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I Never Knew You

It's not about familiarity.

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a warning aimed at people who sound like us. Not pagans. Not atheists. Not the "world."

Church people.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…"
—Matthew 7:21

Hear that again: "Lord, Lord."
That's worship language. That's church language. That's "I'm one of Yours" language.

And Jesus says there will be people who speak that way—confidently—right up until the day He answers them:

"I never knew you: depart from me…"
—Matthew 7:23

Jesus explains what He means immediately after this—by contrasting hearing with doing. (See: Jesus' Commands Aren't Optional)

That is not "I don't know who you are."
That is not "We never crossed paths."

That is rejection.

The Detail We Can't Ignore

Some people soften "I never knew you" into something safe:

"They weren't really with Jesus."
"They weren't sincere."
"They were outsiders."

Jesus refuses that comfort.

In Luke 13, He describes people pleading at a closed door—and their argument is not doctrine. It's closeness:

"Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets."
—Luke 13:26

They claim proximity as credentials.
And Jesus answers:

"But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
—Luke 13:27

Either way, their argument is the same: "We were close; we did things with you." He still says no.

So "I know you not" isn't about information.
It's not about having never met.

It's the terror of this: proximity without surrender.

Surrender means Jesus gets a vote in what you do—especially where it costs you.

The Church Version of “We Ate in Thy Presence”

This is why this warning lands on church people. Because we can stack up years of Jesus-adjacent life and call it safety.

"We have eaten and drunk in thy presence" looks like:

All of that can be true—and yet you still treat Jesus as a comforting presence instead of a commanding King.

Nearness is not obedience.
Familiarity is not allegiance.

One Piercing Question

If someone asked you, right now:
What are Jesus' commands?

Could you answer?
Do you know what the King expects you to do, aside from just attending church, giving faithfully, and having devotions?

When you stand at The Final Judgment, you can cite your many wonderful works and proximity to His table, and still hear the verdict: "depart from me, worker of iniquity"

Jesus' Commands Aren't Optional. You will hear only one of two verdicts:

There is no middle ground.

One Exit

Don't answer this warning with vibes. Answer it with repentance.

Open the Sermon on the Mount. Find one command of Jesus you've been excusing. Name it plainly. Drop the excuse. Obey.
Seek the grace to obey it.

Make the apology you keep postponing.
Tell the truth you’ve been managing.

Don't "try." Repent.

Not to earn the Kingdom.
But because the kind of faith that belongs to Christ does not negotiate with disobedience.

Jesus warned you ahead of time because He is merciful.
He is not trying to crush you.

He is trying to keep you from mistaking nearness for belonging.

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