There are a lot of people who teach that we are saved by grace and there is nothing we do for our salvation. Even though Jesus said to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), many say that we don’t have to listen to that instruction since it constitutes a work.
Perhaps they also think that Jesus misses the point of grace vs works when He spoke in Matthew 25. Here is what I mean…
When we read about the 10 virgins, the five unwise ones didn’t prepare their lamps. When the bridegroom came, they were at the marketplace buying oil and missed his arrival. When the 5 virgins returned, the door was shut:
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’“ (Matthew 25:11-12 ESV).
Perhaps some people need to remind Jesus that preparing for His return is a work of men, therefore, these foolish virgins will still be saved by His grace.
Perhaps some also think that Jesus misses the point of grace vs works in the next section when He talks about the men who were given talents. The men who were given 2 and 5 talents respectively worked, which many today believe is not necessary for salvation, but the one who was given 1 talent just buried his talent and returned what the Lord gave Him.
When the Lord returned, the man with one talent, who didn’t work for the Lord, returned the talent back to the Lord. This is what the Lord said to him:
“Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’“ (Matthew 25:27-30 ESV).
Perhaps some people think they need to remind Jesus that working to grow our talents is a work of men, therefore the man who buried his talent will still be saved by grace instead of being cast into the outer darkness.
And then, when Jesus is sitting on the judgment throne, there will be many people who do not feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison and not minister to them:
“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.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:45-46 ESV).
Perhaps some people today think that Jesus was mistaken because it sounds like people weren’t saved because they didn’t work.
I know many people today believe that we do not have to obey God and His grace will still cover our sins, but this goes against the very purposes of Jesus’ message in Matthew 25. Certainly, our obedience will not merit salvation, but it seems that Jesus will give His grace on Judgment Day to those who obey Him.
No matter how much we insist that this constitutes earning our salvation, it does not. It simply means that we must obey the Master if we hope to receive His grace.
I’m in Matthew in my daily Bible reading. In chapter 15, we read an interesting story about Jesus. A Caananite woman comes to Him, pleading for Him to heal her daughter from demon possession.
At first, Jesus ignores her, but she persists. Wouldn’t you if you were in her shoes? Undoubtedly.
The disciples urged Jesus to send her away. Notice Jesus’ response to the woman:
“He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24 ESV).
Understand, this statement was true. Though Jesus did interact, heal, and forgive Gentiles, His mission was very specific and aimed at the Jews. He would not allow the floodgates to open to the rest of the world at this time.
That would come later with the baptism of Cornelius.
Now, Jesus goes on to heal this woman’s daughter because of her great faith. But there is a lesson of sovereignty for us in this story.
Thorough Jesus only came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, it was His prerogative to do what He wished.
No one had the right to criticize His choice.
No one had the right to forbid Him from healing this woman’s daughter.
No one had the right to demand a defense for His decision to heal the woman’s daughter.
The Scriptures are ripe with lessons of God’s sovereignty. I fear that we feel much too comfortable questioning Jesus, demanding Him to defend His words, and forbidding Him from teaching what He teaches.
The way He dealt with compassion toward this Caananite woman in spite of His specific mission should cause us all to drop to our knees in humble submission to His absolute sovereignty.
The lesson: Jesus can do whatever He wants; we must seek His will and conform to it, not fight against it.
Today, Thanksgiving, I finished the book of Matthew in my daily Bible reading.
I couldn’t have had a better reading for this day of Thanks.
In a few hours, I will be surrounded by family, feasting on a rich man’s feast, for most of us have been abundantly blessed by God beyond what we deserve.
I have so many things to be thankful for, but having read about the crucifixion and resurrection of my Lord and King, I will keep the most precious thankfulness front and center in my heart today.
Happy Thanksgiving, friends. Today is truly a good day to remember all that the Lord has made us thankful for.
If we see Jesus today, how will we answer this charge before the Judge?
Did you love Me with all your heart, soul, and mind?
Did you love your neighbor as yourself?
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40 ESV).
In Matthew, Jesus tells a couple of parables that speak to good and evil people being allowed to exist in His kingdom together until the end, when He will send His angels as reapers to separate the good from the bad.
“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘“ (Matthew 13:30 ESV).
And…
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.” (Matthew 13:47-48 ESV).
In both parables, I am sure that the weeds thought they were wheat, and the bad fish thought they were good fish.
So, how can we be sure we are wheat and good fish? The parables Jesus teaches talk about good and honest hearts. We must look into the words He brought to us and consider our disposition toward them.
If we hunger and thirst after His words, then our heart is good. If we shut off His words from transforming us, then we are weeds and bad fish.
If we love our neighbors and seek their welfare, then our heart is good. If we ignore those in need or make excuses why we do not need to help when we have the means to help, then we are weeds and bad fish.
If we are quicker to find the good in people than we are in finding the bad in people, then our heart is good. If we tear down and sow discord instead of edifying, then we are weeds and bad fish.
Being wheat and weeds, good fish or bad fish isn’t about knowing the Scriptures well or simply attending the right church. A lot of weeds and bad fish will know the Scriptures and attend the right church in the Kingdom.
The King will allow the weeds and bad fish to coexist with the wheat and good fish until His reapers come.
We must always examine our hearts and produce the fruits of a good heart. What a terrifying day it will be if, on that day, reapers remove us after we spend a lifetime in the right church and living among the right people because our hearts are bad.