Some have argued that Jesus has already saved all, past, present, and furture. That 'unsaved" folks are saved, they just haven’t realized it yet by faith. How do you take Jesus" words when he said, “Depart from me, you workers of iniquity…I never knew you.”?
I take them to be a statement of discipline similar to a father saying, “Get out of my face, I don’t know you.” It’s not meant to be taken literally, but relationally, idiomatically. It’s meant to communicate a relational punishment like “If you can’t love and respect me enough to… then get away from me.” It’s not meant to communicate ECT, I think.
I see it as His response to those who THINK THEY CHOSE HIM. “Hey, we did all this, see?” He hasn’t chosen THEM though… NOT YET at least…
Since we know that no one can run (successfully) from His presence, and since we know that "all souls are Mine (His), and since babies are even knit together in the womb by His power, it doesn’t seem sensible to take this statement to mean that God was not aware of the person’s existence, or even that He doesn’t know everything about us.
Most of us would say we “know” a person on far less basis than God has for saying He knows every sparrow that falls. So, as Sherman says, I think this statement has to be taken other than literally. I wonder (do not know) whether this can be taken in the OT intimate sense of knowing (then Adam knew his wife and she conceived . . .) That is to say, "Depart from me you workers of inequity. We never became one; my Spirit never indwelt yours; you are not a part of my body.
I do think that Jesus’ blood, in inaugurating the new covenant, has taken away all sin. But not all sinfulness. He has made the way for us to be delivered from bondage to sinfulness (through identification with His death and burial) and the way for us to live by His life in freedom from slavery to sin. That part we have to participate in. And while those cast out ones will miss the party, they can still get to know Him, become intimately joined to Him, and be received into the beloved.
That’s the way I see it anyway . . . for what it’s worth. 
Blessings, Cindy
given that God is omniscient, the phrase “i never knew you” can’t be literally true (it might be easier for unitarians to argue around that point, but even so i’d expect some information sharing between Father and Son).
i think it’s a bit like these people think they’re thick as thieves with Jesus. they’re very smug about it. but they never took the time to get to know Him. so in a sense it’s like they’re trying to say “you can’t punish me! i’m with Jesus!”
and Jesus says…nope, you don’t do what i do, and so i don’t know you. throw them out, bouncer!"
but that’s only a part of the picture, as we know from Scripture that the punishment/expulsion is always followed by reconciliation.
but it’s a pretty important part of the picture, taking these types down a peg or two
fully agree!
Hello,
I am new here and offer a thought with fear and trembling.
In Exodus 32:10 God says to Moses, "Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them…” God declared that He was going to destroy His people but Moses interceded for them… really for God and His glory. “So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.” (v.14).
Christ declared that He will say to some “depart from me…” Will Christ change His mind because others (we) will intercede?
Thanks,
mate
Quite possibly!
Welcome,
Sonia
Good point, Mate. I hadn’t thought of that.
that’s true, i think…however, i don’t think it’s as risky as that.
first of all, God is all knowing, so He’d know
a) the people would sin
b) Moses would intercede
so He clearly LET Moses win the argument! i think the way it actually happened was that God couldn’t let the sin just slide, but He wanted to teach us and Moses about the power of intercession. i think that really what God wanted was to involve Moses (and us) in the process of reconciliation and mercy.
i believe that He can and will destroy and revive everyone so that He will be all in all, but that He wants us involved in the process of reconciliation.
so i believe you’re right, mate! our intercession is powerful…it joins our purpose to God’s, and is the best and most natural way for us to change the world.
i also think this is the reason for the great commission.
Not everyone is in covenant with God yet. Knowing God is eternal life. They hadn’t come to faith up til then. Post mortem conversion would need to be true for universalism to be the case. Then they would know him…
Still more study for me to do on the post mortem issue. Very interesting.
i don’t think post mortem conversion is necessary for universalism. i think God can do alot with the last moment of someone’s life.
but i agree, i think we are reconciled by Christ as per Paul’s wording, but that’s on His side. as far as He’s concerned…we’re all forgiven and welcome.
i think though that for our side of the issue, some of us take longer than others to realise this.
Thanks, corpselight. I hope I’m replying to this right. If God has preordained that He will “change His mind” about eternal condemnation then I believe He wants us to desire that and get on board. I know many Christians who are looking forward to seeing many non-christians go to hell.
eternal condemnation was never in His mind to begin with. not a single “hell text” unambiguously promises eternal damnation. rather, it promises temporary remedial punishment.
so this isn’t Him changing His mind about eternal punishment…it’s more that we all need some discipline, and He’d rather not administer it, but He will in some cases. however, in the worst cases, God may get us to intercede, knowing full well that we would…and in those cases, His real desire would be to show mercy.
when He talks of destroying, their are examples in the Prophets of destruction followed by restoration…it’s the most common trend in the Prophets. but He’d rather we did what He asks of us so that some can be spared going through that.
I have much to learn. Thanks.
Just to clarify to anyone that doesn’t know me, I am agnostic on the issue of whether universalism is true. I do, however, try to see whether certain verses can fit into universalism and I reject facile answers. Likewise, I try to see if certain verses can be explained from the Conditional Immortality or Eternal Conscious Torment perspective. I believe that one should be rigorously honest and really take each view seriously. The “winner” is the view that has the best overall “explanatory power”. All perspectives have anomalous “problem passages”, imo. The journey isn’t over yet. May we all find Him and He us in peace!
ro
Well said.
amen!!!
i like your open minded approach 
We can’t rip a line out of a verse and ask, what did Jesus mean? You have to look at the whole passage or the verses before and after. This is about work righteousness. People doing works in order to enter the kingdom, but there is no relationship with Jesus Christ.
Salvation is not an overnight process. Jesus must enter the believer and an ongoing (doesn’t end) work of salvation is done on the believer, and as he or she grows in the spirit bearing more fruit, a relationship is being established with Jesus. We in Him and He in us. An unbeliever has no such relationship therefore remains dead in their sins without the blood of Christ to cover those sins.
well said 