Many Will Say to Me…

Fictional narrative based on Scripture. Not a prophecy. Not a vision. Not divine revelation—just a warning based on what God has already said.

He had stood before crowds without trembling.
He had spoken God’s name with ease.
He had quoted Scripture with confidence, certainty, and polish.

But now there was no stage.

No lights.
No audience.
No music to soften the moment.

Only truth.

He stood before the judgment seat of Christ, and for the first time in his existence, he understood what silence really was. There were no voices but his own, and no words left to explain away. Every word he had ever spoken hung exposed, stripped of tone, stripped of intent, stripped of applause. He tried to speak first. That had always worked before.

“Lord,” he said, the word rolling off his tongue as it always had, “I served You. I spoke Your name. I taught in Your name.”

The words sounded smaller here.

He reached for the familiar defenses, the ones that had silenced critics and satisfied crowds.

“I brought people in. I encouraged them. I helped them feel close to You.”

He waited for affirmation.

None came.

Then the voice spoke. Not loud. Not angry. Not rushed.

Just final.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

The words were his own teaching once. He had preached them. Explained them. Softened them.

Now they stood unsoftened.

His mind raced. He grasped for evidence.

“Did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” (Matthew 7:22)

The verse left his mouth before he realized what he was doing.

Scripture answered Scripture.

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:23)

The word knew landed like a weight. He had known theology. He had known how to keep people listening, relying on stories and jokes rather than the Word meant to feed the sheep. He had assumed that was enough.

Memories pressed in on him. Sermons. Invitations. Rooms full of people nodding along. He had preached love. He had preached grace. Then the words came to him again, not as comfort, but as judgment. “And that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47). He knew those words. They were among the Lord’s final instructions to His disciples.

Standing there, it became painfully clear. He had spoken often of forgiveness, but he had rarely called anyone to repent. How had he missed the weight of what Christ Himself said must be proclaimed.

Images began to surface around him, not as accusations, but as truth. Faces. Thousands of them. Some confused. Some deceived. Some broken. Some hardened. People who had trusted him because he spoke with certainty.

People who had walked away from repentance because he told them they were fine.

People who had built their faith on his words instead of God’s.

He whispered, “I didn’t mean to lead anyone astray.”

The answer was Scripture again, calm and unmoved.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1)

Stricter.

Stricter?

He had taught that verse too. He had joked about it once. He had waved it away with a smile and a story.

There were no stories left. No excuses.

He realized then what had fooled him all along. People had praised him. Numbers had grown. Doors had opened. Invitations had come.

He had confused human approval with divine approval.

Another verse surfaced, one he had rarely quoted.

“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

No rebuttal formed in him this time. The excuses fell apart in the presence of perfect clarity. Every word he had bent, every truth he had softened, every warning he had avoided for the sake of approval stood exposed.

He finally understood what fear of the Lord meant.

Not terror.
Truth.

There was no argument left to make. No doctrine to hide behind. No audience to win back.

Only the realization that he had spoken often about God without ever standing under His authority.

And Heaven remained silent. Because the judgment had already been spoken—long ago—in the words he never thought would be spoken to him: I never knew you.

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“What I write is not for everyone, but what I write is meant for someone.” – Dean Butler

I am an internationally published author. I have written two books: Embracing God’s Wisdom: A Journey of Faith and Reflection and Embracing God’s Wisdom: Paul’s Commands for Victorious Living. Both are available on Amazon.

This work may be shared for ministry or personal use, but please credit the author when doing so. © Dean Butler – Dean’s Bible Blog. All rights reserved.

Please reach out at: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)