DEPART FROM ME – I NEVER KNEW YOU – THE FINALITY OF IT
In recent times I have been revisiting some of my poems to write introductions for them and one I came across was looking at what the Lord said from this verse - {{Matthew 7:23 Then I will declare to them, “I NEVER KNEW YOU. DEPART FROM ME, you who practise lawlessness”}}. Later on we read this – {{Matthew 25:41 Then He will also say to those on His left, “DEPART FROM ME, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels”}} and the reason for that was the shameful treatment of God’s own children.
The setting for that is the Second Coming after the Tribulation, and those told to depart will be the ones who despised and persecuted the Jews. That is not my theme for today.
This is an area we don’t usually consider because it is almost too serious; it is not pleasant to speak of those God sends to the eternal fire. It is like going to a Court hearing, something we’d rather avoid. The verses look at accountability and judgement and eternity.
There is nothing more tragic than thinking you are correct only to find you have been entirely wrong. That is the situation we have here and the overwhelming realisation that we have been wrong, descends like a sledge hammer. There are ministers who will not challenge people’s lives with these eternal issues. “Not to cause offence,” some would say. “Not to rock the boat,” others say, and some secretly thinking, “I don’t want to lose my paid position.”
[1]. I NEVER KNEW YOU – THE SETTING
How awful those words will be for those who hear them. The setting for the Matthew 7:23 verse will be those who believe they have done the right things and followed God. This is what they say – {{Matthew 7:22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, DID WE NOT prophesy in Your name, AND IN YOUR NAME cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?”}}. This opens up a critical area for acceptance with God. It will not be on the basis of performed works or activity, but as we would learn later on in the Gospels, the basis is RELATIONSHIP.
The setting for Matthew 25:41 is the judgement at the Second Coming when the sheep and goats face the Messiah. How they treated the Jewish saints in the Tribulation described in Matthew 24 will determine the outcome of all this. These times are solemn and will be full of regret.
Those who keep up to date with current affairs and signs of the times, which we ought to do, know that the Middle East is a tinderbox at present. In my nation, the ruling Federal Government sides with the Palestinians (some with Hamas) and hates Israel. There is a hatred for Israel in the Government. I have written to a number of the Ministers in Government explaining the Genesis verse to them – {{Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you AND THE ONE WHO CURSES YOU I WILL CURSE. In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,”}}. I have told them the curse of God rests on them, but it makes no difference to them. These will be among those who will hear from the lips of the Lord, “I never knew you. Depart from Me.”
[2]. LOOKING AT THE IMPLICATIONS
Having done the settings, I want to look at a couple of applications that arise. Many funeral and memorial services give false hope to the sorrowing ones. The celebrant says, “They are at rest now,” or, “They are with their maker,” even though some had no time for the Christian gospel. “They are watching down on us,” is another one. “They are free from sorrow,” is said if the person was suffering from pain and illness. The serious problem is that they have gone to another sorrow.
A church minister conducting a funeral service for one he knows was not a Christian can not/must not, give false hope to the grieving ones. It would be out of place, even wrong, and considered distasteful for the minister to say, “I am sorry to say, on the basis of the bible, that person is in hell.” In my opinion the focus is on that person’s life and interests and achievements, AND a splendid opportunity to explain the gospel to the gathered ones in a delicate way. We are reminded of Paul here – {{1 Corinthians 9:16 “If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of for I AM UNDER COMPULSION, FOR WOE IS ME IF I DO NOT PREACH THE GOSPEL.”}}
On the other hand, the reverse is most promising. That is to know you are truly “in the Lord” as one of His redeemed ones and when you depart this scene, then the great promise applies – to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-9. Jesus made it clear there are only two ways, found in this verse - Matthew 12:30. Two ways are two outcomes, two destinies, but only one is a glorious hope.
Some think they can live any life (evil, or good by man’s standard) without having the life from God, and in the end they believe God accepts everyone. That is the devil’s delusion and the gospel must be preached and maintained so its message is not contaminated. The gospel is very selective in fact, a reason there is opposition to it from every quarter. {{Acts 4:12 “and there is salvation in no one else, for THERE IS NO OTHER NAME under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”}}.
Christianity is the most hated and persecuted “religion” in the world, and it is because of the Gospel’s message. Put your finger on sin and people hate you.
[3]. DOES GOD TAKE DELIGHT IN SENDING PEOPLE TO HELL?
“I never knew you.” “Depart from Me,” are two stern statements that ought to make us cringe if our lives are careless towards God. There was a rich, young ruler who came to God to know more about eternal life. He seemed to have “a perfect life” but instantly the Lord put His finger on the pivotal matter – {{Mark 10:17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”}}, and Jesus spoke to him about priorities in his life, but he was not prepared to take up his cross and follow the Lord. The story ends with this – {{Mark 10:22 “but at these words his face fell and HE WENT AWAY GRIEVED, for he was one who owned much property.”}}
There we have one who departed by himself for he was not prepared to go God’s way. Later on that man will hear, “Depart from Me,” from the Lord he walked away from. There is a way that seems right to a man but end of all that is death. {{Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”}}. That is why salvation is outside of ourselves, and why Jesus had to say HE IS THE WAY. John 14:6.
Man is on a path of destruction, and without the intervention of God, he continues on that broad way to hell. I asked a question about God’s delight in a person’s loss. Here is the answer – {{2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, NOT WISHING FOR ANY TO PERISH BUT FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE”}}
This is confirmed by the prophet’s words in referencing Israel, but the principle in this case, in the following verse, is universal – {{Ezekiel 18:31-32 “CAST AWAY FROM YOU ALL YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit for why will you die, O house of Israel? for I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF ANYONE WHO DIES,” declares the Lord GOD. “THEREFORE, REPENT AND LIVE.”}}
There we have the secret – REPENT AND LIVE! That is the hard part. The Holy Spirit may convict a person; show him/her the correct way, but there is resistance and refusal, and ultimate departure. You see in every case man is departing from God. We are born on the road of departure and continue on that road unless there is repentance. We will never know God without repentance. There is a saying, “God send no one to hell . . . for that is where they are already heading.”
Why do you think Jesus came to die a death of separation and pay the huge penalty for sin? {{John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I CAME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE, and might have it abundantly.”}}
God takes no delight in the death of anyone and when His actions result in a person’s departure because “I never knew you,” then the responsibility has fallen on men and women but the key to that is repentance. However, God’s actions are commensurate with judgement. Look at these verses – {{Revelation 16:5-6 I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who is and who was, O Holy One, because You judged these things, for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. THEY DESERVE IT.”}}
That is one of the bowl judgements in the Tribulation (Revelation 16:4) for the world kills the Tribulation saints. These world murderers deserve what they get because the holiness of God demands it, but the underlying fact is that God is not willing for anyone to perish. Man makes his own choice in deliberate rebellion against God and his actions must reap the consequences.
[4]. JUDAS ISCARIOT AND HELL
What a sorry state it is when a man or woman deliberately decides to depart from God. “Depart from me, God. I don’t want to know You.” I believe this can only be done under demonic influence.
Take the notable case of “the son of perdition”, that is Judas Iscariot. John 17:12. It was at the Passover meal that he made his move and departed to negotiate his wages of betrayal. It is important to realise that the betrayer was not at the institution of the Lord’s Supper. When you deliberately decide to walk away from God you will never come back. I am not speaking of backsliding here. There is a big difference. I speak of deliberate rejection.
Judas is in hell but one day hell will give up its dead at the great white throne – {{Revelation 20:13-14 “The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds, and death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”}}. Then the dire words will be spoken “I never knew you. Depart from Me.” It may not literally be those words but the effect is there.
How terrible a lost spiritual reality is. All those who departed from God, and did it deliberately. Whom do you think is the worst person who is in hell right now? Maybe we could ask, “Whom do you think is the most evil person in hell?” Judas? Well I can’t answer that but I place right up high on the list Adolf Hitler who murdered 6 million Jews, and Mao Zedong who was responsible for the death of about 80 million Chinese people.
[5]. THE MOTIVATION OF GOD AGAINST DEPARTURE AND BANISHMENT TO HELL
I know these subjects are difficult to hear for an unsaved person and people shy away from them but the bible addresses these issues very plainly. They are important.
Here are a few biblical truths about God’s interest and care for His wayward creation. One clearest statement of life and death is this verse – {{Isaiah 53:6 “ALL of us like sheep have gone astray. EACH of us has turned to his own way but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”}} (NASB). The AV – “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Man = departure. God = action and remedy.
Let us just look at a few words of deepest impact in God’s dealings with people (God’s motivation):-
(1). LOVE. A fundamental word. The God who created the universe is a God of love. We all know John 3:16 and a lot of other verses about love. There is one gem of a verse that needs more of our meditation – {{1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”}}. I like the AV rendering, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
(2). GRACE. That which is undeserved. Grace caused to Lord to come from heaven to raise us up in our poverty. 2 Corinthians 8:9. It was one of Paul’s key words along with peace.
(3). MERCY. Kindness and sympathy. Mercy is an often-used word in the scriptures. It was active in our salvation and continues to undergird our Christian lives. God is merciful to any plea for forgiveness. Hebrews 2:17.
(4). COMPASSION. The heart of God poured out. Compassion and mercy are closely linked. There is one Old Testament passage that is just so towering and here it is – {{Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, AND ABOUNDING IN LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH, who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”}}
A similar verse is found here - Numbers 14:18; and Nehemiah had to remind God of His word - Nehemiah 9:17.
This is the way I see it, but I think it is much sorrow to God to send someone away in departure to say to that one, “I never knew you.” Sin is not permitted in the presence of God or in heaven so consequentially, the one not covered by the blood of Christ must be excluded. It is not permitted by the holiness of God.
[6]. IN CLOSING THIS SUBJECT . . .
There is such a contrast here: On one hand, “DEPART” and on the other, “COME”. {{Matthew 11:28 “COME TO ME all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.”}}. The invitation for help and comfort and acceptance is open to all who COME, but the road that leads to life is narrow and not many come.
I would like to address churchgoers. Maybe all your lives you have been in a church of some denomination and think that gives you good standing before God. You have tried to live by principles and the golden rule. You have complied with the ritual and routine of your church, but is that enough?
When we revisit the opening verses of this message we see those who thought they were all doing well and that God would accept them, but they heard the dreaded, “I never knew you.”
Salvation does not come from being faithful to a church or in attendance or in keeping rituals and rules. It comes from what Jesus called “being born again” which is a repentance of sins and asking Jesus Christ to be your own personal Saviour. To know Him is to have Him in your life as your Lord and Saviour.
Please do not delay that day of decision but come to the Lord Jesus Christ, confess your sins, repent and give your life unreservedly to the Lord. {{John 3:16 “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM should not perish, but have eternal life.”}}
What do you want to hear for eternity – “Well done good and faithful servant,” or “Depart from Me for I never knew you?”
