At judgement day people gathered before Christ will be divided into two groups: the sheep and goats. The criterion for dividing the two groups is noteworthy. It is not that the sheep confessed true faith in Christ while the goats did not. (See Matthew 25).
Those whose lives were characterized by acts of love to "the least of these" were blessed and welcomed by Christ into His Father's kingdom. Those who failed to respond, whose faith found no expression in compassion to the needy, were banished into eternal fire.
God has clear expectations from those who choose to follow Him. We would much rather believe that the only things needed for salvation are saying the right words. or believing the right things and not living lives that are characterized by Christ's concern for the poor.
But doing things for the poor does not mean that we have to work to earn heaven. No. It means that any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ must be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of transformed life. It means that those who walk the wak and not only talk the talk will enter God's kingdom.
Those whose lives were characterized by acts of love to "the least of these" were blessed and welcomed by Christ into His Father's kingdom. Those who failed to respond, whose faith found no expression in compassion to the needy, were banished into eternal fire.
God has clear expectations from those who choose to follow Him. We would much rather believe that the only things needed for salvation are saying the right words. or believing the right things and not living lives that are characterized by Christ's concern for the poor.
But doing things for the poor does not mean that we have to work to earn heaven. No. It means that any authentic and genuine commitment to Christ must be accompanied by demonstrable evidence of transformed life. It means that those who walk the wak and not only talk the talk will enter God's kingdom.
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