Depart from Me

 

“I never knew you; depart from me” are words of utmost dread spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. We’ll delve into the significance of this declaration, its intended recipients, and the specific moment in which it will be stated.

The wider context for these words is found in Matthew 7:21–23: “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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.“

The Penalty of Sin

Let’s start with the words “on that day.” It’s not what Christians refer to as the Lord’s Day, meaning the first day of the week (Sunday). “That day”, in the context of this verse, is actually the Day of the Lord. This term is used throughout Scripture and, in many cases, refers to The Day of Judgment. Specifically, it means the final judgment of the human race at the end of the world. Revelation 20:11 refers to it this way: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them.“

You might ask, Who exactly is sitting on the throne and conducting the judgment? The Lord answers the question in John 5:21–24: “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”

Depart From Me and Apostolic Teaching

 So, the judge on the white throne will be the Lord Jesus. However, the verse mentions a group that will not come under this judgment. These people “…have passed out of death into life. The Lord explained this in John 3:16–18: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.“

Those absent at the Great White Throne of judgment are those who have been saved before their death by trusting in Jesus that He paid the FULL penalty for their sin. In fact, those who appear at the White Throne for judgment have already been judged to go to Hell. The White Throne judgment is actually the sentencing phase of the judgment.

The Gospel Message

The people who are told to depart from the Lord Jesus because He never knew them are in a specific group apart from everyone else that will go to Hell. This group is made up of people who think they have earned a place in heaven based on their own meritorious good works. This is clear from the subject verse where we read, “Many will say … ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?“

Every religion in the world is based, to one degree or another, on winning God’s favor through self-righteous behavior or works during our lifetime.  Notice the words used in the subject verse: “Lord, Lord, did we not…”  “Did we not” is related to doing something. Specifically, “works.” Some think salvation is earned by “doing.” Yet, when we read the Lord’s words about how to be saved, we do not find “work” even mentioned. Instead, we read these words: “So that everyone who believes in Him [Jesus] will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The words “will not perish” mean not going to hell, and “eternal life” is synonymous with going to heaven. We don’t read, “Everyone who does good works.” Going to heaven is contingent on the words “so that everyone who believes.”

Saved by Works or Grace?

Nowhere in all of Scripture do we read that someone must do good works to enter heaven. It’s believing, not doing, that opens the door to heaven. No verse in Scripture drives this point home more than Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8–9. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

You don’t have to be a theologian or a Bible scholar to understand this fundamental truth of the Bible:

• The HOW is by Grace – God extending His kindness without merit
• The WAY is through Faith – choosing to believe based on the declaration of God’s truth: “God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?“ (Numbers 23:19)
• The WHAT is a Gift – Salvation cannot be earned, it’s a free gift. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

It’s very instructive that the Lord said, “I never knew you.”  Of course, the Lord knows who everyone is; He created everyone. However, there’s a huge difference between “knowing about someone” and “knowing someone.” The Lord made this clear in John 10:14.“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me.”

When the Lord said, “I never knew you; depart from me,”  He was speaking relationally. In other words, “We have no relationship; depart from me..”

Depart from me

A clearer rendering of John 3:16 would be, “Everyone who believes [trusts] in me.” The Greek word for “believes” is “pisteuo.” This is translated to “have faith in a person or thing,”  “to commit to”, and “to trust in.” If you witness 50 people bungee jumping safely from a 100-foot-high bridge, you will believe that bungee jumping is safe. However, it’s altogether different for you to bungee jump from the bridge. You would have to have more than belief; you would have to have trust.

Belief only requires some evidence, trust requires faith. The Lord Jesus requires more than believing that He can save you. He wants you to trust that He did indeed save you from hell. Peter said, “He bore our sins in His body on the cross.” (1 Peter 2:24).  He paid the penalty for our sins. Those who trust that Jesus paid the penalty for their sins will never hear, “I never knew you; depart from me.”

Embracing the truth of how the Lord saves us is the foundation on which our relationship rests. It’s fundamental to knowing Him rather than just knowing about Him. Are you trusting in the redemptive work of the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross? Relying on your own righteousness and meritorious deeds for salvation will not achieve salvation?

The apostle Paul put it best in 2 Timothy 1:12. “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  Paul knew his salvation was secure because he knew the Lord personally.

Paul will never hear these words from the Lord: “I never knew you; depart from me.” Will you?

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