I Never Knew You: Matthew 7:21-23 — An Unworthy Christian

"I Never Knew You"

Matthew 7:21–23 — A Foundation Study
Why True Christians Have Nothing to Fear

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

— Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)

Introduction: The Most Sobering Words in Scripture

Few passages in all of Scripture stop a reader cold the way Matthew 7:21–23 does. On the surface it appears deeply frightening — even to sincere, committed Christians. People who prophesied, cast out demons, and performed wonderful works in the name of Jesus are turned away at the gate of heaven with the words "I never knew you."

If that can happen to them — people who did dramatic supernatural works in Christ's name — what hope is there for the rest of us?

The answer, when this passage is properly understood, is not despair. It is one of the most clarifying and ultimately comforting passages in the entire New Testament. The purpose of this study is to walk through Matthew 7:21–23 carefully and thoroughly, so that by the end you will understand not only what Jesus is warning against, but why the true Christian — the genuinely saved believer — has absolutely nothing to fear from this passage.

In fact, understanding it deeply may be one of the greatest assurances you will ever receive.

Part 1 — Setting the Stage: The Sermon on the Mount Context

Matthew 7:21–23 does not appear in isolation. It sits near the end of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), one of the most extended teaching passages in the Gospels. Understanding the flow of the surrounding verses is important.

Just before our passage, in verses 13–14, Jesus warns about the narrow gate:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

— Matthew 7:13–14 (KJV)

Then in verses 15–20 He warns about false prophets — those who look impressive on the outside but are corrupt within. He uses the image of trees and fruit: a corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit, and a good tree cannot produce corrupt fruit.

Matthew 7:21–23 is the logical and sobering conclusion to both warnings. The false prophets of verses 15–20 meet their end in verses 21–23. The broad way of verse 13 leads exactly here — to people who were certain they were on the right path, only to discover they never were.

The passage is therefore a warning about a specific and dangerous kind of spiritual self-deception — not a warning to genuine believers that they may lose their salvation.

Part 2 — Reading the Passage Carefully

Let us read it again and notice every detail. Verse 21:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

— Matthew 7:21 (KJV)

The repetition of "Lord, Lord" is significant. This is not casual acknowledgment. These are people who called Jesus Lord with emphasis and familiarity. They were not secret unbelievers — they were publicly, visibly, vocally religious. They spoke His name. They used His title. Yet Jesus says this alone is insufficient. Verse 22:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"

— Matthew 7:22 (KJV)

"That day" refers to the Day of Judgment — the final reckoning before the throne of Christ. These individuals are not bringing excuses or denials. They are presenting what they believe to be a powerful, undeniable credential: a lengthy list of supernatural works performed in Jesus' name. Prophesying. Casting out devils. Wonderful works. These are not trivial religious activities. These are extraordinary, dramatic, publicly visible spiritual acts. And yet — verse 23:

"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

— Matthew 7:23 (KJV)

Jesus does not debate the works. He does not question whether the prophecies were real or the demons were actually cast out. He dismisses the entire credential presentation with one devastating declaration: "I never knew you."

And He calls them workers of iniquity. This raises three urgent questions that the rest of this study will answer:

How could genuine supernatural works be called "iniquity"?
What does "I never knew you" actually mean?
What was missing — and what does the true believer have that these people lacked?

Part 3 — How Are Their Works Considered Iniquity?

This is the question that troubles most readers. If someone cast out a demon or prophesied and it came true — surely those works are evidence of God's approval? How can works like these be called iniquity?

The answer is critical: the works themselves are not the iniquity. The condition of the heart performing them is.

The Greek Word: Anomia

The word translated "iniquity" in verse 23 is the Greek word ἀνομία (anomia). It literally means "lawlessness" — operating outside of God's governing order. In the context of the New Covenant, that governing order is a genuine, personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These works were performed outside of that relationship. They were, in the deepest sense, unauthorized — impressive in appearance, but disconnected from genuine covenant with Christ.

The Works Were Real — The Relationship Was Not

An important parallel comes from the life of Judas Iscariot. Judas was among the twelve apostles sent out by Jesus in Mark 6:7 with power and authority to cast out unclean spirits. He performed the same works as the other apostles. Yet Jesus would later say of him:

"Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

— John 6:70 (KJV)

The power Judas operated in was real. The man was not genuinely Christ's. Similarly, the demons that Jesus cast out regularly and loudly declared His divinity:

"I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God."

— Mark 1:24 (KJV)

Knowing who Jesus is — even accurately — does not constitute saving faith or genuine relationship with Him. James makes this plain:

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

— James 2:19 (KJV)

The Self-Revealing Grammar of Their Defense

Here is something most readers miss entirely, yet it is one of the most revealing things in the entire passage. Look carefully at how these workers present their defense:

What They Said	What Genuine Belief Would Say
"Have we not prophesied in thy name?"	"Have You not prophesied through us?"
"Have we not cast out devils?"	"Did You not cast out devils through us?"
"Have we not done many wonderful works?"	"Were these not Your works done through us?"

The subject is always "we." They are claiming the works as their own achievement, merely performed under license of Christ's name. They are presenting God with their résumé. But this is the posture of true discipleship — Paul, one of the most fruitful servants in all of church history, never spoke of his works as his own:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."

— Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

— Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

The workers of iniquity had the grammar of their faith exactly backwards. The subject was self, and Christ was merely the authorizing power source they invoked. True faith inverts this entirely — Christ is the source, the believer is the instrument.

Works Cannot Create Relationship — Only Relationship Produces Genuine Works

This is the fundamental reversal the workers of iniquity made. They appear to have believed that their works were proof of relationship — perhaps even the means of achieving standing with God. Jesus makes clear in verse 21 that the standard is entirely different. And what is the Father's will? John 6:40 answers this directly:

"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

— John 6:40 (KJV)

The Father's will is believing on the Son. Not performing works in His name. Not accumulating supernatural achievements. Believing on Him — truly, personally, savingly. The workers of iniquity failed the verse 21 test because this genuine belief was absent. Their works, however spectacular, were performed outside of saving faith and genuine relationship. They were therefore, in the most precise theological sense, lawless — anomia — works done outside of the governing covenant.

Part 4 — "I Never Knew You": The Full Covenantal Weight

Of all the phrases in Matthew 7:21–23, this is the one that carries the deepest and most devastating meaning — and it requires going beneath the English to understand it fully.

The Greek Word: Egnon

The word Jesus uses for "knew" is ἔγνων (egnon), the aorist form of γινώσκω (ginosko). The aorist tense in Greek refers to a point in time — specifically here, a retrospective declaration covering the entire span of their existence. This is not "I no longer know you." It is not "I once knew you but you fell away." It is a categorical, permanent statement: at no point, across the entire history of your life, did I ever know you.

But ginosko itself carries far more weight than mere cognitive awareness. In the Septuagint — the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament that Jesus and the apostles regularly used — ginosko consistently translates the Hebrew word יָדַע (yada). And yada is where the full meaning lives.

יָדַע (Yada) — The Hebraic Concept of Knowing

In Hebrew thought, "knowing" is never merely intellectual. Yada is intimate, experiential, covenantal knowledge — the kind of knowing that involves deep personal engagement and belonging. Consider how it appears throughout Scripture:

"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived."

— Genesis 4:1 (KJV)

This is the most intimate possible human knowing — complete vulnerability and union. This is the baseline meaning of the word. Now hear God speaking to the prophet Jeremiah using this same concept:

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee."

— Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV)

God's knowing of Jeremiah preceded his birth. It was elective, covenantal, purposeful knowing — not mere awareness of existence, but a sovereign claiming and setting apart. Now listen to Jesus use the positive form of this same concept in John 10:

"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."

— John 10:14 (KJV)

The word is ginosko — the same word as Matthew 7:23, but in the direction of genuine covenant relationship. His sheep are known by Him in this deep, yada sense. And the implications of that knowing are spelled out two verses later in John 10:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

— John 10:27–28 (KJV)

The knowing and the following are inseparable. The security and the knowing are inseparable. To be known by the Shepherd in this yada sense is to have eternal life and permanent security. The workers of iniquity were never in this flock. Jesus confirms this not by evaluating their works but by declaring the covenant reality: "I never knew you."

The Covenant Formula

Throughout Scripture, the covenant relationship between God and His people is expressed in a specific formula:

"I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

— Jeremiah 31:33 (KJV)

This mutual belonging — God knowing His people, His people belonging to Him — is the essence of covenant. The New Testament captures this in 2 Timothy 2:19:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his."

— 2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)

"The Lord knoweth them that are his" — this is the positive yada declaration. It is the seal of genuine belonging. The workers of iniquity receive the precise inverse: "I never knew you" — the covenantal declaration of non-belonging, of never having been His.

"I Never Knew You" — Not "I No Longer Know You"

This distinction is theologically critical and deeply comforting to the genuine believer. Jesus does not say:

"I once knew you but you fell away"
"I knew you but you lost your salvation"
"I knew you but your sins disqualified you"

He says "I never knew you." The Greek word οὐδέποτε (oudepote) — never, not at any point, not ever — retrospectively covers every moment of their existence. There was no covenant point at which the relationship existed. This is the ground of assurance for the genuine believer. If the security of the saved rests on God's knowing — and the terror of the lost is God's never having known them — then the question for every person is: Has God known me? Am I in that covenant? And that question is answered not by reviewing your works but by examining the nature of your faith.

"Depart From Me" — The Language of Exile

The phrase "depart from me" adds one final covenantal layer. This is the language of exile — being cast out from the presence of God. In the Old Testament, to be separated from God's presence was understood as the ultimate covenant curse. When Cain was driven from God's face he cried:

"Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid."

— Genesis 4:14 (KJV)

Being hidden from God's face — separation from His presence — was understood as the deepest possible loss. When Jesus pronounces "depart from me," He is issuing the ultimate covenant exclusion — permanent, irreversible exile from the presence of the One they claimed to serve. They stand before Him on judgment day and receive the verdict that defines eternity: they never belonged to Him.

Part 5 — What Was Missing: Romans 3:23 and the Foundation of Genuine Faith

We now come to the heart of the matter. What did the workers of iniquity lack? What is it that the true Christian possesses that they did not? The answer begins with Romans 3:23 — one of the most important verses in all of Scripture:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

— Romans 3:23 (KJV)

This verse is the universal diagnosis of the human condition. The Greek word for "come short" — ὑστεροῦνται (hystерountai) — is present tense, continuous. Not merely "you sinned once in the past" but "you are in an ongoing state of falling short of God's standard." Every human being who has ever lived — saint, prophet, apostle, preacher — stands under this verdict without exception.

The workers of iniquity in Matthew 7 almost certainly never truly confronted Romans 3:23 personally. Their entire posture — "look what we have done" — was achievement-oriented. But genuine surrender to Christ begins from the opposite posture entirely.

You Cannot Truly Surrender to Christ Until You Reckon With What You Are Surrendering From

The good news of the Gospel — the word "Gospel" literally means good news — can only be truly received by those who first understand the bad news. Romans 3:23 is the bad news. But Paul doesn't stop there. Look at the verses immediately surrounding it:

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested...Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe."

— Romans 3:21–22 (KJV)

Then comes verse 23 — all have sinned — then immediately:

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

— Romans 3:24 (KJV)

The structure of the argument is the structure of genuine salvation:

God's righteousness is available — but only by faith
All are disqualified by sin from earning it
Therefore it must be received freely by grace

The workers of iniquity never reached step three. They were still in the business of earning and presenting credentials. They had skipped the personal application of step two — the genuine reckoning with their own sinfulness and complete inability to stand before God on their own merit — and moved straight to performing. They constructed a religious life built on spiritual achievement rather than on the received righteousness of Christ.

Part 6 — What Genuine Surrender Looks Like

If the workers of iniquity represent the wrong posture before God, what does the right posture look like? Scripture is clear and specific.

1. Genuine Conviction of Sin — Owning Romans 3:23 Personally

Genuine surrender begins when a person stops comparing themselves to others and stands honestly before God's standard. David — king, warrior, man after God's own heart — modeled this in his great psalm of repentance:

"For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight."

— Psalm 51:3–4 (KJV)

Notice that David does not offset his sin against his achievements. The crown, the victories, the psalms — none of it enters the equation. He stands before God with nothing but his sin. That is the posture of genuine conviction.

2. Abandonment of Self-Righteousness

This is perhaps the hardest step, and it is the step the workers of iniquity never took. It is not enough to surrender your sins. You must surrender your good works as a basis for standing before God. Isaiah states the uncompromising truth:

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."

— Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)

Not our sins — our righteousnesses. Our best religious achievements, our most impressive spiritual résumé items — before God's standard they are as filthy rags. Paul — a Pharisee of Pharisees, circumcised on the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, blameless according to the law — arguably the most religiously credentialed man of his generation. His verdict on all of it:

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ...and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ."

— Philippians 3:7–9 (KJV)

The Greek word Paul uses for his credentials — σκύβαλα (skybala) — is a coarse word meaning dung, refuse, waste. That is the posture of surrender regarding self-righteousness. Everything that could be used to impress God is counted as waste so that the righteousness of Christ alone may be the basis of standing. The workers of iniquity stood before Christ presenting their skybala as credentials.

3. True Repentance — A Genuine Turning

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out."

— Acts 3:19 (KJV)

The Greek word μετάνοια (metanoia) means a complete change of mind — not merely remorse or regret, but a fundamental reorientation of direction. You were going one way — managing your own life, constructing your own righteousness, serving your own agenda. Repentance means turning around and going another way — toward God, under His authority, living for His purposes. This is not merely a feeling. It is a decisive inward turning.

4. Confessing Christ as Lord — Genuinely, With the Heart

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

— Romans 10:9 (KJV)

The workers of iniquity confessed "Lord, Lord" with their mouths. But Romans 10:9 requires heart belief — not performance, not invocation, not religious activity. Heart belief that God raised Jesus from the dead carries a world of implication. It means accepting Christ's full authority as the One who conquered death. It means yielding to Him as sovereign over your own life and death. You cannot genuinely hold that belief and simultaneously present God with your list of achievements as if those achievements constitute your standing.

5. Receiving Christ's Righteousness — Not Earning It

This is where Romans 3:21–24 lands with full force. The righteousness required to stand before God is not generated by human performance — it is the righteousness of God Himself, given freely through faith in Jesus Christ. Genuine surrender means releasing your own righteousness and receiving His. This is what Paul meant in Philippians 3:9 — "not having mine own righteousness...but that which is through the faith of Christ." The true Christian stands before God not on the basis of anything they have done, but entirely on the basis of what Christ has done. This is grace. This is the Gospel.

6. Abiding — Ongoing Surrender, Not a One-Time Transaction

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

— John 15:4 (KJV)

Genuine surrender is not a single event that earns entry — it is a posture of ongoing dependence. The branch does not periodically reconnect to the vine and then operate independently. It remains. It abides. The life of the vine flows continuously through it, producing fruit that is genuinely the vine's fruit through the branch. The workers of iniquity operated independently — they invoked Christ's name and went to work. The true Christian abides and bears fruit that flows from that abiding. The difference is the difference between a branch and a tool.

Part 7 — The Mutual Knowing: The Assurance of the True Believer

We have spent considerable time examining the negative — what the workers of iniquity lacked. Now let us look squarely at the positive, because this is where the comfort for the true Christian lives.

Paul, in Galatians 4:9, makes a statement that should be carefully examined:

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God..."

— Galatians 4:9 (KJV)

Notice that Paul begins to say "you have known God" — and then corrects himself mid-sentence: "or rather are known of God." This is not a small correction. Paul is redirecting the emphasis entirely. The foundation of the believer's relationship with God is not primarily our knowing of God — it is God's knowing of us. His knowing comes first. His knowing is the ground. Our knowing of Him is the response.

This is the reverse of what the workers of iniquity experienced. They performed works in His name but He never knew them. The true believer may have imperfect knowledge, incomplete understanding, weak faith — but God knows them. And His knowing is yada — intimate, covenantal, permanent, elective.

The Seal That Cannot Be Broken

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his."

— 2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)

The foundation is sure. The seal is this: The Lord knoweth them that are his. This is the positive declaration — the exact opposite of Matthew 7:23. For those who are genuinely His, there is a knowing that is settled, sealed, and sure. It does not depend on the quality of their works or the consistency of their performance. It rests on God's own knowledge of His covenant people.

The Shepherd and His Sheep — Security in Being Known

Return to John 10:27–28 one final time. This passage deserves to be read slowly:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

— John 10:27–28 (KJV)

The knowing and the eternal life are inseparable. To be known by the Shepherd — in the yada sense — is to have eternal life. And those who have eternal life shall never perish. Not "probably won't perish." Not "won't perish as long as their works are sufficient." Never perish.

The workers of iniquity were never in this flock. The true believer is — and the evidence of being in the flock is not a list of supernatural works, but the simple reality of hearing His voice and following.

Part 8 — A Summary Contrast: Two Kinds of Religious Life

To bring everything together, consider the fundamental contrast this passage draws:

The Workers of Iniquity	The True Believer
Called Jesus "Lord" without genuine submission to His lordship	Calls Jesus Lord because He genuinely is their Lord — sovereign over all
Performed works in His name with self as the true subject	Bears fruit, but credits Christ as the source: "not I, but Christ"
Believed their works created or demonstrated their standing	Rests on Christ's righteousness alone as the basis of standing
Never genuinely reckoned with their own sinfulness (Romans 3:23)	Has confronted Romans 3:23 and received Romans 3:24
Treated Christ's name as a power mechanism rather than a covenant identity	Belongs to Christ in the full covenant sense — known by Him in the yada sense
Never in the covenant — never the object of God's yada-knowing	Sealed: "The Lord knoweth them that are his"
On judgment day, presents their résumé — and is exiled	On judgment day, stands in Christ's righteousness — not their own

The difference is not the presence or absence of religious works. It is the presence or absence of genuine covenant relationship — the yada-knowing that begins with God's elective grace and is entered through faith that receives rather than performs.

Part 9 — Why True Christians Have Nothing to Fear

We promised at the beginning that genuine believers have nothing to fear from this passage. Let us now state that clearly and completely.

Matthew 7:21–23 is not a warning to true Christians that they might lose their salvation. It is a warning about a specific spiritual danger — performing religious works as a substitute for genuine relationship — that the true Christian, by definition, has not fallen into.

If you have:

Genuinely confronted your sinfulness and your inability to stand before God on your own merit
Repented — truly turned from self-governance toward Christ
Received Christ's righteousness by faith, not attempted to earn God's favour
Surrendered to Jesus as Lord — not merely invoked His name as a power source
Known the difference between serving God for what you can offer Him and resting in what He has done for you

...then the words "I never knew you" do not apply to you. Because you are known. The Lord knoweth them that are his. The foundation is sure. The seal is in place.

The passage should, however, prompt honest self-examination — not paralysing fear, but healthy introspection. The right question is not "Have I done enough works?" but "Is Christ truly my Lord — not just the name I invoke, but the One I have surrendered to and abide in?"

If the honest answer is yes — if you have genuinely come to Him empty-handed, received His grace, and follow His voice — then this passage is not a threat. It is a mirror that shows you clearly what you are not, and in doing so, confirms what you are.

Conclusion: The Safest Place in the Universe

The most terrifying words in Matthew 7:23 are for those who never truly came to Christ. The most comforting words for the true believer are found scattered through the same Gospel:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

— Matthew 11:28 (KJV)

"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

— John 6:37 (KJV)

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish."

— John 10:27–28 (KJV)

"The Lord knoweth them that are his."

— 2 Timothy 2:19 (KJV)

The safest place in the universe is not a life of impressive religious achievement. It is a life hidden in Christ — known by Him, abiding in Him, standing in His righteousness alone. That life has nothing to fear from any judgment, because the Judge is also the Shepherd, and He knows His own.

He knew you before the foundation of the world. He gave His Son for you. He drew you to repentance. He received you when you came. He sealed you with His Spirit. And on that final day, when others stand before Him with their résumés, He will know you — not because of anything you brought, but because you are His.

That is grace. That is the Gospel. That is why "I never knew you" is, for the true believer, not a terror to dread — but a mirror that confirms whose you are.

Key Scriptures for Further Study

Matthew 7:13–23 — The full context: the narrow gate, false prophets, and "I never knew you"
John 6:37–40 — The Father's will and Christ's promise to receive all who come
John 10:14, 27–28 — The Good Shepherd and the security of His sheep
Romans 3:21–24 — Righteousness by faith, freely given by grace
Galatians 2:20 — "Not I, but Christ"
Philippians 3:7–9 — Paul counts his credentials as dung to gain Christ
Isaiah 64:6 — Our righteousnesses as filthy rags
2 Timothy 2:19 — The Lord knoweth them that are his
Jeremiah 1:5 — God's yada-knowing before birth
Galatians 4:9 — "Known of God"

Study Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

Before reading this study, did Matthew 7:21–23 make you feel fearful? Why or why not? How has your understanding changed?
What is the difference between performing works "in the name of Jesus" and bearing fruit that flows from genuine relationship with Him? Can you think of examples from your own life?
The workers of iniquity said "have WE not done these works." Reflect honestly — do you tend to view your Christian life and service as things you do for God, or as things Christ does through you? What is the difference in practice?
Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and come short. Have you personally owned this verdict without qualification — without offsetting it against your good qualities or religious activities? What does it feel like to stand before God truly empty-handed?
What does it mean to you personally that God "knoweth them that are his"? How does God's knowing of you — not your knowing of Him — change how you think about your standing before Him?
How would you explain the difference between the "narrow gate" of Matthew 7:13–14 and the broad religious life of the workers of iniquity to someone who is new to faith?