“I Never Knew You” – How To Avoid Ever Hearing The Terrifying Warning From Jesus
This isn’t about losing your salvation – it’s about whether it was ever actually yours; it’s the tragedy of a religious performance that never touched the heart – there is a reason, as it turns out, why the members of the worship team avoid and seek to dodge and regard as apostasy the word “performance”. We can build ministries, sing the songs, and quote the verses while our hearts remain far from Him. It’s the difference between knowing about the King and actually knowing the King is OUR KING and our heart belongs to HIM. Today, let’s strip away the religious noise and ask ourselves if we are truly walking in relationship or just going through the motions.
Introductory Text:
Holy Holy Holy. We welcome you to The Daily Redemption publication for June 06, 2026. Today’s headline is Are You In Danger Of Hearing Jesus Say “I Never Knew You”.
Matthew 7:21–23 (NIV) — “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!’”
Let’s look at me and ask the question of me and my church activities and use that as a point of comparison because many have wondered “does Zeb really know what this is all about? Does he really have a relationship with Jesus? Who is he to write even one DRBBB and why would I read such a thing? I have enough stumbling blocks why would I want one more? Who is this guy and how did he end up with close to the first and the last word in every 11AM service and helping to lead in worship every other week. How did we allow this to happen?” Or maybe not but it is good for me to envision that person and try to answer those questions if they lead me closer to God.
So let me say these in my defense…
1 When I was in the hospital a year and a few weeks ago with acute pancreatitis and some kind of infection which put my fever at 106 the Lord did the following…
He summoned for help when I was being ignored by the nurse on-duty. She called security on me instead of seeing what the health situation was in my room but security must have found me when I passed out and seen I needed emergency medical help “STAT!”. When I woke up however much time later the medical staff was not the only one working on me. I woke up to be told all terrible things about my condition to which I could only ask “Am I going to die?” and then I assessed how I was feeling and could only tell them “I feel good though” – “bada dada dadda dah” so I knew instantly this was the Lord providing the peace that surpasses all understanding. So I knew that the Lord had me in His favor. That was the first time that I felt certainty in that. Actually it didn’t fully dawn on me until the first time I came back to church a couple of weeks later when I put it all together. The Lord lives at Beach Church. Not at all that the Lord thought I was doing everything perfectly because he at least “allowed” me to go through this suffering but because He could see my heart through my imperfections and the blood of Jesus on me and wanted to teach me something. Thank you Lord
But even prior to that there was the feeling of the Holy Spirit taking up residence. It’s a beautiful feeling to be ripped apart from the inside by the Holy Spirit. For the first couple of years after I opened my heart and gave it to Jesus I would often feel just slightly overwhelmed by emotion every time I thought of something holy such as Jesus on the cross and His sacrifice for me. All I knew at the time was something was happening, something changing. For one who felt numb to most emotions for most of his life this was a gift in all aspects.
And more recently I have been going through a lot of heart changes. Btw did I mention that the heart has brain tissue and the direction of the impulse is not from the brain to the heart but the other way. So while the heart of many may be wicked it is capable of transformation and redemption and directing one’s emotional feelings and also thoughts. That is how one can have “a heart for the Lord” and how and why the Lord knows, specifically and in great detail, your heart. These heart changes take the form that I have different responses. Things that would have caused me grief and triggered a response just rattle around in the empty shell in my heart where grievances and a whole collection of emotional triggers used to be stored. Thank you Lord.
Luke 13:25–27 (NIV) — “Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’”
John 17:3 (NIV) — “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV) — “Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’”
Hosea 6:6 (NIV) — “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
James 2:19 (NIV) — “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
Revelation 3:15–16 (NIV) — “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Last thing is to look at the words of those whom Jesus is telling to bug off. It is not worship it is not “oh Lord you do such great things” it is we did great things. One need not look further than that to see why the response from Jesus was not what they expected. Do you do “great” things and then brag about them and justify the bragging by saying they were done in the Lord’s name? Then you might want to assess your heart, your relationship with God and the Bet365 chances that you might hear the terrifying warning. I pray for all of us.
Prayer For Whomsoevers:
Lord, search my heart today. I feel you have been working on me, changing, transforming and renewing me but I daily discover how much that I don’t know. I pray that you will continue to strip away any religious pretense and show me if I am truly walking with You or just walking around Your name. I don’t want to be a stranger to You in the end. Draw me near, teach me to know You, and let my life be a reflection of that intimate friendship. Amen.
