Genesis 6:5-10 (ESV)

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Noah was different. Noah walked with God. This is obviously important, but what does it mean?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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!’” – Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)

This is one of the most troubling verses in the Bible. How can people who cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ not get into heaven? What could they possibly have done wrong?

The key is what the evildoers don’t say; they don’t say they that did what Jesus told them to do. They were just showing off. They assumed those actions were what God wanted.

They weren’t walking with God. He didn’t know them. They called Him Lord, but He wasn’t really their Lord.

Your boss at your job is your boss 40 hours a week. The Lord is supposed to be your boss 24x7. Is He? There are lots of ways we fall short.

For example, when you confess Jesus as Lord, are you saying He’s “the Lord” or “my Lord”? Even the demons know He’s “the Lord” – and shudder. Confess Him as “my Lord.” Think of Him as “my Lord.”

But that’s still not walking with Him. When you talk to your superiors, what do you talk about? Their agenda or your agenda?

It can be either, but even when it’s your agenda, it’s still in the service of their agenda. So, when you pray, what do you talk about? His agenda or your agenda?

Granted, it’s hard to pray about God’s agenda when we don’t exactly know what it, but we should still have that focus.

Jesus saying, “I never knew you,” is like your boss saying, “You never came into my office. All I ever got from you were emails asking for favors.”

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies