I Never Knew You

In our lifetime, we will hear words we do not want to hear such as, you're fired, I don't love you or it's not you, it's me. Well, some of us might have heard those phrases and maybe not. But there are some words, as Christians, we should never want to hear and those are the words of Jesus when He says,

'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’  MT 7:23

 To stand before Jesus on judgement day and hear those words will be terrifying. I can't imagine what that would be like after a lifetime of thinking I was doing the right things and the right works only to find that I had missed one important thing. I had missed the most important thing when it comes to Jesus and that is knowing Him as my Lord and Savior. To stand there and realize I had never been saved, I had never accepted Him into my life and asked Him to forgive me and now I am looking at an eternity of suffering.

No, I can't imagine that and I don't want to; it's terrifying to even consider hearing those words. As a younger Christian, young in my Christian life, I would always question my salvation and its security. But as I grew spiritually in the Lord, I began to know and understand what the true meaning of salvation really is. God's word is full of promises and statements which tell us when we are saved, we are saved for eternity. I'm talking about a true, sincere faith and relationship with Jesus. Too many people want to throw around phrases and sayings which can hinder newer Christians in their faith and walk with God.

I'm sure we have all heard them, "A said faith" or "Once saved, always saved" are just a couple which some will use to carry a message of doubt or make one think about the security of their salvation. A said faith, in a true sense of the phrase, is a person who believes they are saved but has not ever really accepted Jesus as their Savior. Once saved, always saved is an irritating phrase to me because it actually states the truth concerning true salvation. But it is used as a derogatory phrase to imply that a person can be saved and live any way they want. If that's the case, then I have to question the person's position or place in Christ.

Now, there are many who have taken that position. They truly believe they are saved but have never invited Jesus into their life. Why not? Well, there are many reasons for that. A person might have never heard the true gospel message and never knew what is required for true salvation. It's possible this individual attended a local church which never mentioned the gospel or how to have an eternal relationship with Jesus. You might find that hard to believe but there are many churches who never mention the name of Jesus let alone provide the gospel message.

Many of the old Mainline Churches are so liberal in their message, a person could attend for years and never hear the gospel. Many of those churches have invited the Gay agenda into their fellowships  and have adopted the idea it is OK for Gays to be in ministry or to perform Gay weddings. These same churches have preached twisted messages concerning Jesus, His work and His words. I have attached the following article from a publication which I use only to show what is going on in some of these churches.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/29/karen-oliveto-gay-lesbian-methodist-bishop

I'm not writing this to shine a spot light on the Gay agenda but only to use that information as a example of what is going on in these organizations, which some still refer to as a part of the Church. I use them as an example of how a person can be in attendance there for years and never hear the true gospel and therefore never be saved. The agenda is not serving Jesus but some other worldly platforms.

There are also other situations a person can find themselves in which could prevent them from ever hearing the true gospel. There are many churches which subscribe to an experiential type message and atmosphere. It's not about what Jesus might be doing in a persons life or how the Holy Spirit may want to work in that person but it is what that person experiences. This can sometimes be explained as hype or spiritual hype. It's like a Wal Mart pep rally before the shift starts (if you've ever heard one of those). It's like attending a 'you can be a better person' seminar or any kind of rally type atmosphere.

It's the use of the right words expressed in the right way; it begins to play on a person's emotions and feelings and that's not how Jesus works. We cannot depend on our emotions and feelings to steer us in the right direction for God. Many of these churches will use the right type of music and songs which will begin to move people in the direction they want them to go. These people are more susceptible to the experiential process of sensing what they believe is God. It's not the Holy Spirit moving in them, as they think, but it is their own senses and emotions which are moving them and these leaders will take advantage of that.

"I had learned how to create the right atmosphere. The type of music also had to be just right. I knew that the right music created the right ambience. Words, as well, I learned, were a key element to enable us to focus on the Person of the Holy Spirit and what was going to happen. Those, for example, who believe I was 'highly anointed' automatically believed that I had a greater ability to 'allow the Holy Spirit to flow' through them."  -Mark Haville, The Signs and Wonders Movement Exposed 

Mark Haville had been heavily involved in this type of ministry before realizing how wrong it was. In this book, he gives some background and detail how he used to conduct these services. People who are trapped in these movements might never have the opportunity to know the true gospel. They may go through life believing that what they feel is the truth.

There are also those who just never get saved. They will spend their life going to church on Sunday and Wednesdays and never accept Jesus as their savior. Why? I don't know other than they never wanted to know Jesus personally and as their savior. There are many people who sit in church services for years and never allow Jesus in. Maybe this person believes that attending church makes them a better person or it ranks them among a certain social status. It could be any number of reasons but one thing is for sure, they didn't ask Jesus to forgive them and start that relationship with Him.

Some attend to make someone else feel good. Maybe it's a husband going with his wife because he knows she really appreciates him being with her on Sunday morning. Maybe he thinks he's setting a good example for his children. But the truth is, we only need to please one and that is Jesus. Going to Church doesn't make anybody a Christian any more than walking into your garage makes you a car.

Whatever the reason is for hearing those terrifying words, it all adds up to the same thing, eternity in hell and eternal suffering. There have been many who have tried to explain away hell but the Bible is true, absolute truth and there is nothing in it which is not true. The Bible refers to hell in many places and in different terms but all having the same meaning. In Rev 20:12, 15 we see this account of the final judgement of those who died without knowing Jesus as their savior,

 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. 

In verse 15, the lake of fire is another reference to hell, a place of eternal torment, where a person will suffer what is known as eternal death. It will be an eternal burning in the flames without the fire consuming the body. There have been many who have written this truth off as a scare tactic by Christians in order to coerce one to be a Christian. There is a problem with that; no person can convince anyone to be a Christian. It is only by God, through the working of His Holy Spirit in our hearts, who can change a person's life and bring the individual to Jesus; thus, being saved and then being a Christian. It's not a sales job or winning an argument, it's divine intervention on behalf of Jesus who saves us from our sin.

For the person who doesn't know Jesus and doesn't have that personal relationship with Him, it is very simple. Just confess to Jesus that you are a sinner and need to be saved from that sin and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life as your Lord and Savior. Salvation in Jesus is for eternity; you can never be cast aside by Jesus, you can never lose or forfeit your salvation and you will have eternal life with Jesus in heaven. And, one more thing. This is not fire insurance or just an escape from hell. This is all based on love; the love Jesus has for us and in turn our love for Him. True salvation is always based on love. Then, you will never hear those dreadful words from Jesus,

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.  On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’  But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’  MT 7:21-23