And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Christ closes His Sermon on the Mount with the condition of entrance into the kingdom, to be spoken openly at the final judgment day when He returns to gather those who love Him. To be unknown by Him is to have never been His true disciple with living saving knowledge, to be disowned as false despite claimed relationship. To be told to go away from Him is to be banished forever from His presence to eternal death, with no ransom and no place in the holy city. Mere profession and even mighty deeds done in His name do not secure heaven, for only the doer of the Father's will enters, while workers of iniquity as transgressors of His law expressed in the Ten Commandments are rejected. The rejected are often self-deceived, thinking themselves right while pride and worldliness have eaten out vital godliness, so character shown by fruit and by building on obedience decides destiny, and the sentence once given is final with no second probation.
Setting and Wording
The saying stands in the Sermon on the Mount, spoken especially for the disciples yet within hearing of the gathered multitude. That sermon sets forth the principles of the kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly glory and political freedom many listeners expected. It undoes false education about greatness, gives a right conception of the kingdom and of Christ's own character, and teaches something infinitely better than men had known. It challenges the doctrines and practices of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees and exposes their misrepresentation of God. In it the saying states one of the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of God, leaving hearers to draw their own conclusions as to its nature, and its truths and foundation principles are no less important now than to the multitude that followed Him.
The then and in that day point to the final judgment day, the last great day at Christ's second coming and return to take to Himself those who have loved Him and waited for His appearing. It is when every hearer of the gospel answers before heaven's tribunal and the wicked stand to face the Judge in kingly majesty. His sentence is then spoken as the voice of Omnipotence, louder than the last trumpet and above every human cry. Those who claimed religious service and mighty works in His name are told He does not acknowledge them and must depart because they practiced iniquity, having refused saving grace, the warnings of the Word, His invitations, His commandments, and the path of self-denial, choosing the enemy's side and sinful ways. Their rejection falls especially on unprepared inhabitants of earth who knew what to expect, on deluded professed Christians who let ministers do their searching of the Scriptures, and on those who wrested the Scriptures and taught for doctrine the commandments of men, who must answer for souls led into error and apostasy and receive as their works have been.
I never knew you means He never knew them as His disciples, for such they were not. It declares that those who practice iniquity are not recognized as His, and that their claimed relationship to Him is exposed as false. To be known by Christ is to know Him with vitalizing spiritual knowledge, to hear His words in faith with earnest heed, and to practice them by doing the will of His Father in heaven. Without that doing, all profession and impressive religious or miraculous works are valueless and are iniquity, and do not by themselves establish that He knows a person. The rejected believe themselves right while they are wrong, profess love for God while pursuing covetous desires, think themselves to be doing the Lord's work even desiring to be first and to rule, yet refuse to obey His commandments and to be corrected, carrying hereditary and cultivated traits that can never enter the kingdom.
Depart from me is His final command banishing evildoers forever from His presence to eternal death, exiled from happiness, with no ransom and no answer to their wail of despair and agony. It is the sentence of eternal death, in contrast with the everlasting kingdom promised to those who remain faithful to their covenant and honor Him, and the opposite of the welcome to the faithful. It means they lose everlasting life and cannot enter the holy city with the characters they have chosen, having failed to follow His footsteps, to serve with undivided affections, to perfect holiness in the fear of God, and to give Him wholehearted rather than half-hearted service while conforming to the world. A life of corruption and injustice ends not in lasting reward but in irrevocable condemnation.
Profession Cannot Save
Merely addressing Christ as Lord and pointing to prophesying, casting out devils, and many wonderful works performed in His name does not by itself secure entrance into heaven, for in the day of judgment He will profess to such workers of iniquity that He never knew them and command them to depart from Him. Not everyone who professes Him will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father in heaven, so outward profession and impressive deeds cannot replace doing the Father's will. A claim to serve Christ and to have done remarkable works in His name does not mean that Christ knows the person, and claims of prophesying and miracles do not prove belonging to Him. Safety depends on faithful obedience to the Father's will, on being strong and placing the feet in His footsteps and following the orders Jesus has given instead of listening to one's own ideas and plans or following suggestions of one's own mind. This warning belongs especially to God's people in the last days, and it urges efforts for the conversion of unbelieving friends and neighbors through sharing present truth and praying with them.
The rejected are often self-deceived, honestly thinking they are doing God service while they are not doers of His Word but work at cross-purposes with Him. They believe themselves right while they are wrong, profess love for God while pursuing covetous desires, and hear His word without doing it. Though thinking themselves to be doing the Lord's work, even desiring to be first and to rule, they refuse to obey His commandments and refuse to be corrected, carrying hereditary and cultivated traits of character that can never find entrance into the kingdom of God. They are quick to discern the faults of others yet blind to their own shortcomings, failing to perfect character in patience and kindness, persisting in having their own way instead of humbling the heart before God and dying to self, deceived by the enemy and led on by Satan's angels until forever lost. Their religion proves only a glittering cheat when vital godliness has been eaten out of the heart by pride, unbelief, and selfishness like a foul cancer, and their profession becomes a dress to be put off and on to suit circumstances rather than a calm, steady, unvarying principle. Instead of representing Christ in every act and making His service attractive by the abiding motive of love manifested in kindness, meekness, forbearance, cheerfulness, and love, they make religion repulsive by groans and sighs and talk of trials, self-denials, and sacrifices, and give the lie to their profession by impatience, fretfulness, and repining. Their work is tainted by selfishness, greed, robbery, and injustice, and their conduct turns others away from the truth, while they protest as if Christ has made a great mistake in estimating their character. This sentence belongs to false prophets in sheep's clothing who inwardly are ravening wolves and are known by evil fruit, and to all who say Lord, Lord without doing the will of the Father, including those living divided lives who professedly serve the Lord while scheming to carry out their own plans that retard the very work Christ gave His life to accomplish. Near the close of earth's history, when everything is in confusion and Satan stealthily confuses the minds of those who know the truth by misleading sentiments, unless they repent and are converted they will be deceived by the enemy of souls and meet this rejection, so every individual must read and study these words carefully and make diligent work for his own salvation, without delay making a covenant with God by sacrifice of will and pride and seeking the Lord with whole heart and soul.
Character is known by its fruits, and an outwardly moral appearance cannot make corrupt character acceptable, for entry into the kingdom depends on doing the Father's will. Claims of religious authority, prophecy, miracles, or other impressive works do not prove that Christ knows a person as His own, and those whose lives bear the fruit of iniquity will be rejected. Human beings cannot reliably distinguish the false from the faithful by outward show, for true character is not always apparent to others, so men must not presume to judge hearts or motives. God judges not as man judges, for man judges from appearance but God judges the heart, knowing the strength of the temptations He permits and seeing the inward conflicts and severe struggles of the one who gives up the visible on the strength of God's promise that presents the invisible before him. Religious appearance and profession do not make hearts known to Him, as shown when hypocritical profession of holiness conceals corruption until fear and confession expose the wrongdoing hidden beneath that appearance. Appealing to good deeds at the judgment will not secure acceptance when those deeds were driven by selfish motives, for occasional acts of generosity and help do not satisfy God when self is prominent.
Iniquity and Disobedience
Workers of iniquity are lawbreakers, for iniquity is sin defined as transgression of God's law, and those rejected are those whose lives violate that law while making their own standard and expecting favor. Profession of Christ and impressive religious works, even prophesying, wonders, and works done in His name, do not secure entrance to the kingdom or acceptance at the judgment when character is out of harmony with the law and the Father's will is not done. True obedience to the Father's will expressed in the Ten Commandments is essential, holiness means obedience to God's law, and claims of holiness or sinlessness joined to breaking the commandments and teaching others to do so are false and must be repented of or face punishment. The law of God is the standard by which character is tested and will not stand unless built upon it, and those who knowingly disregard and excuse disobedience are identified as deceptive workers against the law whose portion is with hypocrites and unbelievers, not included in the promise of eternal life nor entitled to the tree of life and entry into the holy city.
The disobedience includes teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, corrupting the way of the Lord and truth, exalting error, burying truth beneath tradition, and selling intellect and integrity for worldly advantage while presenting supposed good works as if God needed reminding of His duty. It includes refusing to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and to keep sacred God's memorial of creation despite warnings, with those who understand the Sabbath command but choose Sunday to avoid unpopularity and to strive unlawfully unable to expect the crown. It applies to professed Sabbath-keepers who neglect given light and seek both God's approval and the world's friendship, to those who resist light, refuse heaven's grace, abuse opportunities, despise warnings, slight invitations to repentance, set aside conviction and the Spirit, count a Thus saith the Lord an idle tale, choose fables before truth of heavenly origin, and refuse to come out and be separate because the strait gate and narrow path look unattractive beside the wide gate and broad road. Refusing to walk in the light God gives separates from Him and leads to darkness, for His requirements are just and call for perfect obedience, and those who reject the light of His law are not guided by His Spirit but cling to deception because it exalts self and lets them trust their own goodness instead of seeing themselves before a just and holy God, living for self and the world in direct opposition to His expressed word.
Some mighty works claimed in Christ's name are inspired by Satan and will become increasingly apparent in the last days. Such claims to follow Christ and reports of healings or other marvelous works do not prove that He knows or accepts those who make them, for they may be carried out under the enemy's influence to deceive people and lead them away from obedience, truth, and duty.
Iniquity also includes going back to the same transgression after receiving pardon, showing life unchanged and leading others into sin. It includes cherishing secret hidden sins and glossed-over depravity while refusing entire transformation of the stubborn unsubmissive heart at enmity with God, instead of closely searching the heart, humbling, confessing, repenting, and putting sin away; with precious glorious light received the wrongs are more aggravating, God makes no compromise with sin, and sins not found out and forsaken now will be discovered and exposed then. It includes deception for personal advantage, which must be repented of and pardoned or heaven cannot be entered, and unjust taking and excused knowing disregard of God's requirements. It includes sensual and licentious practices, as with one who claims he did not commit adultery yet sexually defiles children and youth, which is in the same line as adultery in God's sight and receives the same sentence. A profession of love for God while choosing a course of sin and deception ends in rejection, and a single neglected duty or indulged evil habit can begin a hypocritical course of deception ending in that judgment.
Judgment and Rejection
The sentence is final and irrevocable, pronounced with awful solemnity on those who heard the word but were not doers of it, with character tried and tested during probationary time and no second probation afterward. It is spoken from the divine lips upon confirmed impenitence and fatal hardness of heart, especially upon those entrusted with large talents who served self, misled others, turned aside the purposes and will of God, and failed to imitate Christ. Lax morality, spiritual deadness, unfeeling unkind words, and bruising of souls reveal guilt whose magnitude is laid open before heaven and the congregated world, and the sentence is altogether just so that every person will see and know it is just. Each person's actions, feelings, motives, words, deeds, and spirit are brought to light from the books and judged by the plain moral standard of God's law, which is God's great moral looking glass and the rule of life that must be obeyed in this life as in heaven. Eternal interest is balanced by conformity or nonconformity to heaven's principles in heart, mind, character, words, works done and left undone, with obedience or disobedience deciding destiny and with no middle ground between the righteous and the wicked or between eternal life and eternal death. Those who will be saints in heaven must first be saints below, for God designs His law to be obeyed by all who believe, and unless the work is first done in the heart all directions about duty are labor in vain.
At the scene Christ stands in kingly majesty above the city surrounded by angels, while the resurrected wicked see the redeemed radiant with glory and crowns and realize they chose rebellion and lost eternal life and imperishable treasure. His voice of omnipotence sounds louder than the last trumpet and above every human cry, ordering evildoers away from His presence with no ransom and no answer to their wail of despair and agony. The rejected then see His love and sacrifice, His compassion, their insults and cruelty toward Him, and the guilt they refused to let Him remove. They enumerate their earthly good deeds, church membership, prophesying and miracle-working in His name, songs of praise and many wonderful works of healing, and plead for entrance into the city, including professed religious workers such as ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians, and teachers who were not ready when mercy's voice came in their day of visitation. But their cases have already been decided and their names are not enrolled in the book of life because though they professed belief in His name they trampled upon God's law and disobeyed His commandments, so He declares He does not know them and sends them away as lawbreakers to receive as their works have been, immediately before fire descends to destroy them. With such ways, sentiments, and characters they cannot enter the gates of the holy city, for they were unfaithful to the warnings of the Word, linked arms with Satan instead of dismissing him, stained the principles of right, clung to ungodly advisers, accepted impious bribes for worldly honor, refused to lift the cross and follow in self-denial, cared nothing for His society, refused His offered salvation, and caused many to follow their sinful ways.
Rejecting heaven's light, truth, and warnings is rejecting Christ and rejecting the only provision by which they could be cleansed from pollution and cleansed from sin. They stand as those who hated Jesus and cast Him out, who cried for His crucifixion and chose Barabbas instead of Christ, crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting Him to open shame, while God avenges the death of His Son. Each person is asked what they have done to His only begotten Son when the cases of all come up before Him for decision. To hear Depart is to have rejected eternal life, and it falls both on ministers who with deceiving arguments oppose the advance of new believers and prevail with some, and on the deceived souls who turn from the truth to fables. The rejection of plain commandment, such as the seventh-day Sabbath, leaves its rejecters without excuse when judgment comes, for those who received great light but refused it and disobeyed God's law will recognize the Redeemer's sacrifice and love and the reality of their condemnation.
Mankind forms two great moral divisions answering to the son who said, I go, sir, but went not, promising obedience when God calls yet obeying not, and to the hearer who does not do and the hearer who does. The one who hears and does the word builds on the rock and is riveted to the eternal Rock, coming into right relation with God through blood, thinking much of every privilege, not questioning God's dealings, and pursuing a course that will stand the test of His law unto an eternal weight of glory, while the one who only hears builds on the sand. This answers also to the wheat and the tares, for some who regard themselves as Christians will ultimately be found wanting, and the separation belongs to the harvest which is the end of probationary time. Their true character is not always apparent to other people, so human beings must not presume to judge hearts or motives, for Christ knows whom He is drawing to Himself. Though in that day they plead that they prophesied in His name and in His name cast out devils and done many wonderful works, He exposes them as pretentious hypocrites whose revealed character and course of action place them among sinners.
Fruit and Foundation
Character is known by its fruits, and the principles shown in a person's life-work testify to what that character is, distinguishing the genuine believer from the unbeliever. A good tree bears good fruit that reflects Christ's work, while a corrupt tree bears evil fruit, and every tree that does not bear good fruit is hewn down. Calling Jesus Lord and claiming mighty works done in His name do not by themselves qualify anyone for the kingdom, for He rejects workers of iniquity as those He never knew, and true belonging to Him is shown only by doing the Father's will and bearing good fruit. Outwardly moral appearance cannot make a corrupt character acceptable, and hearing His words is not enough unless they are heard with the purpose of obeying them. Daily character-building on Christ the rock by hearing and doing His words is therefore the called-for response.
Whoever hears Christ's sayings and does them builds upon the rock and is riveted to the eternal Rock, so that when rain descends and floods come and winds blow and beat upon the house it does not fall, while whoever hears and does them not builds upon sand, which is human effort, and falls with a great fall. How each builds and how deep the foundation lies is of eternal consequence, and the floods must not be able to move it. Honestly thinking one is doing God service does not save when one is not a doer of the Word and does not do the will of the Father, but works at cross-purposes with Him. Building rightly means coming into right relation with God through the blood of the Son, thinking much of every privilege, not questioning His dealings, and pursuing a course that will stand the test of His law, a test that works out an eternal weight of glory. Words and works testify on which side a person stands, so obedience to the word of the Lord and response to the leadings of the Holy Spirit are required, and these words are to be studied by every person for individual benefit. Inattention in hearing and negligence in doing bring want of spiritual health and vital spiritual life, grieve the Spirit, and take away peace, joy, and heavenly discernment, and the larger number who profess present truth are hearers and not doers, not riveted to the eternal Rock, who do not endure temptation but fall.
Doing the word requires denying self, taking up the cross and following Him, counting the cost and refusing a life of deception that deludes the soul, loving Him more than father, mother, son, or daughter. Selfishness must be surrendered to Christ, the heart cleansed and the character transformed, the far-reaching principles of the law received in the heart whose condition governs life and character, with entire obedience, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, steadfastness through reproach, and growth toward the fullness of Christ. Baptism alone does not save, for professed followers who lack true knowledge of Christ and do not live in conformity to His character will be rejected, while living faith is shown by love, purity, shining in good works before men so the Father is glorified, and leading others to Him. Clinging to old habits and worldly customs shows unreadiness for His coming, and unconverted professors who lack oil and by their lack only encourage sinners to continue in sin are disowned, since the only safety is living in constant communion with God and being wholly consecrated to Him.
Warnings and Application
The warning reaches those in sacred trust — ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians and teachers — who will plead prophesying, songs of praise and many wonderful works of healing done in Christ's name, yet are disowned because their claims to godliness are contradicted by disobedience, selfishness, closed hearts and influence that leads others astray. They were not ready in their day of visitation, but were unfaithful to the warnings of the Word, stained the principles of right, disobeyed the commandments, clung to ungodly advisers, accepted bribes for worldly honor, refused to lift the cross in self-denial, refused offered salvation and would not harmonize with Christ, causing many to follow their sinful ways. Those who fail to serve faithfully and win souls for eternal life will hear the opposite of the welcome given to the good and faithful servant, for impressive religious words and works do not establish that Christ knows a person. The same rejection meets parents who knew their duties from Scripture but failed to obey them, who neglected the training of children, spoke in passion or let them do as they please, and must answer for the characters they helped form.
It falls also on professed believers whose loyalty is divided by love of the world, who eagerly pursue earthly riches, money-getting, pleasure-seeking, display and worldly treasure until they lose sight of heaven and are left in darkness. Their faith is weak because God's service is treated as secondary while worldly interests, selfishness, pride and friendship with the world take precedence over His requirements, sacrificing eternal riches for what perishes instead of preparing for His return to take those who loved Him and waited for His appearing. They put family favor, appetite or human ruling above Christ while claiming to serve Him with undivided affections, and their profession without obedient practice does not prove their standing. When they insist their good or wonderful works entitle them to honor, they will be exposed and told to depart as workers of iniquity by irrevocable sentence in the last great day.
Rejection can turn on one remaining defect in a man otherwise talented, for a single neglected duty or indulged evil habit can begin a course of sin, deception and hypocrisy that ends in ruin. This is especially true when through too little courage, too little interest or too much indolence he fails to meet, reprove, restrain and purify existing evil in the family or the church, and thereby becomes accountable for the evil that results as if guilty of the acts himself, destroying his usefulness in this life. God's honor must be kept sacred even if it separates a person from the nearest relative, so evil must first be restrained by mild measures and, if those fail, subdued by the sternest measures. Those who reject the means God provides to correct error and unite them in truth, who persist in wrongdoing under self-righteous boastful words and apparent good works that conceal dishonest conduct and incomplete obedience to the law, will have their true character exposed too late to change.
Therefore the seventh chapter of Matthew must be studied critically word by word again and again as for life, every person for individual benefit and enlightenment and not to prove supposed faults discerned in others. Hearing the Word without doing it leaves religion vain and ends in disappointment, for entrance requires doing the will of the Father, surrendering selfishness, cleansing the heart, transforming the character and living so as to lead others to Him. The law is God's great moral looking glass by which words, spirit and actions must be compared, and unless the work is first done in the heart all directions about duty are labor in vain, calling for practice of the truth in daily life as urged in James 2, James 4:5-12 and James 5:13-20. Each one must make diligent work for his own salvation without delay, submitting to the Holy Spirit, repenting, humbling the heart before God, dying to self rather than persisting in having his own way, discerning his own shortcomings instead of being quick to discern the faults of others, perfecting character in patience and kindness, and entering covenant with God by sacrifice of will and pride with whole heart and soul before mercy ends and the door is shut.
Christ closes His Sermon on the Mount with the condition of entrance into the kingdom, to be spoken openly at the final judgment day when He returns to gather those who love Him. To be unknown by Him is to have never been His true disciple with living saving knowledge, to be disowned as false despite claimed relationship. To be told to go away from Him is to be banished forever from His presence to eternal death, with no ransom and no place in the holy city. Mere profession and even mighty deeds done in His name do not secure heaven, for only the doer of the Father's will enters, while workers of iniquity as transgressors of His law expressed in the Ten Commandments are rejected. The rejected are often self-deceived, thinking themselves right while pride and worldliness have eaten out vital godliness, so character shown by fruit and by building on obedience decides destiny, and the sentence once given is final with no second probation.
Setting and Wording
The saying stands in the Sermon on the Mount, spoken especially for the disciples yet within hearing of the gathered multitude. That sermon sets forth the principles of the kingdom of divine grace, not the earthly glory and political freedom many listeners expected. It undoes false education about greatness, gives a right conception of the kingdom and of Christ's own character, and teaches something infinitely better than men had known. It challenges the doctrines and practices of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees and exposes their misrepresentation of God. In it the saying states one of the conditions of entrance into the kingdom of God, leaving hearers to draw their own conclusions as to its nature, and its truths and foundation principles are no less important now than to the multitude that followed Him.
The then and in that day point to the final judgment day, the last great day at Christ's second coming and return to take to Himself those who have loved Him and waited for His appearing. It is when every hearer of the gospel answers before heaven's tribunal and the wicked stand to face the Judge in kingly majesty. His sentence is then spoken as the voice of Omnipotence, louder than the last trumpet and above every human cry. Those who claimed religious service and mighty works in His name are told He does not acknowledge them and must depart because they practiced iniquity, having refused saving grace, the warnings of the Word, His invitations, His commandments, and the path of self-denial, choosing the enemy's side and sinful ways. Their rejection falls especially on unprepared inhabitants of earth who knew what to expect, on deluded professed Christians who let ministers do their searching of the Scriptures, and on those who wrested the Scriptures and taught for doctrine the commandments of men, who must answer for souls led into error and apostasy and receive as their works have been.
I never knew you means He never knew them as His disciples, for such they were not. It declares that those who practice iniquity are not recognized as His, and that their claimed relationship to Him is exposed as false. To be known by Christ is to know Him with vitalizing spiritual knowledge, to hear His words in faith with earnest heed, and to practice them by doing the will of His Father in heaven. Without that doing, all profession and impressive religious or miraculous works are valueless and are iniquity, and do not by themselves establish that He knows a person. The rejected believe themselves right while they are wrong, profess love for God while pursuing covetous desires, think themselves to be doing the Lord's work even desiring to be first and to rule, yet refuse to obey His commandments and to be corrected, carrying hereditary and cultivated traits that can never enter the kingdom.
Depart from me is His final command banishing evildoers forever from His presence to eternal death, exiled from happiness, with no ransom and no answer to their wail of despair and agony. It is the sentence of eternal death, in contrast with the everlasting kingdom promised to those who remain faithful to their covenant and honor Him, and the opposite of the welcome to the faithful. It means they lose everlasting life and cannot enter the holy city with the characters they have chosen, having failed to follow His footsteps, to serve with undivided affections, to perfect holiness in the fear of God, and to give Him wholehearted rather than half-hearted service while conforming to the world. A life of corruption and injustice ends not in lasting reward but in irrevocable condemnation.
Profession Cannot Save
Merely addressing Christ as Lord and pointing to prophesying, casting out devils, and many wonderful works performed in His name does not by itself secure entrance into heaven, for in the day of judgment He will profess to such workers of iniquity that He never knew them and command them to depart from Him. Not everyone who professes Him will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Father in heaven, so outward profession and impressive deeds cannot replace doing the Father's will. A claim to serve Christ and to have done remarkable works in His name does not mean that Christ knows the person, and claims of prophesying and miracles do not prove belonging to Him. Safety depends on faithful obedience to the Father's will, on being strong and placing the feet in His footsteps and following the orders Jesus has given instead of listening to one's own ideas and plans or following suggestions of one's own mind. This warning belongs especially to God's people in the last days, and it urges efforts for the conversion of unbelieving friends and neighbors through sharing present truth and praying with them.
The rejected are often self-deceived, honestly thinking they are doing God service while they are not doers of His Word but work at cross-purposes with Him. They believe themselves right while they are wrong, profess love for God while pursuing covetous desires, and hear His word without doing it. Though thinking themselves to be doing the Lord's work, even desiring to be first and to rule, they refuse to obey His commandments and refuse to be corrected, carrying hereditary and cultivated traits of character that can never find entrance into the kingdom of God. They are quick to discern the faults of others yet blind to their own shortcomings, failing to perfect character in patience and kindness, persisting in having their own way instead of humbling the heart before God and dying to self, deceived by the enemy and led on by Satan's angels until forever lost. Their religion proves only a glittering cheat when vital godliness has been eaten out of the heart by pride, unbelief, and selfishness like a foul cancer, and their profession becomes a dress to be put off and on to suit circumstances rather than a calm, steady, unvarying principle. Instead of representing Christ in every act and making His service attractive by the abiding motive of love manifested in kindness, meekness, forbearance, cheerfulness, and love, they make religion repulsive by groans and sighs and talk of trials, self-denials, and sacrifices, and give the lie to their profession by impatience, fretfulness, and repining. Their work is tainted by selfishness, greed, robbery, and injustice, and their conduct turns others away from the truth, while they protest as if Christ has made a great mistake in estimating their character. This sentence belongs to false prophets in sheep's clothing who inwardly are ravening wolves and are known by evil fruit, and to all who say Lord, Lord without doing the will of the Father, including those living divided lives who professedly serve the Lord while scheming to carry out their own plans that retard the very work Christ gave His life to accomplish. Near the close of earth's history, when everything is in confusion and Satan stealthily confuses the minds of those who know the truth by misleading sentiments, unless they repent and are converted they will be deceived by the enemy of souls and meet this rejection, so every individual must read and study these words carefully and make diligent work for his own salvation, without delay making a covenant with God by sacrifice of will and pride and seeking the Lord with whole heart and soul.
Character is known by its fruits, and an outwardly moral appearance cannot make corrupt character acceptable, for entry into the kingdom depends on doing the Father's will. Claims of religious authority, prophecy, miracles, or other impressive works do not prove that Christ knows a person as His own, and those whose lives bear the fruit of iniquity will be rejected. Human beings cannot reliably distinguish the false from the faithful by outward show, for true character is not always apparent to others, so men must not presume to judge hearts or motives. God judges not as man judges, for man judges from appearance but God judges the heart, knowing the strength of the temptations He permits and seeing the inward conflicts and severe struggles of the one who gives up the visible on the strength of God's promise that presents the invisible before him. Religious appearance and profession do not make hearts known to Him, as shown when hypocritical profession of holiness conceals corruption until fear and confession expose the wrongdoing hidden beneath that appearance. Appealing to good deeds at the judgment will not secure acceptance when those deeds were driven by selfish motives, for occasional acts of generosity and help do not satisfy God when self is prominent.
Iniquity and Disobedience
Workers of iniquity are lawbreakers, for iniquity is sin defined as transgression of God's law, and those rejected are those whose lives violate that law while making their own standard and expecting favor. Profession of Christ and impressive religious works, even prophesying, wonders, and works done in His name, do not secure entrance to the kingdom or acceptance at the judgment when character is out of harmony with the law and the Father's will is not done. True obedience to the Father's will expressed in the Ten Commandments is essential, holiness means obedience to God's law, and claims of holiness or sinlessness joined to breaking the commandments and teaching others to do so are false and must be repented of or face punishment. The law of God is the standard by which character is tested and will not stand unless built upon it, and those who knowingly disregard and excuse disobedience are identified as deceptive workers against the law whose portion is with hypocrites and unbelievers, not included in the promise of eternal life nor entitled to the tree of life and entry into the holy city.
The disobedience includes teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, corrupting the way of the Lord and truth, exalting error, burying truth beneath tradition, and selling intellect and integrity for worldly advantage while presenting supposed good works as if God needed reminding of His duty. It includes refusing to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and to keep sacred God's memorial of creation despite warnings, with those who understand the Sabbath command but choose Sunday to avoid unpopularity and to strive unlawfully unable to expect the crown. It applies to professed Sabbath-keepers who neglect given light and seek both God's approval and the world's friendship, to those who resist light, refuse heaven's grace, abuse opportunities, despise warnings, slight invitations to repentance, set aside conviction and the Spirit, count a Thus saith the Lord an idle tale, choose fables before truth of heavenly origin, and refuse to come out and be separate because the strait gate and narrow path look unattractive beside the wide gate and broad road. Refusing to walk in the light God gives separates from Him and leads to darkness, for His requirements are just and call for perfect obedience, and those who reject the light of His law are not guided by His Spirit but cling to deception because it exalts self and lets them trust their own goodness instead of seeing themselves before a just and holy God, living for self and the world in direct opposition to His expressed word.
Some mighty works claimed in Christ's name are inspired by Satan and will become increasingly apparent in the last days. Such claims to follow Christ and reports of healings or other marvelous works do not prove that He knows or accepts those who make them, for they may be carried out under the enemy's influence to deceive people and lead them away from obedience, truth, and duty.
Iniquity also includes going back to the same transgression after receiving pardon, showing life unchanged and leading others into sin. It includes cherishing secret hidden sins and glossed-over depravity while refusing entire transformation of the stubborn unsubmissive heart at enmity with God, instead of closely searching the heart, humbling, confessing, repenting, and putting sin away; with precious glorious light received the wrongs are more aggravating, God makes no compromise with sin, and sins not found out and forsaken now will be discovered and exposed then. It includes deception for personal advantage, which must be repented of and pardoned or heaven cannot be entered, and unjust taking and excused knowing disregard of God's requirements. It includes sensual and licentious practices, as with one who claims he did not commit adultery yet sexually defiles children and youth, which is in the same line as adultery in God's sight and receives the same sentence. A profession of love for God while choosing a course of sin and deception ends in rejection, and a single neglected duty or indulged evil habit can begin a hypocritical course of deception ending in that judgment.
Judgment and Rejection
The sentence is final and irrevocable, pronounced with awful solemnity on those who heard the word but were not doers of it, with character tried and tested during probationary time and no second probation afterward. It is spoken from the divine lips upon confirmed impenitence and fatal hardness of heart, especially upon those entrusted with large talents who served self, misled others, turned aside the purposes and will of God, and failed to imitate Christ. Lax morality, spiritual deadness, unfeeling unkind words, and bruising of souls reveal guilt whose magnitude is laid open before heaven and the congregated world, and the sentence is altogether just so that every person will see and know it is just. Each person's actions, feelings, motives, words, deeds, and spirit are brought to light from the books and judged by the plain moral standard of God's law, which is God's great moral looking glass and the rule of life that must be obeyed in this life as in heaven. Eternal interest is balanced by conformity or nonconformity to heaven's principles in heart, mind, character, words, works done and left undone, with obedience or disobedience deciding destiny and with no middle ground between the righteous and the wicked or between eternal life and eternal death. Those who will be saints in heaven must first be saints below, for God designs His law to be obeyed by all who believe, and unless the work is first done in the heart all directions about duty are labor in vain.
At the scene Christ stands in kingly majesty above the city surrounded by angels, while the resurrected wicked see the redeemed radiant with glory and crowns and realize they chose rebellion and lost eternal life and imperishable treasure. His voice of omnipotence sounds louder than the last trumpet and above every human cry, ordering evildoers away from His presence with no ransom and no answer to their wail of despair and agony. The rejected then see His love and sacrifice, His compassion, their insults and cruelty toward Him, and the guilt they refused to let Him remove. They enumerate their earthly good deeds, church membership, prophesying and miracle-working in His name, songs of praise and many wonderful works of healing, and plead for entrance into the city, including professed religious workers such as ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians, and teachers who were not ready when mercy's voice came in their day of visitation. But their cases have already been decided and their names are not enrolled in the book of life because though they professed belief in His name they trampled upon God's law and disobeyed His commandments, so He declares He does not know them and sends them away as lawbreakers to receive as their works have been, immediately before fire descends to destroy them. With such ways, sentiments, and characters they cannot enter the gates of the holy city, for they were unfaithful to the warnings of the Word, linked arms with Satan instead of dismissing him, stained the principles of right, clung to ungodly advisers, accepted impious bribes for worldly honor, refused to lift the cross and follow in self-denial, cared nothing for His society, refused His offered salvation, and caused many to follow their sinful ways.
Rejecting heaven's light, truth, and warnings is rejecting Christ and rejecting the only provision by which they could be cleansed from pollution and cleansed from sin. They stand as those who hated Jesus and cast Him out, who cried for His crucifixion and chose Barabbas instead of Christ, crucifying the Son of God afresh and putting Him to open shame, while God avenges the death of His Son. Each person is asked what they have done to His only begotten Son when the cases of all come up before Him for decision. To hear Depart is to have rejected eternal life, and it falls both on ministers who with deceiving arguments oppose the advance of new believers and prevail with some, and on the deceived souls who turn from the truth to fables. The rejection of plain commandment, such as the seventh-day Sabbath, leaves its rejecters without excuse when judgment comes, for those who received great light but refused it and disobeyed God's law will recognize the Redeemer's sacrifice and love and the reality of their condemnation.
Mankind forms two great moral divisions answering to the son who said, I go, sir, but went not, promising obedience when God calls yet obeying not, and to the hearer who does not do and the hearer who does. The one who hears and does the word builds on the rock and is riveted to the eternal Rock, coming into right relation with God through blood, thinking much of every privilege, not questioning God's dealings, and pursuing a course that will stand the test of His law unto an eternal weight of glory, while the one who only hears builds on the sand. This answers also to the wheat and the tares, for some who regard themselves as Christians will ultimately be found wanting, and the separation belongs to the harvest which is the end of probationary time. Their true character is not always apparent to other people, so human beings must not presume to judge hearts or motives, for Christ knows whom He is drawing to Himself. Though in that day they plead that they prophesied in His name and in His name cast out devils and done many wonderful works, He exposes them as pretentious hypocrites whose revealed character and course of action place them among sinners.
Fruit and Foundation
Character is known by its fruits, and the principles shown in a person's life-work testify to what that character is, distinguishing the genuine believer from the unbeliever. A good tree bears good fruit that reflects Christ's work, while a corrupt tree bears evil fruit, and every tree that does not bear good fruit is hewn down. Calling Jesus Lord and claiming mighty works done in His name do not by themselves qualify anyone for the kingdom, for He rejects workers of iniquity as those He never knew, and true belonging to Him is shown only by doing the Father's will and bearing good fruit. Outwardly moral appearance cannot make a corrupt character acceptable, and hearing His words is not enough unless they are heard with the purpose of obeying them. Daily character-building on Christ the rock by hearing and doing His words is therefore the called-for response.
Whoever hears Christ's sayings and does them builds upon the rock and is riveted to the eternal Rock, so that when rain descends and floods come and winds blow and beat upon the house it does not fall, while whoever hears and does them not builds upon sand, which is human effort, and falls with a great fall. How each builds and how deep the foundation lies is of eternal consequence, and the floods must not be able to move it. Honestly thinking one is doing God service does not save when one is not a doer of the Word and does not do the will of the Father, but works at cross-purposes with Him. Building rightly means coming into right relation with God through the blood of the Son, thinking much of every privilege, not questioning His dealings, and pursuing a course that will stand the test of His law, a test that works out an eternal weight of glory. Words and works testify on which side a person stands, so obedience to the word of the Lord and response to the leadings of the Holy Spirit are required, and these words are to be studied by every person for individual benefit. Inattention in hearing and negligence in doing bring want of spiritual health and vital spiritual life, grieve the Spirit, and take away peace, joy, and heavenly discernment, and the larger number who profess present truth are hearers and not doers, not riveted to the eternal Rock, who do not endure temptation but fall.
Doing the word requires denying self, taking up the cross and following Him, counting the cost and refusing a life of deception that deludes the soul, loving Him more than father, mother, son, or daughter. Selfishness must be surrendered to Christ, the heart cleansed and the character transformed, the far-reaching principles of the law received in the heart whose condition governs life and character, with entire obedience, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, steadfastness through reproach, and growth toward the fullness of Christ. Baptism alone does not save, for professed followers who lack true knowledge of Christ and do not live in conformity to His character will be rejected, while living faith is shown by love, purity, shining in good works before men so the Father is glorified, and leading others to Him. Clinging to old habits and worldly customs shows unreadiness for His coming, and unconverted professors who lack oil and by their lack only encourage sinners to continue in sin are disowned, since the only safety is living in constant communion with God and being wholly consecrated to Him.
Warnings and Application
The warning reaches those in sacred trust — ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians and teachers — who will plead prophesying, songs of praise and many wonderful works of healing done in Christ's name, yet are disowned because their claims to godliness are contradicted by disobedience, selfishness, closed hearts and influence that leads others astray. They were not ready in their day of visitation, but were unfaithful to the warnings of the Word, stained the principles of right, disobeyed the commandments, clung to ungodly advisers, accepted bribes for worldly honor, refused to lift the cross in self-denial, refused offered salvation and would not harmonize with Christ, causing many to follow their sinful ways. Those who fail to serve faithfully and win souls for eternal life will hear the opposite of the welcome given to the good and faithful servant, for impressive religious words and works do not establish that Christ knows a person. The same rejection meets parents who knew their duties from Scripture but failed to obey them, who neglected the training of children, spoke in passion or let them do as they please, and must answer for the characters they helped form.
It falls also on professed believers whose loyalty is divided by love of the world, who eagerly pursue earthly riches, money-getting, pleasure-seeking, display and worldly treasure until they lose sight of heaven and are left in darkness. Their faith is weak because God's service is treated as secondary while worldly interests, selfishness, pride and friendship with the world take precedence over His requirements, sacrificing eternal riches for what perishes instead of preparing for His return to take those who loved Him and waited for His appearing. They put family favor, appetite or human ruling above Christ while claiming to serve Him with undivided affections, and their profession without obedient practice does not prove their standing. When they insist their good or wonderful works entitle them to honor, they will be exposed and told to depart as workers of iniquity by irrevocable sentence in the last great day.
Rejection can turn on one remaining defect in a man otherwise talented, for a single neglected duty or indulged evil habit can begin a course of sin, deception and hypocrisy that ends in ruin. This is especially true when through too little courage, too little interest or too much indolence he fails to meet, reprove, restrain and purify existing evil in the family or the church, and thereby becomes accountable for the evil that results as if guilty of the acts himself, destroying his usefulness in this life. God's honor must be kept sacred even if it separates a person from the nearest relative, so evil must first be restrained by mild measures and, if those fail, subdued by the sternest measures. Those who reject the means God provides to correct error and unite them in truth, who persist in wrongdoing under self-righteous boastful words and apparent good works that conceal dishonest conduct and incomplete obedience to the law, will have their true character exposed too late to change.
Therefore the seventh chapter of Matthew must be studied critically word by word again and again as for life, every person for individual benefit and enlightenment and not to prove supposed faults discerned in others. Hearing the Word without doing it leaves religion vain and ends in disappointment, for entrance requires doing the will of the Father, surrendering selfishness, cleansing the heart, transforming the character and living so as to lead others to Him. The law is God's great moral looking glass by which words, spirit and actions must be compared, and unless the work is first done in the heart all directions about duty are labor in vain, calling for practice of the truth in daily life as urged in James 2, James 4:5-12 and James 5:13-20. Each one must make diligent work for his own salvation without delay, submitting to the Holy Spirit, repenting, humbling the heart before God, dying to self rather than persisting in having his own way, discerning his own shortcomings instead of being quick to discern the faults of others, perfecting character in patience and kindness, and entering covenant with God by sacrifice of will and pride with whole heart and soul before mercy ends and the door is shut.