Paul Revere and The Raiders: "Do Unto Others"

This is one American band which had success during the so-called British Invasion of the sixties. They covered many standards at first but by 1966, they were singing their own songs. Hear one of their greats here:

What a great world this would be if everybody just obeyed what they call The Golden Rule. Nobody would rob, lie, or kill anybody. In fact, crimes of all sorts would disappear.

Better still, people would do good to others because they cared about them. Jesus took that to the max in Luke 14:12-14 (Bible in Basic English). "And he said to the master of the house, 'When you give a feast, do not send for your friends and your brothers and your family or your neighbours who have wealth, for they may give a feast for you, and so you will get a reward. But when you give a feast, send for the poor and the blind and those who are broken in body: And you will have a blessing, because they will not be able to give you any payment, and you will get your reward when the upright come back from the dead.'"

Some folks in Christ's time assumed just keeping the law outwardly would get them into heaven. Jesus set one lawyer straight in Matthew 22:37-40 (BBE). "And he said to him, 'Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest rule. And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based.'"

Better still, kindness to poor Christians is kindness to Christ. As he said in a parable about the Judgement Day in Matthew 25:34-40 (BBE), "Then will the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was: For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in; I had no clothing, and you gave it to me: when I was ill, or in prison, you came to me.' Then will the upright make answer to him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you in need of food, and give it to you? or in need of drink, and give it to you? And when did we see you wandering, and take you in? or without clothing, and give it to you? And when did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?' And the King will make answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'"

If that blessed Resurrection event hasn't happened by Thursday, I hope to post about how human pride ruins civilization.

Why Were the People in Matthew 25:34-40 Blessed?

Last Thursday, I wrote about those who will be sent to hell by the king in Christ's parable. But who are those whom he blessed and commended?

Those churchgoers who think deeds will get them into heaven might wrench these verses out of context to prove their case. But if works can get people into paradise, why does Romans 10:9 and 10 (BBE) say, ""Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation: For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation."

Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8 and 9 (BBE) make it clear that works have no part in salvation. "Because by grace you have salvation through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is given by God: Not by works, so that no man may take glory to himself."

Since boasting is taking glory to yourself, and since God will not share his glory with another person, working for salvation and entrance into heaven is blasphemy. Ponder what Isaiah 42:8 (BBE) declares. "I am the Lord; that is my name: I will not give my glory to another, or my praise to pictured images."

In Matthew 25:34 (BBE), we hear the King blessing those who are called his sheep. "Then will the King say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was:'"

And as we read in Matthew 25:40 (BBE) the king commends those Christians who wonder how they helped him when he was naked, hungry, and in prison. "And the King will make answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Please note the phrase, "my brotherrs." His brothers aren't the unsaved poor and oppressed but the believers in Christ.

It's clear that those who do good works without saving faith in Christ won't be commended. These verses show us who believe in the Lord that our works won't save us but they do earn commendation from our Master.

I'll keep pointing out this hard-to-swallow truth in You Think You're Going to Heaven? My book won't make much of a dent in the heresy of works righteousness but at least I'll have done something about it.

On Thursday, I hope to tackle the subject of who the ten virgins in Matthew chapter twenty-five represent.