Matthew 7:22–23 is one of the most sobering passages in Scripture because it reveals that religious activity, spiritual gifts, and even miraculous works are not the same as knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus is warning that there will be people who outwardly appear to be successful ministers or believers, yet have never entered into a genuine saving relationship with Him.
Matthew 7:22–23 (ESV)
"On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
"And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
The Context of Matthew 7
Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount by contrasting:
* Two gates (Matthew 7:13–14)
* Two trees (Matthew 7:15–20)
* Two builders (Matthew 7:24–27)
The central question is not merely whether someone is religious, but **whether they truly belong to Christ.
Just before verses 22–23, Jesus says:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father..." (Matthew 7:21)
These individuals even call Him "Lord," acknowledging His authority, yet their profession is not matched by a genuine relationship or obedient faith.
Verse 22: Impressive Spiritual Accomplishments
Notice what these people claim:
"We prophesied in Your name."
"We cast out demons in Your name."
"We did many mighty works in Your name."
These are extraordinary ministries.
Jesus does not immediately deny that these things happened. Instead, He addresses something far deeper: the absence of a relationship with Him.
This teaches an important biblical truth:
God may use a person as an instrument without that person belonging to Him.
Examples include:
* Balaam (Numbers 22–24), who spoke true prophecy yet loved unrighteous gain.
* Judas Iscariot, who was sent out with the other disciples and participated in ministry (Matthew 10:1–8), yet ultimately betrayed Christ.
* King Saul, upon whom the Spirit came for a time (1 Samuel 10:10), but whose heart became hardened.
The Greek of Matthew 7:23
Let's examine the key expressions.
"Οὐδέποτε" (*Oudepote*)
This means:
* never
* at no time
* absolutely never
Jesus is not saying:
"I knew you once."
Nor is He saying:
"I used to have a relationship with you."
He says:
"At no point did I know you."
This is one of the strongest negations in Greek.
"ἔγνων" (*egnōn*)
This is the aorist form of **γινώσκω (ginōskō)**.
While *ginōskō* can simply mean "to know," throughout Scripture it often refers to personal, intimate, covenant relationship, not merely intellectual awareness.
Examples include:
* "Adam knew (*ginōskō*) Eve his wife..." (Genesis 4:1 in the Septuagint)
* "I am the good shepherd; I know (*ginōskō*) my sheep..." (John 10:14)
Jesus obviously knows every human being in the sense of omniscience.
Therefore, when He says:
"I never knew you,"
He cannot mean:
"I never knew you existed."
Rather, He means:
"You never belonged to Me. We never shared a covenant relationship. You were never one of My sheep."
"ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ."
This means:
"Depart from Me."
The verb *apochōreō* carries the sense of:
* go away
* withdraw
* leave My presence
This is the language of final judgment.
"οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν"
Literally:
"those working lawlessness."
The present participle describes an ongoing pattern of life.
Their lives were characterized by lawlessness, despite their religious accomplishments.
"I Never Knew You" Versus "I Once Knew You"
This phrase is important because it differs from saying:
"I knew you once, but not anymore."
Jesus deliberately says:
"I never knew you."
This indicates that these individuals were never in a saving relationship with Christ, despite their outward ministry.
Now, here is where it all comes together. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 11:29
"Gifts and calling of God are without repentance. In other words, they are irrevocable and do not require one to accept the free gift of salvation to be active in their gifts and callings.
In its immediate context, Paul is speaking about God's covenant purposes for Israel. God does not revoke His promises to His covenant people.
However, the principle also helps explain an important truth: receiving gifts or a calling from God is not identical to living in fellowship with Christ.
Throughout Scripture, people may receive divine enablement or be entrusted with roles, yet fail to remain faithful, and here are a few examples of that:
* Saul was anointed king but later rebelled.
* Balaam prophesied accurately but opposed God's ways.
* Judas ministered alongside the apostles but did not truly belong to Christ.
Therefore, spiritual gifts are not the evidence of salvation.
The New Testament consistently teaches that the evidence of genuine faith includes:
* Love for Christ (John 14:15)
* Obedience to His commands (1 John 2:3–6)
* The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)
* Perseverance in faith (Colossians 1:21–23)
A person may possess remarkable abilities, preach powerfully, or even be used by God in ministry, yet those things alone do not prove a saving relationship with Christ.
The Difference Between Gifts and Relationship
Matthew 7 highlights a crucial distinction.
Spiritual gifts refer to the abilities that God bestows upon a person.
Conversely, a relationship with Christ revolves around how that person is connected to Him.
One can possess gifts without spiritual maturity. The church at Corinth illustrates this well; they were richly gifted (1 Corinthians 1:7) yet struggled with division, immorality, and pride.
Again, Jesus never says, "I never saw your miracles." Instead, He said, "I never knew you." The issue is not ministry success but covenant relationship.
So here is the true test: the Bible points to several marks of genuine discipleship:
* Jesus' sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27–28).
* Those who abide in Christ bear lasting fruit (John 15:4–8).
* Those who love Him keep His commandments (John 14:21).
* Faith works through love (Galatians 5:6).
Miracles may attract attention, but they are not the foundation of assurance. The foundation is being united to Christ by faith, transformed by the Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience to Him.
Matthew 7:22–23 is therefore not a warning against spiritual gifts themselves. Rather, it is a warning against substituting ministry for intimacy, gifts for godliness, or outward works for a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. As Jesus makes clear, on the day of judgment the decisive question will not be merely what we did in His name, but whether we truly belonged to Him and lived as those who knew Him and were known by Him.
Pastor Kevin L. A. Ewing
www.kevinlaewing.com
www.kevinlaewing.blogspot.com
ewinglakevin@icloud.com
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