A Closer Look at “Depart From Me”

If you want to spook a roomful of Christians, just whisper the phrase “depart from me.” Instant chills. Because, let’s be honest, most of us have heard the sermons: “One day many will say ‘Lord, Lord,’ and Jesus will reply, ‘I never knew you.’ And that could be you!”

Cue the dramatic organ music. Cue the altar call. Cue the lifelong anxiety that maybe, just maybe, you’ll slip through the cracks and end up on the wrong side of eternity.

But is that what Jesus meant? Do Christians have to worry about hearing those words?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Let’s dig into it.

That passage in Matthew 7 has been scaring the grace right out of people for centuries. It’s the reason so many believers walk on spiritual eggshells, afraid to rest, afraid to enjoy what Jesus already finished.

That fear ends here.

Jesus’ Intended Audience 

When Jesus talked about those he “never knew,” who were they? Who were the “depart from me” crowd?

Let’s go back to Matthew 7:22-23, where he spells it out: “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!’”

Notice the résumé they bring.

Did they say, “Lord, Lord, thank you for dying for my sins”?

No.

Did they say, “Lord, thank you for giving me eternal life by grace through faith”?

Nope.

Instead, they argued their case based on their deeds. Prophesying. Exorcisms. Miracles. Their confidence wasn’t in Christ. It was in their track record.

And Jesus’ response? “I never knew you.” Not “I knew you once, but then you blew it.” Which means they were never believers in the first place. These aren’t Christians who lost salvation. These are religious achievers who never had it.

So why can you, as a believer, rest easy that you’ll never hear those words? Because the new covenant screams safety and security from every angle. Let’s hit the top three reasons.

1. Total forgiveness, once for all.

Hebrews 10:14 says, “For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (NASB).

Perfected forever. Not perfect until your next sin. Not perfect until you fail to forgive someone. Not perfect until you forget to confess. Not perfect until you miss a quiet time.

By one sacrifice, it’s done. Again, you’re totally forgiven—past, present, and future. And if you’re totally forgiven, what’s left to condemn you?

Nothing. That’s the first reason you’re safe in Christ forever.

2. “Eternal life” means “eternal.”

Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

Eternal life that can be lost isn’t eternal. It’s temporary life. And that’s not what Jesus promises. From the very start, the gift is everlasting.

3. God promised safety, period.

Hebrews 13:5 promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Second Timothy 2:13 assures, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Romans 8:38-39 declares, “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God.”

God doesn’t make empty promises. He says he’ll never leave you. He means it. He says nothing separates you from him. He means it. Your safety is his integrity.

Adapted from The Impossible Teachings of Jesus by Andrew Farley. Copyright © 2026 by Andrew Farley. Published by Zondervan, a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Used by permission. You can catch Andrew Farley’s program, “The Grace Message,” on The Stream.