"I Never Knew You" Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’ Then I will tell them publicly, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.’"

This teaching is a hard teaching. We naturally assume that those who wield spiritual authority and spiritual power -those who get the job done -are operating with God's favor. Jesus says that this is not always the case.

There is such a thing as spiritual anointing. And there is both power and authority in the name of Jesus. Power, authority and anointing do not impress God. He could raise up monkeys, dogs and cats to do Kingdom work in His power and anointing if He wanted to. Proof of God's favor is not in anointing and demonstrations of power -although people with God's favor generally operate in His favor and anointing and walk and live in the resurrection power of Jesus. The point is that external things may impress people, but they don't impress God. What impresses God is intimacy -a truly right relationship.

In this passage Jesus calls people who were actually preaching and teaching and performing miracles in His name and authority "evil." This is strong language considering that Jesus doesn't suggest that they are lying or misrepresenting their accomplishments -His rebuke is, "I've never known you." In effect, Jesus is saying, "You may have done miracles in the authority and power of my name, but you did not have a relationship with me; there has been no intimacy; you never opened your heart; I don't know you; we are not friends."

For practical application of this principle, we should not follow people simply because of demonstrations of power and anointing -whether this manifests as miracles or even as powerful teaching and preaching. Instead, we should follow those who have godly character as this only comes from spending time with Jesus. The natural result of godly character is good fruit. Follow those whose godly character evidences love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; the devil has no duplicate for these.