Matthew 25:41–46 (ESV) — 41 “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. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
NOTE: Clearly we see that the goats are not believers. And we see that Hell was not originally created for people but rather for the devil and his angels. Men have a choice. They are not predetermined to Hell, but can choose to believe or they can choose to live outside of God's rule and live for themselves. They have no one to blame but themselves. It is not the works that save them, but the life change that occurs when a person believes. We want to focus on the specific acts, but the misses the point. Helping the poor does not save a person. Believing in Jesus such that your life is transformed and begins to serve the poor -- that is the reality of your salvation, your service.
PONDER:
- Is my focus on God or on good works? If the focus is on God, good works will naturally flow.
PRAYER: Father, help me to see the opportunities to serve and love others. Thank you for those I do and can serve, but thank you most of all for salvation and for removing the blindness from my eyes.
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