When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
Matthew 25:31-40
Certainly, we are saved by faith and not by works, but when Jesus comes and brings everyone before Him, according to these verses He will not mention your faith, or your church, or how accurately you understood the doctrines of the Bible! What He will focus on is this: Did you minister to Him by responding to the needs of others?
You may be the greatest theologian who ever lived, but if you ignore the needs of seemingly "unimportant people" your prospect for Eternity is not good to say the least! You see, extensive Bible study, and even seminary training is no substitute for doing the things that the Holy Spirit wants to lead you to do in your daily walk with Jesus!
So you are saved by the Blood of Jesus and not saved by works, but at the same time, you are not saved without them!
"Lord Jesus, help me today to reach out to all the "unimportant people" you have put before me! Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever. Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment