The Life of Christ

“That day” appears to be the Christian day of judgment and reward (2 Tim. 4:8; 2 Cor. 5:10-11).

“ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8).

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:10-11).

These servants of God are now standing before the Lord on judgment day expecting a bountiful reward for all the miracles they had performed in this life.

Mt. 7:23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

The Greek word for "knew" is what is all important.

• According to the Greek scholar Bullinger, the Greek word used (“ginosko”) denotes a personal and true relationship between the person and the object.

• In the Old Testament Septuagint Greek version of the Bible, the same Greek word (“ginosko”) is used to express sexual intercourse; “Adam knew his wife and she conceived” (Gen. 4:1).

• There is another Greek word, which could have been used, which would have denoted mere surface knowledge (“eido”). It implies that the subject has only come within the knower's sphere of perception. “I know who you are, but I don’t really know you!”

The use of this Greek word (“ginosko”) illustrates that, yes, they were known of Jesus; they were saved.

• However, Jesus didn't have a deep personal knowledge or relationship with them because they were regularly engaged in sin.

• Verse 23 says, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

• There have been those on the evangelistic trail who have been used mightily of God in the realms of the supernatural; however, their private lives have been laced with iniquity. When they eventually stand before God, expecting their generous rewards, they might be sadly disappointed.

DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’”

The word "depart" in the Greek means to leave, but more specifically, “to give place to another.”

• The Greek word comes from a root word meaning “to make room for, give place to” 23

• According to this Greek word, they are not being expelled from heaven, but rather told to step aside so that the more obedient can assume the higher places of eminence.

• Ps. 138:6 "Though the Lord be high, yet has He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knows afar off."

Because of their practice of lawlessness, they end up in some remote part of the kingdom of God, away from all the glory.

23 Ethelbert W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament ( Zondervan, 1975), 216.

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