Are We Saved By Faith Alone?
Are we ignoring a very important warning in scripture?
Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 31-46 NIV (see below). ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' He says to "certain" people upon His glorious return who have turned away from helping a select group of people He calls brothers and sisters.
Are these Christ followers He is talking to? They call Him Lord.
What?
And who are these "brothers and sisters"? Are they also followers of Christ?
The book of James 2:14-26 NIV says "faith without deeds is dead".
Perhaps, the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 tell us why.
THIS WEBSITE IS DEDICATED TO THOSE BELIEVERS WHO MAY BE DISMISSING A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF SCRIPTURE. WE HOPE IT WILL BE A WAKE-UP CALL FOR THEM AND A BLESSING TO "THOSE LEAST AMONG US" THAT THEY HELP.
Francis Chan's sermon (see below) is one of the most compelling statements we could find on this Biblical verse. Watch his sermon below and then read the information that follows. It could change your life forever.
For more information about Francis Chan and another really great video, CLICK HERE.
Please contact us if you have any questions or comments.
Thank You For Taking Care of "Me" My Faithful Servant
The New Testament (Acts 16:31 NIV) says if we believe in Jesus we are saved. But in Matthew 25:31-46 NIV (see below) Jesus says when He returns, all those who have done certain deeds for Him helping His brothers and sisters, are welcome to take their inheritance in heaven. Those who did not do these deeds for Him are to be cursed.
What? Is this true?
We know that "works" cannot save us and that Jesus paid our ransom on the cross to forgive our sins and give us salvation through faith. This was a gift from God that works could never accomplish. We cannot erase sins by good deeds. We are saved by grace as long as we believe in and follow Jesus.
So what does Jesus mean in Matthew 25?
The first question becomes, what does "believe in" actually mean? The bible says "faith requires action" (James 2:14-26 NIV). It says even demons believe. As Paul states in (Ephesians 2:8-10) "salvation is not by works, but salvation produces works; and when the individual is a new creature in Christ, he then is able to do things that are well pleasing to God in time and eternity". So perhaps it is automatic when you are so transformed by the Gospel, to desire to do certain deeds for Jesus (like helping the poor and the other deeds Jesus talks about in Matthew 25). Remember, He says you are doing it for Him.
But who are the "least of these brothers and sisters of mine"? Many believe that Jesus was talking about his disciples. Several times in scripture he mentions His brothers when referencing His followers. So perhaps He is speaking about Christians who don't help other Christians. Many will have different opinions about this. You will have to decide for yourself. Reach out to your spiritual leaders for guidance. But it is worth considering because Jesus went out of His way to explain it. And the consequences are eternal. He said these deeds relate directly to Him. So perhaps we must think in terms of:
If Jesus had no food, would you give Him something to eat?
If Jesus had no water, would you give Him something to drink?
The greatest commandment is to "love God with all you heart, soul, strength and mind." How do we typically love God?
We pray. We worship. We serve.
However, there's probably no more tangible way to express our love for Jesus Christ than by giving to the poor (Christian or non Christian) or doing any of the 6 things He mentions in Matthew 25:31-46 NIV. When we read this passage, we could say to ourselves "that is Jesus who is hungry."
How can we show love toward Him?
It would be wonderful to meet Jesus at the end of our life and He says: "Thank you for feeding me my faithful servant". Don't miss this very important piece of scripture. Maybe it makes sense to try our best to become part of what Jesus said we should be doing. He made it very clear.
If you need help in deciding what to do, We have put together a group of wonderful charity outreaches below. We are not connected to them. They are however Christian based and will spread the Gospel to those who recieve help. This is only a recommendation for your convenience. You can pick as many as you want to give to. Give whatever you feel is right for you.
Or perhaps, you have your own ways to give or personally help the people you see in need everyday.
Remember, in the end, you are doing it for Jesus, our Lord.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Thank you.
Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)
The Sheep and the Goats
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 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. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “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. 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, 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. ’“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “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.’“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 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.’ “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? ’“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.’“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
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