In Matthew, chapter seven, verses 22-23, Jesus says, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
For some, chills start to crawl up their spines just hearing that passage. Jesus seems to be saying that even if you do the right things, He may not know you. What does this all mean? Then, for some, a little voice in their head asks the question, “Is He going to say that to me?”
What is Jesus saying in Matthew 7:22-23? Let’s discuss it.
As always, context is crucial to understanding anything. If you were to start a movie in the middle, it’s likely you’re going to ask questions like “Who is that?” or “What are they doing?” It’s the same with the Bible. Context is key. Matthew 7:22-23 is a part of (as some argue) Jesus Christ’s greatest sermon: the Sermon on the Mount. Using imagery, Jesus gives his listeners ways to discern false prophets and disciples.
Jesus first compares a sheep to a wolf and cautions His audience. Someone can look like a sheep, meaning they can look good on the outside and do all the right things, but inwardly, they are a wolf that should not be trusted. Jesus says, “’Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15).
The next piece of imagery Jesus uses to identify who is a true or a false teacher is fruit. We can see this as Jesus continues His sermon: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:16-17). When we come to Christ, our motivation should move away from the things of this world (bad fruit), and toward what God wants (good fruit) The Bible tells us what good fruits we should recognize in others, so that we may know who are true followers of Christ. Galatians, chapter five, verses 22 to 23, lists some of these good fruits: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Producing good fruit does not equate to salvation, but it is the response of our lives being changed by Christ. When someone comes to Christ, they should be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
Now that we have context, we can see Christ’s words in verses 22 to 23 more clearly. When looking at Matthew 7:22-23, we can see that Jesus creates a dichotomy when figuring out who is truly a follower of Christ and who is not:
Sheep and wolf.
Good fruit and bad fruit.
Relationship and religion.
The people described in verses 22-23 are those who have no relationship with Jesus and rely solely on their works to obtain eternal life. You can see that in the passage because they are just listing what they’ve done: “‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’”
Jesus does not know them.
But who does Jesus know? He knows His sheep. In John 10, Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (Jn. 10:27-28).
The people described in Matthew 7:22-23 hold their works close because they believe that they have eternal life with God because of them. Their good works, they believe, equate to a relationship with God. That worldview is unbiblical. Knowing God is eternal life, as Jesus says when He prayed to His Father in John 17: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (Jn. 17:3). Our works cannot give us eternal life or a relationship with God. In fact, our works are like filthy rags, as Isaiah 64:6 says. Jesus Christ invites us to have a relationship with Him. We can have eternal life, not by our works, but by trusting in His work and believing in Him.
One morning, I was listening to a sermon by Timothy Keller, and he mentioned the very same dichotomy of religion and relationship: “Religion is ‘I give God something, and He owes me because I am a good person, and he needs to treat me that way’ … Christianity is ‘God through Jesus Christ giving you a complete salvation, which you receive by sheer grace, and you gladly and gratefully live for him.'”
In this portion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us a way to differentiate His true followers from impostors—between sheep from wolves, good fruit from bad fruit, and those who rely on what they have done rather than what Jesus has done.
Written by Grace Morris