Knowing about God and knowing God are different

There are only two choices: God or yourself. And if you choose yourself, He won’t recognize you as His when you meet Him face to face.

Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Has someone you know ever failed to recognize you?

It’s heartbreaking. Maybe one of these days we’ll talk about how I know it’s heartbreaking, but that’s not for today.

I mean, mistaken identity isn’t that uncommon. Some people do look very much alike, so it isn’t out of the ordinary that people might be mistaken for each other. There are changes in hairstyle and hair color that can make someone hard to recognize. Some kinds of clothes can make a person unrecognizable.

But that’s not what we’re talking about here: We are talking about God. Would you ever imagine that you could walk up to God and that He wouldn’t know you?

I’m not sure there’s another thought more terrifying than that. To have lived life for Him, to have done miracles in His name, and to finally come face to face with Him and be cast out because He doesn’t know you. And He never did.

But how is that possible? How can someone do miracles in Jesus’ name and not know Him? How can someone dedicate his or her life to God and still be rejected?

Well, the first way we know it’s possible is because Jesus said it was. This is Jesus talking here. And because Jesus said it, it’s true. But I also think it’s important to analyze Scripture, because the Bible will always interpret itself.

Look at the Pharisees. Look at the religious leaders who were running rampant with hypocritical, false theology while Jesus walked among them. They all lived extremely holy lives. They acted with righteousness as their aim. And I believe there were times when they did miraculous things, or at least they took credit for miraculous things and publicly praised God for giving them so much authority.

But do any of those things mean they actually knew God? That they had been in a relationship with Him? That they had turned their hearts totally over to Him?

No. In fact, most Pharisees hadn’t. Most Pharisees hated Jesus because what He stood for went against all of their man-made religious laws and turned people to God for salvation, not for their own works.

You can be as religious as you want to be, but it won’t do anything for your eternal soul. You can pray constantly, and it won’t do you any good. You can be baptized in the holiest water you can find, but it won’t wash the sin out of your life until you are first washed in Jesus’ blood.

Acts of holiness and righteousness can’t come before soul salvation. Of course, it’s good to do good things. And choosing a life of sacrifice and service is always a more fulfilling life than one of selfishness and discontentment.

But do you know God?

Do you spend time with Him? Do you talk to Him? Do you listen to Him? Do you care what He says about that choice you’re getting ready to make? Do you trust that He’s going to do what He has promised He’s going to do? Is He part of your life? Is He involved in your decision making process? Do you call Him your friend and treat Him like one?

Do you know Him?

Knowing God means you have to prioritize what He wants more than what you want. You have to do things God’s way instead of your way. You have to surrender your will for His, your dreams for His, your story for His. You can’t hold on to your old life and still expect Him to give you a new one.

You can’t have both.

Either you know Him or you don’t. There are only two choices: God or yourself. And if you choose yourself, He won’t recognize you as His when you meet Him face to face.

You have the choice to join His family every day you wake up. Every morning when you see the sun rise again and you breathe in your first breath, you have another chance. But if you choose yourself, your own way, your own path, your own perspective again today, you may not get another chance tomorrow.

Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow.

I know Him. I met Him when I was seven years old, and I’ve been growing closer to Him one step at a time every day since then. But I’ve been intentional about it. I’ve made it a purpose to know Him better, to understand His Law, to obey His Word. It didn’t just happen; I had to pursue it.

When I get to heaven, God will know me, because He knows me now. He knows me better than anyone else in my life, and I am eagerly counting down the days to when I get to meet Him in person for the first time. He has promised me that, and I trust His promises.

But He has also promised that those who He doesn’t know will be thrown out of His presence. And that’s a promise you can trust too.

So all that’s left is a choice we each have to make: Him or yourself.

For Deeper Study

• Read Hebrews 4:13. How does this verse indicate that God knows us even if we don’t know Him?

• Read Proverbs 3:5-6. How does this passage indicate that every person has an individual responsibility to choose?

• Read Psalm 139 and make note of every verse that talks about how God knows us.

For Reflection

• How does it make you feel when someone demonstrates that they know you very well?

• Why would it be necessary for someone to be “more righteous” than a Pharisee in order to get to heaven?

• What is something you can do this week that will help you be more intentional about knowing God (spoiler alert: you’re already doing it)?

Weekly Memory Verse