I Never Knew You

 

photo by littlesuz on FreeImages

Those of us who are born again often speak of "knowing the Lord." We state that we know the Lord, or, when asked to pray for someone, for example, may ask if the person knows the Lord. This is meant to identify and encourage a saving faith rather than mere knowledge about God, or religious practice such as church attendance or benevolence, which are different and sometimes separate things. Perhaps more bluntly, it's meant to distinguish as best we can (in the end, only God knows the heart) whether someone is in the family of God, because only the new birth in Christ makes us children of God (all are God's creatures, and all are loved by God, but all are not God's children). And there's plenty of scriptural support for speaking of knowing the Lord. "This is eternal life, that they know You," Jesus prayed in John 17. "We know we have come to know Him if we keep His commandments," John wrote in 1 John. "I want to know Christ, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings," Paul wrote in Philippians. These are only three examples.

Still, something struck me recently that is lingering in my mind and heart. Toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about entering the kingdom of heaven. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?' And then I will declare to them publicly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly'" (Matthew 7:22-23 AMP 2015, emphasis mine).

He doesn't say, "You never knew Me." He says, "I never knew you."  

This is perhaps a lot like 1 Corinthians 13, which in Underground-Scribe paraphrase says, "None of your gifts and deeds, no matter how fancy, matter one bit without love." Similarly, nothing of what we do for the Lord, be it as momentous as prophesy, exorcism, or miracles, will count for eternity if He doesn't know us. Perhaps, since He is the Bridegroom and we are the bride, it's more significant for Him to know us, not unlike Adam knowing Eve. Plus, when people say they know the Lord, they may mean they know of Him, or know what they want Him to be and have knowingly or unknowingly made Him in their image. They may mean they try to "follow His teachings" and stop there; many who admire Jesus will not grapple with the cross. Considering all this, it seems much steadier and more secure to emphasize Him knowing us. A surer relationship. 

Maybe some or all of this is why Paul wrote as he did in 1 Corinthians 8:3--"But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience, and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved]." In Galatians 4:9, Paul seems almost to correct himself: "Now, however, since you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God..." 

To know God is absolutely desirable and necessary, as shown by the above and other scriptures. But to be known by God--there's a next-level power, humility, and rock-solidness in that. 

My prayer is to love God with awe-filled reverence, obedience, and gratitude, so that I am known by Him, so that I will never hear spoken to me some of the most chilling words in the entire Bible: "Depart from me; I never knew you."