CONTEXT IS KEY IN UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES PART 6: #DEPART FROM ME FOR I NEVER KNEW YOU?
The life of Christ is a life of certainty and assurance. We must be assured of His love and His return for us. This assurance is seen when scriptures are rightly and contextually interpreted in Christ . The truth is in Christ . There are no contradictions in the Bible. Many times we have contradictions because we refuse to read the entire context of the scriptures. The Bible is a book set apart to show us Christ. We must learn to read the Bible and get the meaning from the Bible. We do not read our meaning into the Bible. It is a book older than everyone on earth now. We cannot afford to innovate into the scriptures. So far in this series, we have seen so many verses that unsettle the believer of his assurance in Christ. Let’s examine the context of one of such verses that is often misquoted to make the believer unassured of salvation.
Matthew 7: 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Jesus made this statement according to the account of Matthew. Before we examine the context, it is good we examine the statement first. Notice it didn’t say DEPART FROM ME FOR I ONCE KNEW YOU BUT STOPPED KNOWING YOU. It says I NEVER KNEW YOU. The word never (Greek word oudepote) means not even at any time, that is, never at all: – neither at any time, never, not at any time. This means that Jesus never, not even at any time knew or had acquaintance with the person. It is not like Jesus used to know Him and stopped knowing Him. It is not that THE PERSON BACKSLIDED after knowing Jesus as some persons imply from this verse. It says I never ever knew you. The question should be who are those He never knew? Can this be said to a believer who Jesus lives in through His Spirit. Can God say to the man in Christ, I never KNEW YOU? Let’s look at the context of this verse and other verses to answer this question.
Matthew 7
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 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.
22 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?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Jesus started the discussion by warning against false prophet. A false prophet is the one who, acting the part of a divinely inspired prophet, utters falsehoods under the name of divine prophecies. A false prophet is a spurious prophet, that is, pretended foreteller or religious impostor. We have many of them on earth today. They are not even born again. They claim to do things like prophesying in the name of Jesus. Many of them are fetish and demonized. Jesus went further to say that you will know these false prophets by their fruits. It is by what comes out of them you will know if they are of Jesus .
Note verse 21 said not everyone that says Lord Jesus will enter into His kingdom, but they that do the will of God. The will of God is primarily in salvation. 1 Timothy 2: 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. He WILL have all men to be saved. So doing the will of God will have to be first and foremost accepting Christ which is God’s eternal plan. We know it is also the will of God not to be involved in sin. But before sin came into the world, God had a plan/intention. What was His plan ? It was for man to have eternal life in Christ. Titus 1: 2 … eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.
Therefore , whenever you hear the will of God, don’t always think of sin which came as result of man’s choice to refuse life. Romans 5:12-19.
Now let’s look at verse 22 of Matthew 7.
22 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?
Notice MANY WILL SAY…. That they said it doesn’t mean they did it in the name of Jesus. Observation is key in Bible study and interpretation. Jesus DID NOT SAY, THEY PROPHESIED IN MY NAME AND I TOLD THEM I NEVER KNEW YOU. This is what people get many times when they read this verse. The false prophets according to the context only claim to profess the name of Jesus but they never ever got saved. This verse is not in any way downplaying casting out devils or doing wonderful works in the name of Jesus. Never use this verse as an excuse for powerless lifestyle as a believer. The same Jesus said in
Mark 16
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
So it is expected of you to heal the sick, cast out devils and speak in tongues in the name (authority, character and accomplishment of Jesus). Remember there are no contradictions in the Bible. The entire book speaks of salvation through faith in Christ ( 3 Timothy 3:26). So we must be very careful and diligent to read the Bible and take the meaning given to us instead of interpreting our meanings into the Bible .
Now let’s look at verse 23. Jesus response to those that profess to know him .
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
His response is I never knew you. You work, exercise yourself in, trade with iniquity. Working here has to do with what you do or produce for gain of pleasure. This is not in any way talking to the man in Christ who commits sin. Jesus further illustrates His saying by likening doing the word to building on the rock in verses 25-27. It is the believer that is built to last. He receives the eternal word at salvation and got eternal life. He also continually do the word in His conduct because it is his nature .
Can God say to the man He lives in , I never knew you? How? You are the temple of God. You are His body the dwelling place of His Spirit.
Romans 8
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
What made you His own is because of His Spirit. You are born , begotten of that Spirit. Relax, there is no way He cannot know you. The prophet foreseeing the man in Christ said , He calls you by name . (Isaiah 45:4). Let’s see what the epistles (the interpretation of the scriptures: Genesis to Malachi ) says about God knowing us or not knowing us in Christ.
1 Corinthians 13
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Notice the emphasis of Paul that He is known of God. God certainly knows us.
Galatians 4
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Notice Paul corrected himself for emphasis that you are known of God. Hence you should not be subject to beggarly elements which is the law in that context . So we are known of God. Glory to Jesus. He cannot ever tell us on the last day, I NEVER KNEW YOU.
So far we have seen that Matthew 7 :23 is not in any way against the assurance of salvation for the man in Christ. It is talking about the unsaved who has something to do with the name of Jesus such as the false prophets. God in His goodness answers to all without finding fault.( James 1: 5 BLB Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from God, the One giving generously to all and not finding fault, and it will be given to him) An unbeliever who prays will get his answer and still perish in hell.
Context is key in understanding the scriptures. Never find yourself concluding a text without actually reading the text. You have to read to take the meaning from the Bible . So far we have seen that Context is very important in Bible interpretation.
Don’t forget NO CONTRADICTIONS in the Bible. It is a book centered on revealing the truth in Christ. In the subsequent parts of this series, we will look at other seemingly contradictory verses in the Bible
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