Sunday, January 29, 2006
Just Reward
Matt. 7:
V23. "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
I never knew you are the final words of the Judge to the charlatan religionists who utter the ultimate blasphemy of “Lord, Lord” before men while seeking to steal the glory from the one true Lord. These words are the final communion declaring the most horrible verdict of an eternal destiny of destruction without any hope of rest or hope of any hope. The most difficult part of all is the knowledge that the punishment is just and you are fully informed that you worked hard to gain this just reward. Your life was totally consumed with your own self interest and no room was available to dedicate to being obedient to His word while on the late planet earth. You now have a new home totally devoid of comfort. Now your mind will spend eternity remembering the way things should have been.
In the most literal form, this statement made by the just Judge saying, “I never knew you,” and pronouncing this kind of punishment would not be just. Obviously you would have to be known to receive this sort of judgment. The just Judge is omniscient; He knows all so we must see that there is more to the word “knew” than what our normal English would allow. Simply on the surface it is oxymoronic for omniscience to lack knowledge. To comprehend the concept of “I never knew you,” we look to the first book in the Bible and see the kind of “knowing” relation that Adam had for Eve in the most intimate setting. Gen. 4:1a. Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. (AV)
To know Jesus is to have a lot more than a “Lord, Lord” lip service relationship. Many warming the church pews today will be right at home with the charlatan preachers and axe murderers alike because there is no “knowing” Him honestly as Lord. Let’s face it; it is not natural to want for anything but that which pleases our self. And, this is the key; Christianity is supernatural.
V23. "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
I never knew you are the final words of the Judge to the charlatan religionists who utter the ultimate blasphemy of “Lord, Lord” before men while seeking to steal the glory from the one true Lord. These words are the final communion declaring the most horrible verdict of an eternal destiny of destruction without any hope of rest or hope of any hope. The most difficult part of all is the knowledge that the punishment is just and you are fully informed that you worked hard to gain this just reward. Your life was totally consumed with your own self interest and no room was available to dedicate to being obedient to His word while on the late planet earth. You now have a new home totally devoid of comfort. Now your mind will spend eternity remembering the way things should have been.
In the most literal form, this statement made by the just Judge saying, “I never knew you,” and pronouncing this kind of punishment would not be just. Obviously you would have to be known to receive this sort of judgment. The just Judge is omniscient; He knows all so we must see that there is more to the word “knew” than what our normal English would allow. Simply on the surface it is oxymoronic for omniscience to lack knowledge. To comprehend the concept of “I never knew you,” we look to the first book in the Bible and see the kind of “knowing” relation that Adam had for Eve in the most intimate setting. Gen. 4:1a. Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. (AV)
To know Jesus is to have a lot more than a “Lord, Lord” lip service relationship. Many warming the church pews today will be right at home with the charlatan preachers and axe murderers alike because there is no “knowing” Him honestly as Lord. Let’s face it; it is not natural to want for anything but that which pleases our self. And, this is the key; Christianity is supernatural.
# posted by Castusfumus : 5:17 PM
