The Inevitable and the Possible: Part 3

Finished this series by looking at the end of Matthew 25 and what is known as the "Judgment of the Nations" or "The Sheep and the Goats." God gets very specific about what He is looking for as evidence of our relationship with Him: feeding, clothing, sheltering, healing, befriending those who cannot feed, clothe, shelter, or heal themselves. I don't believe that this is a complete list but it does give us a picture of what a follower of Jesus Christ should look like. Of course, we could sum it up by asking "Are we living a life of love?" After looking at several passages concerning this judgment, I am convinced that the Bible teaches that it is possible to do these things (acts of compassion) as well as other Christian activities (Matt 7:21-23) and not have a personal relationship with God. But it is impossible to have a relationship with Jesus Christ and not do these things. It's what we do because we belong to Christ. We care, we love, we are moved with compassion to meet the needs of others. I don't feel like I have been honestly taught about this in my younger Christian life. I feel like we have been more concerned about "being good" rather than "doing good." That we have concentrated on not doing something wrong rather than attempting something great for God. "Separation from the world" trumped "compassion for the world." Its time to get our hands dirty, to dig a well, to rescue a child caught in slavery or sex trafficking, to take a meal to a neighbor, to visit a widow, to give more money than you have ever given before. Its time because the inevitable IS going to happen and maybe sooner than you think. It is possible to make a difference today. Its up to you to do it.