I Never Knew You

  The scene is set. It's a judgment scene. Honestly, it's a scene that has often sent chills down my spine. It's Jesus saying "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" Evidently this group had an interesting appeal to make to Jesus. It was not a 'have-mercy-on-me-a-sinner' appeal. It was an appeal to their own righteousness...their own good works, their own good deeds evidently even practicing in His name. These folks did not know Jesus. They in fact *never* knew Him. The name they evoked was only a label with no meaning for them. In their minds, it was all about them, not about Him. They felt entitled, as if the Creator of the Universe owned them something. 

 Now a contrast is set up..."Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit." (I Corin. 12:3) There is using the name of Jesus as simply a label and then there is the heart felt declaration of the person of Christ as LORD. Focus on HIM, not on self. No appeal to self, works, obedience, no appeal to anything having to do with us. An appeal to who HE is. No one can make this appeal without the Spirit enabling such a confession of faith.

When Jesus 'hit them between the eyes' with his declaration he was summing up his point about knowing others by their fruit. They appealed to what they produced on their own in his name. Scripture paints a stark constrast to their superficial reasoning. *We* do not produce fruit. It is the Fruit of the *Spirit*. *He* produces the fruit within us. We merely surrender as the tools He uses. The action is on His part, not our own. That is why we cannot boast. We have no appeal other than the finished work of Christ and His Sufficiency alone.

I am also reminded of the words of Paul when he said "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." The summary is this: IT IS NOT ABOUT US. It is all about Him...knowing Him...dying with Him...living in Him.

So when my turn comes to stand before the Judge what will my appeal be? It will be the same appeal I make in life...that I will make in death...that I will make for eternity. "Have mercy on me a sinner, apart from you I am nothing...but I *know* you, Oh, Lord...I know the Christ...I rest in YOU alone..."