‘And Then Will I Declare To Them, I Never Knew You’

Many Pastors and Christians have been doing great works in the name of the Lord. We have been used to preach the gospel to save souls, plant churches, counsel people, heal the sick and minister to various needs of people.

We have done all these, thinking that God was with us, witnessing and approving our acts of worship. And we are hopeful that on the last day, Christ the Lord will congratulate us on our achievements and reward us as promised in the Bible.

Of course, some will be saved, receive rewards and dwell with the Lord forever, but many will be rejected. Jesus Christ will declare to all disobedient believers, “… I NEVER KNEW YOU” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge, will make some declarations to the hearing of many Christians He will reject. He will not speak comforting words, but distressing and humiliating words that will silence them forever.

Jesus Christ will declare to them, “…I NEVER KNEW YOU.” What can you say when the Supreme Judge tells you, “I never knew you?”

We must read these words: “I never knew you” prayerfully and meditatively, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal its meaning to us. Our Lord will not say, “I do not know you” but “I never knew you.”

The words mean that Jesus Christ paid no attention to the things these Christians did. They thought they worked tirelessly in the name of the Lord; many people saw them preaching, teaching, praying for the sick, giving alms to the poor and needy and doing other great works, but Christ knew they were not genuinely doing His work.

It is like what happened to Saul after he had been rejected. Saul continued to serve as Israel’s king even after God had rejected him. He continued to dress in royal robes, walk majestically, eat delicious meals, sit to hear cases and talk authoritatively as a king.

In those days, the people of Israel and the neighbouring nations knew Saul as king of Israel, but spiritually God never knew him as such. Saul was a rejected and spiritually-dead king.

There are men of God and Christians who attend church meetings every day. People see them doing great things and may even applaud them. But the sad reality is that God is not involved in what they do.

This is why on the last day Jesus Christ will say, “I never knew you.” That is, you ministered on your own without His Holy Spirit. It is easier for man to minister excitedly and powerfully without the Holy Spirit.

Man has the natural ability to inspire and excite people to do many things. Many politicians and celebrities have these abilities to draw great crowds. They perform well to the admiration of their fans and supporters without heavenly supernatural endowment.

And in our day, many ministers who possess these natural abilities also preach, teach and pray as if they are under the influence of the Spirit of God. But in reality, Christ is absent from them so, on the last day, Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.”

Perhaps, they began with the Lord, but as time went by they forsook His words, rejected Him, strayed into deception and finally ended in the flesh thereby failed to do the will of God.

When Christ is with His ministers, we can see tangible manifestation of the power of God. The sinner is genuinely converted as sin’s power is broken off him, the sick gets healed, the lame walks, the blind sees and the hungry fed.

We can see God at work restoring purity, holiness, righteousness, faith, dominion, glory, love, patience, gentleness, kindness, mercy, power and all graces in the lives of His children to promote unity and brotherliness.

When Jesus Christ says, “I never knew you,” it means He rejected these Christians long ago before the day of reckoning.  We should not doubt the ability of Christ Jesus to reject people who would not do the will of God and prevent them from entering the kingdom of heaven. He has said it, and He will do it.

By James Quansah