“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven… Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
— Matthew 7:21, 23
Christianity Isn’t a Label. It’s a Lifestyle.
In the age of cultural Christianity, where the word “Christian” can mean anything from “I vote this way” to “I grew up in church,” it’s worth asking the hard question: What does it actually mean to be a Christian?
Dr. Jordan Peterson, a clinical psychologist and philosopher who wrestles openly with the claims of Christianity, once challenged the notion of belief in striking terms:
“You don’t believe something unless you’re willing to risk your life for it.”
That’s a sobering statement. Because if belief in Christ doesn’t impact your behavior, your risk tolerance, or the sacrifices you’re willing to make—is it even belief?
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Jesus Didn’t Call Us to Identify. He Called Us to Die.
Being a Christian isn’t about checking a box, quoting verses, or joining a club. Jesus never once asked for mere agreement. He asked for surrender.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” — Luke 9:23
Daily. Not just on Sunday. Not just when it’s safe or socially convenient. The cross is not a metaphor for mild inconvenience—it’s a symbol of execution. Jesus is saying: “Come die with me. Every day.”
Yet many wear the name Christian like a hoodie: easy to put on, trendy in the right circles, and disposable when it gets uncomfortable.
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God Isn’t After Ritual. He’s After Relationship.
Christianity isn’t a religion of rules—it’s the story of a Father pursuing His lost children.
From Genesis to Revelation, the heartbeat of Scripture is this: God wants you back. Not your performance. Not your checklist. You.
He created you to walk with Him, talk with Him, and know Him as a Father—not a far-off deity to be appeased, but a Dad who loves you and wants you to come home.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” — 1 John 3:1
When Jesus says “I never knew you,” it’s not about paperwork. It’s about relationship. You can’t fake intimacy. You can memorize Scripture and still be estranged. You can perform miracles and still be unknown.
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“I Never Knew You”: The Most Terrifying Words in Scripture
Matthew 7:21–23 should shake every churchgoer to the core. Jesus is describing people who think they’re Christians. People who did ministry, cast out demons, and performed miracles in His name.
“Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’”
Not “You didn’t believe the right things.”
Not “You didn’t go to church enough.”
But “I never knew you.”
Why? Because they practiced lawlessness. Their lives didn’t reflect surrender to the Father’s will. They spoke the name of Jesus but never knew His heart.
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Peterson’s Warning: Don’t Say It Unless You Mean It
Jordan Peterson has voiced deep respect for the weight of Christian belief—so much so that he once said he hesitated to call himself a Christian because he feared he didn’t live up to what the title demanded.
“It’s far more terrifying to truly believe in God than not. Because if you believe… how then must you live?”
That’s the inverse of modern Christian culture, where people casually claim Christ without a hint of reverence for what that means.
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The Risk of Real Belief
To truly be Christian is to stake your life—your job, your relationships, your pride, your safety—on the truth of the gospel. It is to:
• Obey when it costs you.
• Forgive when it hurts.
• Love when it’s undeserved.
• Speak truth when it’s unpopular.
• Carry the cross when the world offers a throne.
• Live as a child who trusts the Father—even in the dark.
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Conclusion: Examine Yourself
“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” — 2 Corinthians 13:5
We should stop asking, “Do I call myself a Christian?”
And start asking, “Does my life confess Christ even if my mouth were silent?”
And deeper still: “Do I walk with God, or just talk about Him?”
Because Christianity isn’t a brand. It’s not a tribe.
It’s not about acting religious. It’s about being reconciled to your Father, as a lost child finally coming home.
Jesus doesn’t want part-time fans. He wants sons and daughters.
He doesn’t need your label.
He wants your life
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