Matthew 7:21

“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.”

Probably one of the most terrifying verses in all the Bible, especially when it is put with its context. The people saying it are people who have prophesied in Jesus’ name and have cast out devils in Jesus name. I get the feeling that those who hear the condemnation “I never knew you” will be shocked.

Really this verse solidifies what I hear when I witness out on the street. Many times people will tell me that they’re all set, but when I dig a little deeper even many who profess to be born-again haven’t the first clue who God is. The Jesus they claim they know is OK with their language, their sexuality, and their lies.

The only person who is in worse shape than a lost man who knows he’s lost, is a lost man who thinks he’s saved. False assurance is a dangerous notion, and so Paul exhorts us to put our own selves on trial. We need to hold our lives up against the word of God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal our shortcomings.

I do not believe any born-again believer can lose their salvation, but I do believe that there are many people who claim to be born-again who will be numbered among thoses that hear those dreadful words “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

2Cr 13:5 - Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?