I never knew you.

Paul wrote the following in Philippians 3:3-8: I had confidence my flesh. I was circumcised the eighth day; I am of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness, which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, THOSE I COUNTED LOSS FOR Christ.

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.”

Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone 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?”

All the above were gifts of the Holy Spirit, giving the sense of God’s inspired and authoritative teachings and services rendered to their cause.

Verse 23, Yet Jesus will “profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity.”

Yes, you have acknowledged my authority; you professed my name, cast out devils, and accomplished miracles, yet you shall not enter my kingdom.”

The question, “Why not?” 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time (has) come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; --- and shall turn unto fables.”

Mark 8:38, Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words (Christ’s testimony) in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Many who call themselves Christian are neither hot nor cold but have chosen to remain lukewarm.

2 Timothy 1:12, Paul writes, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day,”

Jesus will tear away the veil from all hypercritical intentions, telling them, “We never had a relationship because I never sent you.” The last words they will hear, “Depart from me.” Words coming from the lips of the Lord to a people who claim to have been intimate with him.

Matthew 25:41, “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Luke 13:26-27, “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are depart from me.”

Some imagine their works sufficient to bring them into the kingdom of God, but it’s a staged show, a display staged for an audience. Compliments and flattery mouthed for favors returned to the sender with more flattery and expressions of esteem. Yet these flatteries and favors are never paid as honest services; therefore, what account can they be for Christ Jesus?

Matthew 21:30, A certain man “Came to the second (son) and said likewise,” go work in my vineyard. “And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.”

Jesus actually reveals why He said, "I never knew you." After making that statement, He explains the necessity of laying a proper foundation, and the consequences for those who don't.

According to scripture the foundation consists of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, and the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." Heb 6:1-2

It's important to point out that the people believed in Jesus, yet heard the dreaded words, "I never knew you." Keep in mind many think believing in Jesus is all that is necessary in order to be saved. It's also crucial to note Jesus didn't say, I don't know you now; indicating He once did. No, what He said was, "I NEVER knew you."

Matt 7:21-27
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.

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?

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

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
KJV

I think everything you need is right there in the passage.
The context is that these people who Jesus is denying are false prophets. They ask 'haven't we done this and that?' But Jesus never affirms that they actually did any these things- these are not actual believers he is rejecting: only, they will insist that they were based on works they did or imagined to have done that had the appearance of being in faith; but in reality, they were not.

Note their resume for why they should be saved.

NONE of them said anything like "Lord did we not believe and trust in Your Name? And were we not born again?"

No. They relied on THEIR works, even in Jesus' Name.
NOT on the finished work of Christ.

Jesus NEVER knew. In the same way the Bible refers to how Adam knew his wife and conceived.

They weren't born of the Spirit.
Not that Jesus at one time knew them (made them new creations) and they did, or didn't do something to attain or maintain their new birth.
He NEVER knew them.

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that he and Israel might know Him, and in 1 Kings 2:1-3, God taught how to walk in His way though the Mosaic Law. In Jeremiah 9:3 and 9:6, they did not know God and refused to know Him because in 9:13 they had forsaken the Mosaic Law while in 9:24, those who know God know that He delights in practicing steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in all of the earth, so delighting in practicing those and other aspects of God's character in obedience to the Mosaic Law is the way to know God, which is also the way to know Jesus, who is the exact image of God's character (Hebrews 1:3). In 1 John 2:4, those who say that they know Jesus, but don't obey his commands are liars, in 1 John 3:4-6, those who continue to practice sin in transgression of the Mosaic Law have neither seen nor known him, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them. So knowing God and Jesus is the goal of the Mosaic Law, which is eternal life (John 17:3), which is also why Jesus said that the way to inherit internal life is by obeying God's commandments (Luke 10:25-28, Matthew 19:17).

However, people can go through the motions of obeying the Mosaic Law while neglecting to practice its weightier matters, which are aspects of God's character. For example, in Matthew 23:23, Jesus said that tithing was something that they ought to be doing while not neglecting weightier matters of the Mosaic Law of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. In Roman 9:30-10:4, the had a zeal for God, but it was not based on knowing Him, so they failed to attain righteousness because they misunderstood the goal of the law by pursuing it as through righteousness were earned as the result of their works in order to establish their own instead of pursuing it as through righteousness were by faith in Christ, for Christ is the goal of the law for righteousness for everyone who has faith. In John 5:39-40, Jesus said that they searched the Scriptures because they thought that in them they might find eternal life, and they testify about him, yet they don't come to him that they might have life. Eternal life can be found in Scriptures, so they were correct to search for it there, but they needed to recognize that the goal of everything in Scriptures is to teach us how to know Christ and come to him for eternal life.

So in Philippians 3:3-8, Paul had been the same situation where he was going through the motions of obeying the Mosaic Law, but he had been doing that while neglecting to know Christ through experiencing aspects of His nature, so he had been missing the whole goal of the law, and that is what he counted as rubbish. It should not be interpreted as saying that obeying the Mosaic Law is rubbish and we just need to focus on knowing Christ instead.

Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone 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?”

I believe those, in this passage, who say such things are liars. One cannot prophesy, cast out devils, or do works in Christ without the Spirit of God indwelling them. This is a form of godliness without the requisite power.

~
● Matt 7:21-22 . . Not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he 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 perform many
miracles?"

FAQ: Is something amiss?

REPLY: Rapport is missing-- defined as a friendly relationship marked by
ready communication and mutual understanding. In other words; Jesus is
going to spurn those folks because they somehow failed to initiate an
intimate, person-to-person, association with the one man in Christianity that
matters most.

Important Safety Tip: When Jesus says "come" and/or "ask" he expects his
audiences to reciprocate with an RSVP.

● Matt 11:28-29 . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I
will give you rest.

● John 4:10-14 . .If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for
a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living
water.

● John 7:37 . . On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and
said in a loud voice; "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

● John 5:39 . . .You diligently study the scriptures because you think that by
them you possess eternal life. These are the scriptures that testify about
me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Bottom line: Talk to God's son; get a dialogue going with him lest the hapless
day arrive when he's heard to say "Away from me stranger; I don't know you"
_

Jesus says why not right there in the verse
depart from me ye that work iniquity.
They thought they were following Christ but they were practicing lawlessness.

anomia: lawlessness
Original Word: ἀνομία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: anomia
Phonetic Spelling: (an-om-ee'-ah)
Definition: lawlessness
Usage: lawlessness, iniquity, disobedience, sin.

Romans 12:2

I liked your point that Jesus actually reveals why He said, "I never knew you." After making that statement, He explains the necessity of laying a proper foundation, and the consequences for those who don't.

However, the foundation you commissioned from Hebrews, whereas I would suggest that Jesus also here says what the foundation of vv. 24-27 is - not the six core fundamental truths of the Kingdom from Hebrews, but the behaviours and attitudes detailed in the Kingdom charter he has just unveiled in Chapters 5-7.

I always read it as a comparison, like saying on "one hand people will say we believed"(but didn't change their lives one bit aka fakes) "and then there will be people saying we did all these good deeds so we deserve to be saved"(people trying to earn their way in).

Please, please, please quote scripture accurately, @10-22-27.

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

- Philippians 3:3-8 (KJV)

Truth is sometimes hard to hear, but it makes the better changes than things we always like to hear

“in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:25-26‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Caught in a trap but truth sets free it’s always something we hadn’t heard before that becomes the key ……

but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:16, 19-25‬ ‭KJV‬‬


“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by him.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:5-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

At Matthew 13: 24-30, Jesus talks about the wheat and the weeds. The weeds are imitation Christians. These weeds right from the beginning have as their ruler, Satan the Devil. So they were never Gods true servants, but they will honestly believe they are true servants of the true God, and these weeds will honestly believe that the wheat are not true Christians, so much so, that these weeds will expel the wheat from the synagogues, and kill them thinking they're doing a holy service to the true God. (John 16:1-4) So although these weeds will be saying lord lord but because they were always weeds, with Satan as their ruler, Jesus never knew them.

Indeed. Jesus rebuked his disciples when they wanted to call down fire on the heretic Samaritans. There have been many self-designated "Christian organisations" that have been initiated by persecutors and torturers of those who did not believe like them. There have been many "Christian organisations" that have imbibed doctrines taught by persecutors and torturers who arose from their midst and made those doctrines dogma. And yet many today admire those persecutors and propagate doctrines that originated from those tares.

There is something very interesting about the event you mention. The actual conversion account of the Samaritans was delayed, unlike the Jews and Gentiles, they waited days before receiving the Holy Ghost.

Philip the Evangelist presented the gospel message to the group. They believed him and responded, being water baptized in Jesus’ name; yet they did not receive the Holy Ghost. I wondered why Peter and John were given the task of assisting in the experience. It was puzzling since Philip was full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:5) why didn’t God just use him? I felt there was some significance to it. So, I questioned God.

A short while later I was reminded of the comment in Luke. The Apostle John (who accompanied Peter) was rebuked by Jesus for asking if he and another disciple should call down fire and consume the Samaritans since they would not receive Jesus. (Luke 9:52-56)

Realization hit me. God gave John a front row seat to witness exactly what Jesus meant when He said “I have come not to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (Luke 9:56) Yes, the Samaritan people did receive fire from Heaven; but not for destruction. The fire come down from Heaven was the Holy Ghost that all must receive in order to be saved. (Rom. 8:9)

I can just imagine the look on John’s face when he realized that these very people would have lost the opportunity to be saved if Jesus had allowed him to have his way.

Nice observation.