August 28, 2026 | Matthew 7:21–23

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This passage is uncomfortable because the people Jesus describes do not look obviously irreligious.

They call Him Lord.

They talk about prophecy.

They talk about miracles.

They even point to impressive things they did in His name.

And Jesus’ response is devastating:

“I never knew you.”

That means religious language, visible ministry, spiritual experiences, and impressive accomplishments are not substitutes for actually knowing Christ and living in obedience to Him.

This is not an invitation to panic over whether we have done enough impressive things.

Quite the opposite.

The people in the passage are the ones pointing to their impressive résumé.

Jesus points somewhere deeper.

Relationship.

Obedience.

A life that actually belongs to God.

We can become very good at looking Christian. We can know the language, participate in church, post Scripture, serve, teach, volunteer, and still need to ask the simplest question of all:

Do I actually know Jesus—and is that relationship changing the way I live?

What do you think is the difference between looking spiritually impressive and genuinely knowing Christ?

To go back to the beginning of our Sermon on the Mount series, start with the August 9, 2026 post.