Daily Word

Three times in the Gospels we hear the terrible words from Jesus’ mouth that he “does not know” certain people.

The first time is here in Matthew 7:15-23.

Who are they?

“The false prophets.”

They are called people “who practice lawlessness” by the Lord.

What does that mean?

They have broken the first and greatest of all commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

In what way?

By loving themselves with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength.

How?

By using God’s spiritual gifts for their own purposes, to gain a successful ministry, a great name and perhaps worst of all: for their own financial gain.

That is the meaning of the words: “they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

They appear to be God’s children and his servants, but in fact they are only out to satisfy themselves.

They do not bear “good fruit.”

What is “good fruit”?

People who are transformed into the beautiful and wonderful image of Jesus Christ.

But the followers of the false prophets become just as self-centred self-realizers as they are.

They have not done the will of the heavenly Father.

What does he want?

He wants to see many sons “conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom.8:29).

If that is not the goal of all we do, we are not fulfilling God’s will and are not bearing good fruit.

Then we are false servants of God and the Lord will one day say that he never knew us.

He “knows” only those who love Him above all else and have no other goal in their lives than Him.

He knows no one else!