Hungry For More Than Rhetoric

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Wait. There is a world of articles, books, and information out there when it comes to Christianity, but we are mostly stuck with rhetoric and double talk when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, our new identity as believers, and the security and finality of the work of Christ. Are you getting everything you need spiritually from your church? Or do you find yourself feeling hungry for more? Join Lenny as he unpacks what Scripture really taught about our Lord Jesus Christ in context and why this matters to you. Wake up, wake up, wake up to grace.

Be Perfect And Why It Matters

Jesus As The Promised Prophet

What Is The Work God Requires

Reading Hard Texts In Context

False Prophets And Their Fruits

Who Hears “I Never Knew You”

Lordship Doctrine Examined

Faithless Works Versus Saving Faith

Known By God And True Faith

Casting Out Demons And Deception

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Matthew seven twenty one, Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye workers of lawlessness. Jesus' words in this passage are chilling. What Christian could truly rest easy, knowing they might face their creator and hear, I never knew you. Is it possible that all your works won't be good enough? If obedience is the requirement, how much is enough? Seventy percent, eighty percent, ninety five percent? It couldn't be one hundred percent. No one accomplishes that. So what level of obedience grants entry to the kingdom according to the Bible? You might be surprised, Jesus set an even higher standard. Even the most religious person may be shocked upon understanding what Jesus requires for entering heaven. In Matthew five forty eight, Jesus says, You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. You must be perfect, Jesus taught those practicing the law of Moses. Did you catch that? Jesus said this to people given the law of Moses. Leaders led these Jews to trust not in Yahweh, but in hypocritical law keeping. Most forgot that obeying the law only proved they had sinned. They relied on the Lord's forgiveness through sacrifice. Continuing this line of thought, Jesus didn't require perfect law keeping. He said they must be perfect. Jesus taught the law but with authority beyond ordinary teachers, as shown in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew seven twenty eight we read, and when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, not as their scribes. If Jesus sets perfection as the standard, who can meet it? This is a central question Jesus intends his audience to consider. In Second Corinthians twenty one, Paul writes For our sake he made him to be no sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Then Hebrews five seven we read In the days of his flesh Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered, and being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Jesus called his audience to perfection, and then became perfection for all who obey him. His law teaching was leading the faithful directly to him. Jesus was the prophet that Moses declared would come when he gave the law to Israel. In Deuteronomy eighteen eighteen, it is written, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. So given all this, what work does Jesus require for obedience? In John six twenty eight, we read, then they said to him, What must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent. Circling back, Jesus fulfilled the law Matthew five seventeen because sin prevented obedience. Challenging passages need context. If Jesus offers an impossible standard, as with be perfect, what was his intention? And who is he addressing? We have the same audience when Jesus taught be perfect and I never knew you. Specifically, Jesus addressed a first century Jewish audience. People who awaited the promised Messiah and practiced the law of Moses at the Jerusalem temple. Over the years, Israel lost its former standing as a powerful nation. The people wanted to restore it. Their leaders relied on their own achievements instead of faith in God. The Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their power and status. Temple practices tied them to that power. They rejected Jesus and his teachings. As we know, Jesus was the prophet who would come and speak in the name of Yahweh. The Lord did not suggest that they listen to Jesus. He required it. If Jesus was a true prophet, then who would be the false prophets of their day? It would be those who spoke against Jesus and rejected his teaching. These were the people Jesus spoke about right before our Matthew seven twenty one passages. In Matthew seven fifteen through twenty we read Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Earlier I talked about this passage in message number thirty, and you may be interested in learning more about the branches that get thrown into the fire and burned in Message 66. Considering the full context of Jesus' teaching, we see that when he said I never knew you, he was referring to those who rejected him as Lord and Savior. This point becomes clearer when we read his teaching as a whole. Sadly, our teachers and leaders today may set us up for failure by cherry picking verses out of context and speaking persuasively for an hour, often teaching us nothing. This brings us to an important method. The best commentary on your Bible is your Bible. If the Bible doesn't have the answer to your question, then there's no answer to your question. But are we completely out of the woods here? Can we say with certainty that Jesus did not speak about those who rejected him when he proclaims I never knew you? It may be just that simple, but I'm not sure we've answered all the questions we might have about this passage. So let's go through it again in more detail. In Matthew 7 21, Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name? And cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Let's start with not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. We can safely assume that Jesus spoke here to Jewish people who worshipped Yahweh through the law of Moses. The key takeaway is that Jesus' audience worshipped Yahweh. Whether they did it in hypocrisy or not, they proclaimed to be the people of God. This would also qualify them as the people who would receive the promised Messiah. When Jesus began his ministry, the Jewish people were eagerly awaiting their salvation from Yahweh. The only problem is that they didn't believe that Jesus was their Savior. And they definitely did not believe that he was God. In Matthew chapters five through seven, we find that Jesus spoke to his disciples as a crowd gathered around. So what was the central message that Jesus was sending when he told those who proclaim Yahweh as God, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is proclaiming himself to be Lord, isn't he? As Christians, we read this passage knowing that Jesus was Lord. But this concept was not familiar to his audience, especially not those who rejected his teaching. What Jesus is warning them is that when they stand before Yahweh in judgment they will find Jesus before them. Jesus tells those who were unaware that he's their Lord, and that not all of them will receive salvation. Can you see why context matters? Jesus wasn't actually speaking to Christians in this passage. Christianity had not yet begun. The immediate audience for his words was the Jewish people of his time. When we interpret this message as if it were directed at Christians today, we risk misunderstanding Jesus' intent and becoming needlessly anxious over the possibility that he might say, I never knew you. The statement in Matthew 7.21 is consistent with other teachings directed to the same audience, such as John 14 6. Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. With that in mind, after letting them know that not all will enter the kingdom of heaven, he adds, Not everyone but the one who does the will of my Father. So following from this, the next thing we would need to know is how we do the will of the Father. What did Jesus teach was the work of God? In John 6 28 we read, Then they said to him, What must we do to be doing the works of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him who he has sent. This may sound simple, but when we look at salvation from Yahweh, we see it fulfills the prophecy that we read earlier from Moses in Deuteronomy. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever shall not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. Fun fact, Jesus is more of a nickname that has come to the surface over the years. Our Lord's Hebrew name, Yeshua, has great meaning. Did you know that during his life on earth Jesus carried the name Yeshua? Which in Hebrew means salvation from Yahweh. Could it have been any clearer? And yet so many still missed it. After proclaiming his Lordship in Matthew 7, Jesus then shifts to the day of judgment, saying, On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. In order to finalize our thoughts on this passage and know what we are to believe, we must be able to be certain of who Jesus refers to in this statement, I never knew you. The difficulty in this passage lies in the idea that those who call Christ Lord will not be saved. This passage causes many to backpedal on the gospel. In order to reconcile Matthew 7.22 with John 6.28, the doctrine called Lordship was created. This teaching tells its adherents that those whom Jesus didn't know were Christians who thought they believed but really didn't. Suddenly a man-made standard emerges for what belief means, and ironically, it's proven by our works. From my vantage point, the Lordship doctrine would make a person far more likely to be that person that Jesus never knew. This passage describes people doing work in the name of the Lord. Yet the Lord did not know them. Those being described by Jesus here are proving themselves by their works. They're coming before the Lord, not thanking him for salvation, but rather attempting to prove themselves to the Lord by their works. This sounds exactly like Lordship doctrine to me. Am I missing something? Despite the shining example that lordship doctrine leaves us in its unfaithful approach to the gospel, this passage has nothing to do with them either. Going back to the context, what people were being spoken to by the Lord here and who was working hard to get to heaven? We already established that most of the first century Jews followed faithless worship based on personal achievement, encouraged by greedy and corrupt leaders. This passage does not address Christians, but rather warns about the Christ rejecting Jews who denied their own Messiah in favor of a law-based righteousness that could not give life. In John 539, Jesus tells them, You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me. So to sum it up, those who come to Jesus and say Lord, Lord, are those who faithlessly worship Yahweh. Jesus warns people that when they stand before Yahweh on judgment day they will stand before Him. Christ Yeshua was Yahweh's salvation. In John eight, fifty one, Jesus says, Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death. The Jews said to him, Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, If anyone keeps my words, he will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham who died? And the prophets died? Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me, of whom you say he is our God. But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. It's important to realize what it means to be known by God. When Jesus says I never knew you, he does not mean that he was unaware of their existence. Instead he means they lacked an intimate relationship with Yahweh. If they had that relationship, they would have received their Messiah by faith and with great joy. They had no faith in Yahweh. Instead they placed their trust in their own works. This is why they didn't need Yahweh's salvation. The first century Jewish leaders didn't see themselves as sinners in need of salvation. Their version of salvation was having more political power. They wanted to be great like King David. Jesus offered a right standing with God. They only wanted a right standing in the world. They despised Yahweh's salvation, to their own destruction. But one nagging question still remains in all that we've discussed. How could the faithless do mighty works and cast out demons if the Lord would say I never knew you? For insight into this, we look to Matthew twelve twenty two. Then a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. All the people were amazed and said, Can this be the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, Is only by Belzebal, the prince of demons that this man casts out demons. Knowing their thoughts he said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he's divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Belzebal, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. This passage makes it clear that Jesus was not the only one casting out demons at this time. We also glean from Jesus' words that casting out demons by the Spirit of God signaled that the kingdom had come upon them. In the full context of this correspondence, Belzebel refers to Satan, the prince of the demons. In so many words, Jesus tells the Pharisees that they themselves cast out demons in the name of Satan, yet they likely proclaim that they did so by the power of their God Yahweh. If you aren't sure that Jesus would make such claims against the Pharisees, it may help to see it even clearer. You are doing the works your father did. They said to him, We were not born of sexual immorality, we have one father, even God. Jesus said to them, If God were your father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you can't bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Well, I think Jesus said it all here, and I'd say this sums up the argument well. Who would hear Jesus say, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness? It was the false prophets who rejected Christ. It was those casting out demons and doing great works in the name of Satan. Specifically, these were the Christ rejecting Jews, the holy people of God, who wanted a better Messiah than the one their Lord sent to them. We could have saved a lot of despair by understanding our identity in Christ from the start. No one washed by the blood of Jesus will be told, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Bad doctrine causes us to need so many words to explain the truth. For that, I suppose we're blessed. There will always be something to say about the truth. That's what I got for this week, guys. I look forward to talking to you next time. Grace and peace. The content of this message can be found on my blog post at wakinguptograce.com. My writings include linked references and visual aids, which will give even more valuable insight, and it's always free of charge. The comment section below each message is a place where we can share mutual encouragement and insight with one another outside of the social media deck. My blog post is always the top of it. LinkedRight is a question.