Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Matthew 25:34-35, 37-38, 40 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in." . . . Then the righteous will answer Him saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in?" . . . and the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me."
THE EVIDENCE
In the final Judgment, after issuing a perfect verdict, Jesus, the heavenly Judge, proceeds to give evidence. Faith is invisible. However, the fruits of faith are not. Jesus presents good works done by the body as evidence of faith in the heart.
A true, living faith will produce such fruit. It is a natural extension of a connection to Jesus. Our Lord explains that acts of kindness done by believers to their fellow human beings indicate a love for Jesus Himself.
A lack of fruit is also used as evidence in Matthew 25. After condemning unbelievers, Jesus indicates that because there were no fruits of faith, there was no faith. It is a confirmation of His Word in James, "Faith without works is dead."
This is a warning against attempting to substitute mere head knowledge of God as faith. We are also comforted that even what we may perceive as trifling acts of kindness are important to our Lord. He presents us daily with opportunities to express our love for Him.
Martin Luther put it well: "Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is never alone."
