Matthew 7:21-23 says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your names, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

This passage looks on to a future day (for Jesus said, “Many will say to Me IN THAT DAY”) when all unbelievers will be raised from the dead and stand before the Great White Throne to be judged by the Lord Jesus Christ. I would encourage you to read of this “DAY of Judgment” in Revelation 20:11-15. Verse 15 says, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Again, on this Judgment Day only those who had refused to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be there. One thousand years before that all believers are raised from the dead to eternal life with Christ and to reign with Him (read Revelation 20:1-4). We read in verses 5-6, “But the REST OF THE DEAD did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the FIRST RESURRECTION. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” We learn in this chapter that there are TWO RESURRECTIONS that are separated by 1,000 years. The FIRST RESURRECTION is the “resurrection unto life” and the SECOND RESURRECTION is the “resurrection of condemnation” (see John 5:28-29).

Believers who are blessed to be in the First Resurrection know they are there for one reason: THEIR FAITH IN CHRIST. They will not be boasting of their good works that they had done for the Lord. They will be boasting of the Lord’s finished work on the cross that saved them and made them fit for heaven. The Apostle Paul could say, “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). He knew his so-called good works counted for nothing and thus he was inspired to write to other believers, “For by grace you have been SAVED THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST.” Throughout eternity the believer will be boasting of Christ their Savior (see Revelation 1:5-6 with 5:6-10).

Unbelievers who will have part in the Second Resurrection will find out that their LACK OF FAITH IN CHRIST has sealed their doom, for they will learn that eternal life, and having your name written in the Book of Life, comes only through believing in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. John 3:16-18 declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.” There will be those who challenge the Lord Jesus by boasting of their good works that they supposedly did in His name (as we saw in Matthew 7:22), only to learn that their so-called good works could not save them. Jesus will declare to them, “I never knew you, depart from Me,” for He only knows those who have truly put their faith in Him for salvation. We see this truth in John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I KNOW THEM, and they follow Me. And I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” The unbeliever has NEVER BELIEVED IN CHRIST and thus the Lord Jesus NEVER KNEW THEM as His sheep. Are you, dear reader, a “sheep of Christ” by having heard His voice in the gospel and believed it (see John 5:24-25)? If so, He KNOWS YOU and He has GIVEN YOU ETERNAL LIFE and you will never perish.  (DO)  (614.1)