There is a major difference between knowing about someone and being known by that someone. The Apostle Paul knew the difference, listen to what he says in Galatians 4:9 [emphasis mine], “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?” in this verse Paul is admonishing the new Christians to not return to their old forms of worship, worshiping those things which are not god. He is speaking to Born-again Believers because he refers to them as being known by God! It is not enough to know God; our confidence should lie in knowing that he knows us!

I Never Knew You

Let’s look at a very powerful verse that speaks to the issue of being known by the Lord. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” From these verses, the individuals Jesus speaks about are followers of Christ in name only. They approach their Christianity in a ritualistic way. They know how to “talk the talk.” They dress right, act right, but they really don’t know Jesus; they know about Him. So, what does a real Christian look like? The rest of Matthew 7 will give us some insight.

Matthew 7 – Known by God

Matthew chapter 7 has some very relevant instructions as it relates to being known by God. 

1.     Don’t Judge Others

The chapter begins with a warning that we should not judge others. What is especially important is that we do not judge others until we have judged ourselves. When we judge ourselves honestly, we often discover that we are in no position to judge others. Very much like the religious leaders who brought the women caught in adultery to Jesus in John 8. The hypocritical leaders expected Jesus to condemn the sinning woman to death by stoning as was prescribed by the Law. Instead, Jesus asked the simple question, “Whoever is without sin cast the first stone!” One by one, the accusers withdrew and left Jesus and the woman alone. In John 8:11, Jesus said to the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Instead of judgment, Jesus extended grace and mercy. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must do the same.

2.     Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Then beginning in verse seven of Matthew 7, we’re told that we’re to “keep asking seeking and knocking.” This is speaking of the fact that we should never give up on the promises of God, especially when we are going through difficult times. You and I both know that God is never late He’s never early, but he is always on time. We struggle with the fact that there are times that God does not seem to move fast enough in our difficult situations or circumstance. However, we are to never lose heart; we must be persistent in coming before the Lord, making our petitions known to Him, and behaving as one who knows that the answer is coming.

3.     The Narrow and Wide Gate

Then Matthew 7:13 tells us that the path to life, both in the present and future, is sometimes difficult. We are told to enter through the narrow gate, for the wide gate leads to destruction. There are no shortcuts in God. We must not abandon our righteous standing with the Lord. That means never resorting to lying, cheating, stealing, or any unrighteous act. We are called to be a people of integrity, at any cost.

4.     False Prophets or Teachers

Then beginning in Matthew 7: 15, we are warned that there are false prophets in the world; this phrase means that there are those who are intentionally trying to deceive us or, for lack of knowledge, lead us in the wrong direction. We are told to observe their fruit and that we shall know them by their fruits. This means that we need to watch them not only when they are in public, because everyone behaves properly in public, but we need to find opportunities to observe them in private. Many people act righteously when in public but are unrighteous in their private lives. How a person treats their family will tell you much about that person.

5.     I Never Knew You

Now we arrive at the relevant scriptures to the message today Matthew 7:21 and I quote, 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ pay special attention to verse 23, Jesus says, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” 

You see, it’s one thing to act like a Christian it’s another thing to be a Christian. A true Christian is one who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That means he has surrendered his will to do the will of the Father just as Jesus did. To do the will of the Father means first and foremost to love the Lord God with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength, and here comes the hard part that you will love others as you would have them love you. This may seem difficult at times but remember you have the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit of God living in you!

6.     Build on the Rock of Obedience

The key to being known by the Lord is found in the following section, which is Matthew 7:24, and it has to do with building on the rock. I’m sure you know the parable of the two builders; one builder built a house on the sand, the other built a house on the rock. Jesus said that the floods rose, the winds came, and the wind blew down the house built on sand, whereas the one built on the rock withstood the storm. We know that Jesus is the Rock that we need to build our lives upon Him, but the parable is really about hearing (knowing) and doing what Jesus taught and not just hearing(knowing) alone. We are called to be “doers” of the Word and not just hearers. Being a doer of the Word is the kind of believer Jesus knows. James says in James 1:22, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

Conclusion

The evidence that you are known by God is that you love God; this means that you are obedient to Him to the best of your ability. Listen to what Jesus says in the Gospel of John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Loving God is the natural response of the Holy Spirit in you, and the Holy Spirit is the evidence that you are known by the Lord.

To love God means more than an emotional feeling of love, the kind of love that God is talking about is what the Greeks called “Agape.” Agape love is unconditional, it is the kind of love God has for us, and as followers and disciples of Jesus, this is the kind of unconditional love that God responds to. Someone defined love as “living your life for someone else’s good.” The Lord only has good for you, as we like to say in church, “God is good, He is good all of the time!” We demonstrate our love for the Lord by blessing and glorifying Him through our lives. Our words and deeds reflect the grateful heart that we know that the Lord knows us! As it says in 1 Corinthians 8:3, “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”

Remember the following from Matthew 7:

1. Don’t judge others because Jesus knows you.
2. Keep asking, seeking, knocking in all your endeavors because Jesus knows you.
3. Take the Narrow Way; you don’t need shortcuts to success because Jesus knows you.
4. Recognize other Believers by their fruit, not just their words, because Jesus knows you.
5. Build on the Rock of obedience to the Lord because Jesus knows you.

You will never have to worry that Jesus would say, “I Never Knew You!”, because you are His, and He is yours!

I hope my testimony will somehow connect or relate to your personal experience and your walk with the Lord. As I share my testimony, I will be witnessing as to what Jesus Christ has done in my life and giving him all the glory.

After coming to the Lord in 1978, I started going to a church that did not believe that divine healing was for today. As a matter of fact, the church was more interested in developing a fellowship around social interactions. By that, I mean having gatherings for fellowship and “potluck dinners” but never talking about Jesus. As a matter of fact, they seemed uncomfortable about the supernatural ministry of Jesus Christ. They were “Cessationists”; they believed that miracles stopped after the Apostles passed away. However, as I pointed out in my last post, Jesus had many more disciples than the 12 that he called apostles. Those disciples moved in the power of the Holy Spirit, and I believe that what was true then is also true for us today. Also, keep in mind that there has been no shortage of miracles, signs, and wonders throughout church history. 

At that time, instead of searching the Bible and seeking the truth for myself, I simply believed what I was taught in the church I attended. But then I began to associate with other Christians who believed a little bit differently, they believed in miracles, and they believed that miracles could take place today. These Christians pointed me to the Bible verses that spoke of how to know that the Kingdom of God was present, and it was through signs, wonders, and miracles. Most practically healing the body, mind, and emotions.

So, at that point, I was being pulled in two directions about miracles, signs, and wonders. The big question for me was, is divine healing and miracles for today? I had heard about people being healed, but I never witnessed a miracle for myself! So, I was very skeptical. What made it more difficult for me was that my background was in chemistry and biology, and science teaches that only what can be measured or seen is real. And, of course, the supernatural can’t be measured or seen with our natural eyes. So here I am a relatively new Christian trying to understand with my mind if supernatural healing was possible for today? I know now that the mind cannot fully comprehend the spiritual realm or the mind of the Lord. 

The Healing Miracle

Now let me introduce my father-in-law. My father-in-law came to live with us after having suffered a stroke. He was paralyzed on the right side, his right arm hung limply by his side, he was unable to use his right arm, and of course, he walked with a cane because he had limited control over his right leg. It never occurred to me to pray for him, for healing, because healing wasn’t what I was taught. 

My father-in-law had heard about a healing service about four hours away from where we lived. He decided to go with a group of friends, and I, of course, wished him well but did not expect anything to happen. He left my house in the morning crippled, and he returned home that night totally healed! He could now walk without a cane. He was able to shake my hand for the first time in many years, and he was so proud that he could finally write with his right hand again. He was so excited about what Jesus had done, and he spent all his days telling everyone about the healing miracle he received. And, he would say, “if God could heal me, then God could heal anyone!”

Now the story doesn’t end there. You may be thinking that my father-in-law is the one who received the miracle, but in fact, I was the one who received the miracle. Because from that moment, I went from being a cessationist, that is, believing that healing was not for today, to a Believer without any doubts that healing was for today. From that day to the present, I pray for people to receive miraculous healings, anytime and anywhere, and have seen the Lord do marvelous things.

You see, that is the key to the Kingdom of God, believe with your heart, that is faith, and then lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. But you say what if they are not healed? Let me share with you an important truth, you are not the healer Jesus is! I mean that whether the healing takes place at that time or not is the Lord’s business. Your responsibility is to lay hands on the sick and, in faith, pray for them.

Andrew Womack Ministry

I recently came across an article by Andrew Womack Ministries that clearly speaks to the issue at hand, is healing for today. This is what he had to say, and I quote:

“One of the main reasons I think Christians don’t believe that it’s always God’s will to heal is that it is convenient to believe that way. Instead of making their experiences match God’s Word, many seek to make God’s Word match their experiences. It is obvious that not everyone gets healed, not even all those who desire healing receive it. To deal with this dilemma, the doctrine that it’s not always God’s will to heal has arisen. That’s convenient. That makes it God’s fault and not ours if things don’t go right. That is not what the Word of God teaches.

The prophet Malachi said in Malachi 4:2, “But unto you, that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” This was not just a metaphor for spiritual healing and health. The same thing was spoken by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 53:4, which says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”

There has been a great effort by many theologians to spiritualize this to say that the healing provided in Christ’s atonement was only spiritual and emotional, not physical, but that is not true to God’s Word.

Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus bearing our grief and carrying our sorrows was quoted by Matthew in the New Testament in relation to Jesus healing every single one. Matthew quoted Isaiah 53:4 this way in Matthew 8:17: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”

Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, substituted the words “infirmities” and “sicknesses” for Isaiah’s words “griefs” and “sorrows.” Indeed, a study of the Hebrew words in Isaiah 53:4 will reveal that they were always speaking of physical healing. The following verse, Isaiah 53:5, makes it very clear that this was speaking of physical healing when Isaiah said, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Couple this with the example of Jesus healing every single person who came to Him for healing, and the truth that healing is a part of Christ’s atonement is undeniable. Jesus said that He did exactly what He saw His Father do (John 8:28). If God is the author of sickness, as some teach today, then Jesus failed to follow His Father’s example. He never made one person sick, and He never failed to heal a single person who believed. As Peter put it in Acts 10:38 (emphasis mine), “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing ALL that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Notice the word “ALL” (emphasis mine) in that verse; and also notice that those who were sick were oppressed of the devil, not God. The Lord would no more put sickness on someone than He would make a person sin. We’ve been redeemed from both.

Am I saying that since healing is a part of the atonement, Christians don’t get sick? No, not any more than those who have received forgiveness of sins never sin again. Freedom from sickness and disease has been provided just like the freedom from sin, but Christians still sin, and they still get sick — not because God wills it but because of other reasons.” 

Andrew Womack

In closing, let’s take a look at why some Christians get sick?

One reason is our own personal sin. God doesn’t “punish us” when we sin. We punish ourselves because of the principle of sowing and reaping, Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” An alcoholic gets dementia or liver disease; a drug addict gets blood-borne diseases; an adulterer or the promiscuous get sexually transmitted infections. You see, it is not because God is punishing him, but because he did it to himself. There are always consequences for sin.

Second, don’t ever forget that as a Christian, you have an enemy, the devil. He uses lust, fear, doubt, and confusion to lead us into all kinds of problems in life. Satan’s goal is to draw you away from the Lord, to doubt the Lord, and destroy your faith in the Lord and His Word! Satan will use whatever influence to try and bring you down. However, remember as a Born-again Christian, the Holy Spirit of God lives in you, and 1 John 4:4 states, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” Of course, never forget the following in James 4:7, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

The third reason for sickness is that it is often a result of living in a fallen world. When the Lord created the earth and all its inhabitants, there was no sickness or disease. In Genesis, the Lord said of His creation, “it is good.”, but sin entered the world through the Fall of Adam and Eve, and we have had to deal with the consequences ever since. 

Conclusion

Salvation is available through the grace of Jesus Christ. There are Christians, both those who believe in divine healing and those who don’t, who will spend eternity in Heaven with our Lord. However, we can avail ourselves of a little bit of Heaven on earth by embracing ALL that Jesus provided at the cross of Calvary. By His resurrection, we are assured of our resurrection one day, and by His stripes, we are assured that we are healed. Jesus is the healer of our minds, emotions, and our bodies. Amen.

Some would say that miracles, signs, and wonders petered out when Peter petered out. This expression means that some believe today when the last disciple passed away, signs, wonders, and miracles passed away. Nothing could be further from the truth! In our previous post (127), we showed in the scriptures that God never changes. In the post before that (126), we showed in scripture that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Therefore, the scripture that God is the same yesterday taking forever means that what is true in the New Testament is still available to us, if only we would believe. Jesus said some powerful things in the Gospel of John that should encourage us to pursue the supernatural. 

Salvation

Spiritually we are changed in an instant but, our mind and soul are transformed over time. As we learn the scriptures of the Bible and learn to be led or directed by the Holy Spirit, we go step by step, faith to faith. to maturity in Christ.

Maturity is a Process

We go from being a convert to Christianity, to a follower of Jesus, and finally to a disciple of Christ.

1 John 2:12-14 describes the transition from children to young men, to fathers. Our goal is to become mature Christians rightly handling the Word of God, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15. 

Now, I need to make an important point; there is a world of difference between knowing the scriptures and doing the scriptures! We don’t want to be like the Pharisees and Scribes of Jesus’ day, who were experts in the scriptures but failed to do the scriptures. 

A Pharisee had to memorize the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, but many Pharisees failed to live up to the standards of the Torah. They expected others to adhere to the Bible but found ways to avoid the commandments of God for themselves. They created traditions and practices that voided the purposes of God. Jesus called them “hypocrites,” “the blind leading the blind,” and “sons of the Devil.”

We are called to be “doers” of the Word, not just hearers of the Word of God! In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” The only way to fulfill God’s call for your life is to be a “doer of the Word.” Knowing alone is not enough, but knowledge coupled with application is the path to the wisdom of God.

Disciples

We are not called to remain as children but to mature into disciples. A disciple is a follower devoted to the cause of Jesus Christ and is actively testifying of what the Lord is doing in and through them—always giving the credit and glory to Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

When Jesus walked the earth, He had many disciples. The first 12 disciples, Jesus also called Apostles. The Apostles were the first to walk in the power and authority given them by Jesus. As a result, many came to Jesus and became disciples as well. Remember when Jesus sent out the 70 (disciples) in Luke 10. Listen to what they said when they returned to give Jesus a report, Luke 10:17, “17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven.”

Jesus’ prayer in John 17

Prior to Jesus giving His life on the cross of Calvary, He prayed a prayer that is instructive for us in John 17.

In this chapter, Jesus prays for Himself as He prepares for the purpose He came to earth, to die on the cross for man’s sins. Jesus then prays for His disciples, the Apostles. Finally, Jesus prays for all of those who will come to know Him in the future, which includes us!

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John 17 verses 1 through 5

Jesus prays for himself. Jesus knows that he has completed the work that he was sent for, and now He will return to be seated at the right hand of the Father. The path back to Heaven for Jesus was through the cross at Calvary! In these verses, Jesus gives all glory to the Father, and all the work that he had done on earth was to bring eternal life to those who would choose to know the Father through Himself. In verse 4, “I have glorified you on the earth. I finished the work which you have given me to do.”

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John 17 verses 6 through 19

Jesus prays for his disciples. In this case, he is praying for his 12 Apostles, and his prayer is that they would continue to glorify the Father. His prayer is that they would not be taken out of the world but be protected from the evil one, Satan. Jesus says the following: “16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” They were to continue in “Power Ministry” which would be evidence of the presence of God and glorify the Lord.

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John 17 verses 20 through 26

Jesus prays for us meaning those Believers in the future. Recall Peter’s message in Acts 2: 38, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” The expression “afar off” is not an expression of distance, but of time. Sometime in the future.

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their Word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. Jesus is now speaking about us, that we would be one in Christ.

22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. By faith we believe that we are loved by the Father, John 3:16 is a reminder of His great love for us. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.

24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. We are no longer of this earth, but citizens of the Kingdom of God. What is available in Heaven is also available to us on earth. Matthew 18:18, “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Conclusion

Here is the point, Jesus performed signs and wonders to demonstrate that He was from God because only God could heal the sick, the lame, the blind, and raise the dead! Read Mark 2:10 – signs are the evidence of the Lord at work. His disciple performed signs and wonders to demonstrate that God was at work on the earth!

As disciples of Christ, we are also charged to be the vessel through whom Jesus works, to perform signs and wonders. All of this is for one purpose, to bring the non-believing world to Christ! Keep in mind that Jesus is our example, and He said and did only what the Father showed Him to do in ministry. We also must follow the pattern of Jesus. Spend time with the Lord with a particular emphasis on hearing and seeing what He wants you to do. So that the Lord would be glorified, and all people would be drawn to Him. 

The Great Commission

Mark 16:14-18, “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

As Disciples of Jesus, we have two tools or weapons at our disposal: the work of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Together they are powerful for winning the lost, healing the sick, and bringing wholeness to broken people in a broken world.