Main Theme: This episode continues the discussion on Matthew 7:21-23, focusing on the concept of truly knowing Jesus and the implications of being labeled a “worker of lawlessness.”

Key Points:

• Lifelong Learning: The episode begins by emphasizing that Christians are always students of God’s Word, regardless of their experience or knowledge.
• Assurance of Salvation: Marie raises the question of why people would fake their faith, especially given the assurance of salvation that comes from truly knowing Jesus.
• Two Paths: Will explains that the context of Matthew 7:21-23 involves Jesus presenting two paths: a narrow path leading to life and a wide path leading to destruction. This passage is part of a series of contrasts (good fruit/bad fruit, narrow gate/wide gate, solid rock/shaky soil) in the Sermon on the Mount.
• Deception and Ulterior Motives: The speakers discuss the possibility of people being well-intentioned but not truly converted, as well as those who have ulterior motives, like Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8.
• The Significance of “I Never Knew You”: The speakers return to the crucial phrase “I never knew you” in Matthew 7:23, emphasizing its importance in distinguishing true believers from those who are not. They connect this to the concept of being a “worker of iniquity” (or lawlessness), suggesting a continuous and willful pattern of sin.
• Sincerity and God’s Compassion: Marie questions whether a truly sincere person would be rejected by God. Will seems to imply that true sincerity would lead to genuine conversion.
• The Importance of Self-Examination: The closing prayer asks God to reveal any areas of deception or self-deception, echoing Psalm 139:23-24.

Scripture References:

• Matthew 7:21-23
• Acts 8 (Simon the Sorcerer)
• Psalm 139:23-24