Matthew 25:31-46
New International Version (NIV)
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Works of the Law are DIFFERENT than the good deeds/works God has prepared for us to do in His name.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
These are the words of Jesus clearly speaking of the believer’s actions/behavior/works and not the works of the law.
I have little patience for that. The Muslims have their scales, with one's sins on one side, weighed against "right action" or works on the other. We know that's not the way...
The Mormons interperate as being only after one "does all that they can do". I'm not sure you don't know that's not the way, but I am sure that's not the Way and is certainly not the Gospel.
But you say:
Then what did he need die for? For a one-time baptism? Then after that, one sin again separates?
To which must be answered, that if one is born of the spirit and the water (another requirement spoken by Christ) then those "works which are not works" which you speak of shall follow....yet still not justify.
Would you like the scriptures which indicate that? Casting out devils, healing the sick in his name...but still lacking a certain something? When one finds what that "something" is, then they can know.
Don't throw out Paul for reason of not being able to fully understand him, for he was chosen to explain the difference between the law and the spirit. And no, he didn't give license to sin, either...but as he plainly enough said, one simply cannot finish by way of flesh or works what was begun of spirit in the first place! Substituting one set of works for another still becomes "works of the law" as soon as it is sought to be enforced. Be careful for the language used when speaking of works.
But go ahead, stay under the law if you like. One of these days, you may find that much of or all the "works" outlined in your reply are still filthy rags (if they be not predicated upon and following direct leading of His spirit).
It's not a combo-pack, with us earning by our later works His favor. Without His light, we can't even see what "works" need doing in the first place. Yet when we are shown, then follow and do, then we can be seen as His people, His children.
The emphasis here is to not put the cart before the horse. I'm not sure if you know what I mean by that...but I am certain there are others whom are acquainted with His spirit whom know what I mean.
Even then, those under His blood, are passed over at the judgment, with Christ Himself being the only worthy to open the book [of life]. We that can plead only His blood, need be mindful that it is to Him whom painfully shed it that we make the plea. Such realization can be sobering, yet even then must be grasped, or else what is this blood and this body we eat? Do we eat as even in part justified by our works? No, for the Spirit does not inhabit that sort of approach to His throne. Coming more fully into the light, it is seen that even those works-not-works of law which you seem to be laying down as law (or can be received as again law & duty) are but graces allowed us to extend in His very name towards others.
Another verse out of John 6 that should be taken literally if we're expected to take the verses about eating His flesh and blood literally.
So which is it?
We're told that people have to be baptized to be saved and that if you're baptized, you're saved. Except when you're not.
Then we're told that it's taking communion that saves us, which means that baptism isn't necessary since communion does it.
Oh, but wait a minute.... Now it's works that save us? If we don't have the works, we're not saved? What happened to eating Jesus' flesh and blood saving us? Is that not good enough now after all?
So which is it that saves us?
How many hoops to Catholics think they have to jump through to earn eternal life?
Works of the Law are DIFFERENT than the good deeds/works God has prepared for us to do in His name.
No, they're not.
Read the Beatitudes. They are not a new law but reveal the intent of the Law.
Jesus sets the bar even higher than the Law did. If it was impossible for men to be saved by obeying the Law when it was outward obedience, it's even more impossible to obey the Law as Jesus set the standard, from the heart.
The Law was never meant to be a means of justification before God anyway. It's whole intent was to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
The old Law couldn't be kept, and what Catholics consider the new works that Jesus established cannot be kept either.
There's also the pesky fact that one sin is enough to condemn men. Once you've sinned, you're a sinner and no amount of good works can erase or pay off the debt that is owed for that sin.
The only was to be rid of sin is through forgiveness. Working the sin off is not in God's economy.