“Depart From Me, I Never Knew You” — The Illusion of Performance-Based Faith

Few verses have struck more fear into sincere hearts than this one:

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many mighty works?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
— Matthew 7:22–23

But beloved, this was never a threat to the sons of God.
It was a revelation of misplaced identity.

Jesus was not condemning sinners who wandered.
He was unveiling the deep illusion of those who tried to earn God with works,
but never entered into union.

These were not vile criminals or wicked pagans—
these were ministers, miracle-workers, prophets—
who used the name of Christ but never became one with His heart.

They did the deeds…
but never became the dwelling.

They performed the signs…
but never bore the flame.

They operated in gifts…
but remained strangers to the Giver.

And what did Jesus say?
“I never knew you.”

This knowing is not intellectual.
It is not about facts or theology.
It is not based on what you do for Him—
It is about who you are in Him.

To “know” in Scripture—especially in Hebrew and Greek thought—means union, intimacy, shared being.
It is the same word used for marital closeness, for oneness of spirit.
It is experiential communion—not distant admiration.

These were not rejected because they “weren’t good enough.”
They were not rejected at all.

They were never truly present.

They lived in a house of illusion.
They built ministries, brands, and platforms in His name—
but never became the altar.

They labored for the Lord but never loved the Lord.
They prophesied about light but never stood in it.

This is not judgment—
It is unveiling.
It is the mercy of Christ exposing false foundations so we might build again on the rock of union.

This passage is not to terrify you.
It is to awaken you.

To ask:
Do I know Him?
Not facts. Not doctrine.
But the living, burning, breathing Christ within?

Do I commune with His Spirit?
Do I rest in His presence?
Has the flame of union consumed my old self,
and made me one with His light?

Because beloved, Christ does not want performance.
He wants presence.

He is not impressed by what you do for Him—
He is drawn to who you become in Him.

He does not need your resume—
He desires your heart.

So let this not be a passage of fear,
but of fire—
calling every soul out of spiritual theatrics
into the raw, unfiltered light of being.

Because in the end, it is not what you did that will matter—
It is whether you became the flame.

🔥 Key Scriptures for Reflection:
Matthew 7:22–23 – “I never knew you. Depart from Me…”
John 17:3 – “This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
Hosea 6:6 – “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
1 Corinthians 13:2 – “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge…but have not love, I am nothing.”

— Joe Restman