What is the Scariest Verse in the Bible for a Christian?
If you’d asked me a few years ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated.
Matthew 7:22-23.
Jesus says there will be people who come to Him and say something like, “Lord, Lord… didn’t I do all these things in Your name? Didn’t I prophesy? Didn’t I cast out demons?”
And Jesus responds:
“I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
That verse terrified me for a long time.
Because… wait.
Prophesying and casting out demons are good things. They’re not morally neutral. They aren’t random acts. They’re things we would normally point to as evidence of a powerful, Spirit-filled life.
Jesus even confirms elsewhere (Matthew 12) that demons are only cast out by God’s power.
So apparently—this is the part that made my stomach drop—
Someone can participate in real displays of God’s power and still not actually be connected to Him.
That feels… deeply unsettling.
I remember exactly when this verse stopped being theoretical for me.
I was sitting alone, Bible open, rereading Matthew 7 slowly because something in me wouldn’t let it go. I wasn’t living in obvious rebellion. I loved theology. I cared about truth. I wanted to obey God. But as I read Jesus’ words, a quiet question surfaced that I didn’t want to ask out loud:
What if I’m doing the right things… but missing Him?
It wasn’t a dramatic moment. No lightning bolt. Just a slow, heavy realization that I had been far more concerned with being correct and useful than with being deeply, honestly connected.
That scared me.
Because if spiritual activity could coexist with spiritual distance, then checking the right boxes suddenly didn’t feel very comforting.
The confusion that wouldn’t let go
Jesus doesn’t stop there. Previously, Matthew 7:18, He said:
“You will recognize them by their fruit. A good tree bears good fruit; a bad tree bears bad fruit.”
Okay. That seems straightforward.
Then in John 15, Jesus says something else that feels just as clear:
“I am the vine; you are the branches… apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Fruit only comes from connection.
So here’s where my brain started tying itself in knots:
- Casting out demons looks like good fruit
- Good fruit is supposed to mean connection to Jesus
- Yet Jesus turns these people away
So… how exactly am I supposed to know I’m saved?
If impressive spiritual activity isn’t proof, then what is?
The mistake we make about “fruit”
Here’s the turning point for me:
The Bible already defines what “fruit” actually is.
And it’s not what we usually assume.
Big works for God – miracles, public ministry, visible usefulness – are not the same thing as the fruit of the Spirit.
Good deeds are not automatically good fruit.
Galatians 5 spells it out plainly:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
That’s the fruit.
Notice what’s missing.
No platforms. No stage gifts. No spiritual résumé. No visible power displays. These qualities aren’t flashy. They don’t trend well online. And they can’t be sustained long-term without real transformation. They come from the condition of the heart, not the usefulness of the vessel.
God can use you… without knowing you
This is a hard truth, but it’s a freeing one:
God can use a person to advance His kingdom without being in relationship with them.
Because the power was never theirs to begin with. The miracle doesn’t validate the messenger. The gift doesn’t confirm intimacy. And that’s why Jesus doesn’t say, “You didn’t do enough.” He says, “I never knew you.”
The issue wasn’t effort. It was relationship.
So how do you know if you’re saved?
The best analogy I’ve found is this:
Picture a married couple walking through a crowded street. People around them might notice things – shared glances, ease, familiarity, quiet affection. They might assume, “Oh, they’re married.” And they’d probably be right. But no one in that crowd can know for sure. Only the two people in that covenant know whether they belong to each other.
In the same way, fruit can point toward connection. But salvation isn’t proven by performance. It’s proven by relationship.
The verse that once scared me now steadies me
Matthew 7 no longer terrifies me the way it used to. It sobers me. It anchors me. It strips away the pressure to perform for God and replaces it with an invitation to know Him. Seek to know Jesus. Not just to work for Him. Not just to be useful. Not just to do impressive things in His name. But to actually walk with Him.
It’s a lifelong journey. But it really is that simple. And it is absolutely worth it.
Be blessed my friends,
❤️ Rachel
