16 (NKJV)
> “They have a form of godliness but deny its power.”
> — 2 Timothy 3:5 (NIV)
Form without submission. Words without obedience. Activity without holiness.
### C. “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”
This is one of the most decisive criteria Jesus ever gave.
1. Verbal confession alone is insufficient.
Yet Jesus is clear: Not everyone who says… will enter.
Entrance into the kingdom is not granted on the basis of mere verbal profession.
Compare Luke 6:46:
> “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
> — Luke 6:46 (NKJV)
To call Him Lord and not obey Him is a contradiction.
2. The decisive criterion: doing the Father’s will.
Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). But the faith that saves always produces obedience (see James 2:14–26). The evidence of true faith is not spectacular gifts but a life progressively aligned with the Father’s will.
Jesus Himself models this:
> “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me.”
> — John 6:38 (NIV)
True discipleship is the same pattern:
### D. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’”
Observe carefully:
1. “Many will say…”
Not a few. Many. This suggests that deceived, unconverted religious workers will not be a small exception, but a significant reality.
2. Their plea is based on ministry, not relationship.
They do not say:
They say:
Their confidence is in what they did, not in who they became by obedience to the will of the Father.
3. The ministries cited are genuine spiritual activities.
These are not inherently false. Jesus and the apostles performed such works. The problem is not the gifts themselves but the absence of holiness and submission in those who exercise them.
Scripture warns that:
So we must never equate spiritual power with spiritual approval.
God can use a vessel for the sake of others, without that vessel being truly yielded or saved.
### E. “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me.’”
Their plea is “*Did we not…?*”
His answer is not “You did not do those things.” He does not dispute the reality of their works. He goes to the core:
The issue is not the works themselves but the absence of a saving union with Him.
Relationship denied results in separation. The Judge Himself is the dividing line.
John 10:27 shows the opposite reality:
> “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
> — John 10:27 (NKJV)
Three marks of those whom He knows:
1. They hear His voice.
2. He knows them (relationship).
3. They follow Him (obedience).
In Matthew 7, these elements are reversed:
### F. “You who practice lawlessness” — Spiritual Warfare Dimension
Lawlessness is not neutral. It is the hallmark of the antichrist spirit.
> “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…”
> — 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NKJV)
> “…the man of lawlessness…”
> — 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (ESV)
Where God’s authority is rejected, another authority will take its place. There is no vacuum. So when religious people operate in spiritual power while rejecting obedience, they are on dangerous ground. They open themselves to deception.
Hebrews 1:9 describes Christ:
> “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness…”
> — Hebrews 1:9 (NKJV)
If we belong to Him, we will share His attitude:
To tolerate lawlessness in our personal lives, while ministering in His name, is to move into the territory of those addressed in Matthew 7:23.
The lyrics return again and again to:
> “I never knew you—
> depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
This repetition functions as a trumpet blast:
God demands the fruit of obedience, the evidence of a transformed life.
---
We must not treat this passage as a theological curiosity. It is a mirror. We are to examine ourselves in its light.
### Step 1: Examine Your Foundation — Relationship, Not Performance
First, we must ask: Do I truly know Jesus—and does He know me?
Paul writes:
> “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.
> Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?”
> — 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
We are not called to morbid introspection, but to honest evaluation:
A simple test:
We must renounce any trust in our religious résumé:
All these have value only if they spring from and lead back to a living relationship with Christ.
### Step 2: Submit to the Will of the Father — Obedience as the Mark of Sonship
Second, we must embrace this principle:
Only those who do the will of the Father enter the kingdom.
This does not mean sinless perfection in this age, but a settled commitment to obey.
Jesus said:
> “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
> — John 14:15 (NKJV)
The evidence of love is obedience. This will touch every area:
We should prayerfully ask:
We must yield in specific, concrete ways. Obedience is not sentimental. It is practical.
### Step 3: Renounce Lawlessness — Break Agreement with Rebellion
Third, we must consciously renounce lawlessness in every form.
Lawlessness can appear as:
1 John 3:4 is explicit:
> “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
> — 1 John 3:4 (NASB)
To live in known sin is to join the company of the “workers of lawlessness.”
We must:
Ephesians 5:11:
> “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
> — Ephesians 5:11 (NKJV)
This may require:
### Step 4: Cultivate Intimacy with Christ — Known by Him, Not Just Busy for Him
Fourth, we must pursue intimacy, not activity.
Martha was busy serving Jesus, but Mary chose “the one thing needed”:
> “Mary… sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.”
> — Luke 10:39 (NKJV)
> “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
> — Luke 10:42 (NKJV)
Busyness in ministry is not the same as closeness to Christ.
We need regular, disciplined time to:
John 15:5:
> “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
> — John 15:5 (NKJV)
Abiding comes before fruit. Relationship comes before results.
When we cultivate true intimacy, our works become the overflow of His life in us, not the substitute for His life in us.
---
### Proclamation (Declare Aloud in Faith)
I proclaim that Jesus Christ is my Lord.
Not in word only, but in obedience.
I renounce all trust in my own works, gifts, or ministry.
I refuse the spirit of lawlessness.
I submit myself to the will of my Father in heaven.
I declare that I am not satisfied with form without power, gifts without holiness, or activity without intimacy.
By the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed from every work of darkness.
By His Spirit, I choose to love righteousness and hate lawlessness.
Jesus, I desire to be among those whom You truly know—
Your sheep who hear Your voice and follow You.
Let my life, in public and in secret, bear witness that I belong to You.
Amen.
### Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
I come to You under the authority of Your Word in Matthew 7.
Where I have trusted in my own works, my experiences, or my ministry, I repent.
Where I have called You “Lord” but refused Your commands, I ask Your forgiveness.
Search me and know me.
Expose every area of lawlessness in my life—every hidden sin, every rebellion, every compromise.
By Your Spirit, grant me true repentance and a steadfast will to obey.
Father in heaven, I choose Your will above my own.
Write Your laws on my heart and mind.
Holy Spirit, lead me into all truth, guard me from deception, and produce in me the fruit of holiness.
Lord Jesus, I ask not only to know about You, but to be truly known by You.
Draw me into deeper fellowship with Yourself.
Let my life be an expression of Your will, Your nature, and Your glory.
I ask this in Your name, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
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