[MarkBsnr]

Sigh.

Here we go again, trumping Jesus’ words with passages from Paul. We are supposed to interpret Paul, and the others, from the prism of the Gospels, not vice versa. Paul admonishing one of his wayward churches beats Jesus speaking in Matthew. We really are worlds apart in that respect.

In terms of the parable of the servant, repeated in the Gospels, the servant that incurs the wrath is the one who DOES nothing, not the one who IS nothing.

The sheep are judged to be sheep BECAUSE of what they have done, not because they won the everlasting lottery. The goats are judged to be goats BECAUSE of what they have not done, not because they lost the everlasting lottery.

[HarleyD]

Here we go again, trumping Jesus’ words with passages from Paul. We are supposed to interpret Paul, and the others, from the prism of the Gospels

Are you Orthodox? I didn't realized that there were degrees of "inspired" writings.

In terms of the parable of the servant, repeated in the Gospels, the servant that incurs the wrath is the one who DOES nothing, not the one who IS nothing.

According to Paul, once again:
1Co 3:11-15 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

If a man's work is burned up, he still will be saved. In the case of the parable of the servant, he was not saved.

The sheep are judged to be sheep BECAUSE of what they have done, not because they won the everlasting lottery. The goats are judged to be goats BECAUSE of what they have not done, not because they lost the everlasting lottery.

Let me ask you some rather personal questions and those I perfer you didn't answer. But what, according to your interpretation of Matthew 25, would you say to our Lord to allow you into heaven? What specific good works have you done that makes you feel you are worthy enough? How do you know that you will make it?

Don't those sound like important questions? They certainly would be if a person believed in God and they must please Him with their works. Should they sell their homes and move to Africa? Should they work in the hospitals or care for the infirm? The fact is no one cannot please God with anything they do. They can only be submissive to His will and allow Him to work through them. And even if they rebel like Jonah, God promises to bring us back.

I am sorry but we are not saved by our works. We are saved by grace through faith. This faith is a gift from God. Our works are a manifestation of Christ working through us and for most Christians they may not even recognize how God is working in their lives. Abraham was saved by faith and seventeen years later illustrated this faith by his willingness to sacrifice Isaac. The sheep and the goats were sorted on the right and the left before the judgment ever came.

As far as "winning" the everlasting lottery, everyone will be placed in heaven or hell exactly as they were designed to be. God loved Jacob and hated Esau. There are some who would rather reign in hell than serve in heaven.