Luke 13:27
“He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’”
What does Luke 13:27 mean?
Jesus is describing a hard moment: when people stand before God expecting welcome, only to be turned away. The key isn't that God doesn't literally know who they are, but that he refuses to recognize or claim them as his own, much like someone might say "I don't know you" to distance themselves from someone who betrayed them. The phrase "workers of iniquity" points to people whose lives have been shaped by wrongdoing and separation from God, not necessarily those who made a few mistakes. This teaching comes in a passage where Jesus warns that simply being near him physically, or assuming a relationship with him exists, doesn't guarantee belonging to him. What matters is whether our lives actually reflect turning toward God and away from sin. It's a sobering reminder that faith isn't just intellectual belief, but something that shows up in how we live.