I just want you to explain to me how her good works kept the dying lepers out of hell.. that was the original point .....
How did her good work save souls if she never told them about Christ?
Colleen the bible said our works are as filthy rags. I did not say it..God said it. You can take if up with Him:>)
This was not a "speech" It is the last of a series of parables. And yes there is a ponit to be made..but I do not think it is the one you want made.This is about the end time judgement. One hint is 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him1, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? Matthew 25:37-40
The righteous are the saved..our only righteousness is IN Christ. So those that are IN him are being addressed.
No work outside of Christ is seen as righteous..
Colleen if you could work your way to heaven there would have been no need for the cross..
I now return to my original question..How did Mother Teresas good works win salvation for the poor dying leper?
Of course it is about the judgement! Christ is talking about our actions towards others during our earthly lifetime. If everything we do is "filthy rags" then why is verbally preaching to others any different than tending, in the name of Christ, to those less fortunate than we are? According to you, both are "filthy rags" and both are beyond the "Faith alone" argument that you embrace. The audience Christ is speaking to is an audience of believers -they already have faith in Him - they are calling him "Lord" - and notice he is not calling them cursed for not believing in Him, but he is condemning them for their inaction in the face of the needy.
"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not." Then shall they also answer him, saying, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?" Then shall he answer them, saying, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.It seems to me that the "righteous", using Christ's own words, were believers who also "did it to one of the least of these, did it to Him."
You throw around "good works" regarding Mother Teresa, but she herself did not see what she did as "good works" - she saw each and every soul that she ministered to, as Christ Himself. That is all. She did not do what she did to perform "good works" - she did it out of love of Christ.
Who said she did not tell them about Christ? She was one of his shining lights - a living testament of His love and how it will transform us if we listen to Him. She was an example to those dying lepers and to us. As for conversions... she did convert Malcolm Muggeridge - and not by her words, either.
Colleen if you could work your way to heaven there would have been no need for the cross..
No kidding.