Am I Known?

John Faulkner's message from Wednesday March 4th 2026 confronts us with one of Scripture's most sobering warnings: the reality that many who believe themselves to be saved will hear Jesus say, 'I never knew you.' Drawing from Matthew 25's parable of the ten virgins, we discover that the issue was never about oil or preparedness in a superficial sense. The Greek translation reveals something far more devastating—when the door was shut, it signified compassion withdrawn, mercy no longer accessible, and a bond decisively severed. The foolish virgins weren't rejected because they lacked oil; they were rejected because they lacked relationship. They were acquainted with the bridegroom but weren't part of his life. This theme echoes throughout Matthew's gospel three times, and when God repeats Himself, we must pay attention. The message challenges our comfortable Christianity, reminding us that believing about Jesus is not the same as knowing Him. We can attend church, serve faithfully, even prophesy and cast out demons in His name, yet still hear those terrifying words: 'Depart from me.' The path forward is clear: genuine repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, receiving the Holy Spirit, and cultivating an authentic, daily relationship through prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience, and service. Our names in the Lamb's Book of Life depend not on religious activity but on intimate relationship with the Savior.