He never knew them

I’m in a good season of life. I’m doing the most important work of my 23-year ministry, it’s also the most exciting and best work - not because of what I’m doing but because of what Jesus is doing. My assignment right now is to stay up with Him but to also stay out of His way. I’m pretty much along for the ride and I think that’s what we see in Scripture.

In Acts 8:39 we see Philip is baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch and as they came up out of the water, “the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away.” In verse 40 it says, “Philip found himself at Azotus” that’s how I feel and that’s my experience and it’s pretty special. I find myself in situations that can only be explained as a God-Thing.

While all of that is true I must be reading a different Bible than most “Christians” I meet in the culture. My Bible says, as light I should not have anything to do with darkness and yet I hear “Christ ians” bragging about their darkness and what they did while in the darkness.

There is no doubt Jesus was a friend of sinners but He was on mission when He was with them, sharing Himself, His ministry, His purpose: giving hope. He was not participating per se in what they were doing. The same should be for the church today. We are the church. Jesus was not treating people as a project or a prospect for the kingdom, His relationships with these people were sincere and not hypocritical. He truly loved (loves) them but they needed to confess their sin, repent and turn to Him for salvation (Romans 10:9).

Sin seems to be another thing that has lost Biblical definition. I don’t know why I’m so surprised or saddened by this. We know God said that some people will call right wrong, and wrong right (Isaiah 5:20 we are told, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”) Not only that but there is a certain demographic claiming Jesus but denying His power in their lives (2 Timothy 3:5) and even people in the church will want to hear only what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

2 Corinthians 6 tells me, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Then it says, “What fellowship has light with darkness? How can there be any unity between Christ and the devil?” And Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Why does all of this concern me? Why does it matter? It matters because I care about the Matthew 7:21-23 “Christian.” In this passage Jesus says there will be preachers, Sunday School teachers, kitchen committee members, deacons and people in pews that did “great things” for Jesus—maybe served Him their whole life but He never knew them. He says, “I don’t know you, depart from Me.”

It makes me sad that some people are deceived and will spend eternity separated from God in Hell. I want these people to actually establish a relationship with Christ, be rescued from their sin problem and enjoy the abundant life Jesus offers now and live with hope and freedom and then one day when they pass away spend eternity in perfection, in Heaven worshiping the Lord in all His glory.

I know, I know I sound like some old preacher. Maybe because I am, but I feel much better.