On the basis of Matthew 25:31-46, is Salvation by works i.e. by doing good deeds?

Without any doubt or ambiguity, salvation is by grace and grace alone. It can in no way be ‘earned’ by any good deeds, but is a gift given by God, freely made available to mankind through the accomplished work of Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, and no human works of any kind have any role whatsoever in the salvation of any person (Ephesians 2:1-9, Romans 3:27-28).

Once saved by God’s grace, we are saved for eternity (John 10:28-29), and the saved ones will be with the Lord God for ever (John 14:3). God has prepared plans, of works to be done by every one of His saved children (Ephesians 2:10), and God expects His children to accomplish them well; and to live in a manner that exhibits and witnesses for the salvation they have received from God, and glorifies Him (Romans 6:11-14; 12:1-2; 14:7-8; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15).

These God appointed works entrusted to the Believers, are to be done on the basis of God's Word, and God’s instructions. Every Christian Believer's works will eventually be minutely scrutinized for the enduring quality of his works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15); and based on the enduring quality of their works the Believer will receive their rewards for eternity. Some will find that none of their works could pass the scrutiny, all their works were rejected and thrown away, leaving them empty-handed; but their salvation was not rejected; they are still 'saved', are still in heaven with the Lord, but have nothing for their eternity (v.15). At the time of judgment of the Believers (1 Peter 4:17), their judgement will not be for determining or conferring salvation – that has already been decided and settled once and for all at the very moment of their repenting from their sins and accepting Lord Jesus as Saviour, while they lived on earth. Their judgment according to their works i.e. according to the quality of their commitment and obedience to God and to His Word will be to determine the rewards the Believers will receive for their eternity. From the parable of the Owner of the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) we see that even those who, though worked for lesser time than the others, but did it as per the master’s instructions, still received the same rewards as everybody else. Our making the most of the opportunities sent our way by God and the manner in which we have utilized those opportunities, the enduring quality of our commitment to God and His Word is what counts for our eternal rewards.

Matthew 25:31-46 is referring to this judgment of the Believers – whether or not they have been obedient to God and His Word, and done the things expected of them as children of God. We see in this parable that in v.33 segregation is done – between the sheep and the goats – here notice that they neither qualified nor failed to become one or the other; but they already were “sheep” and “goats.”In vs.34 and 37 the Lord calls the sheep “blessed of my father” and “righteous” – all of these titles are in the past tense i.e. denote a status already accomplished and granted, before their being presented to the King (v.31-32). Nowhere in the parable is the Lord saying or indicating to the sheep that “in recognition of your good deeds done in my name, I am now conferring upon you the status of being my sheep, of obtaining salvation, of being considered righteous, and of being called the blessed of God.” It were the sheep, the righteous, the blessed of God, who by virtue of the heavenly nature imbued in them because of their salvation and being Born Again into the family of God, that did works that demonstrated their heavenly nature and set them apart from the “goats” who despite having similar opportunities had no inclination or desire to exhibit anything heavenly. The “sheep” acted in accordance with their inherent nature due to being saved by faith and regenerated, while the “goats” acted in accordance with their inherent nature due to their unsaved and unregenerate state. Their deeds did not make them “sheep” or “goats”, rather their already being “sheep” and “goats” caused them to live out what already was within them.

Their works did not grant them salvation, but their being saved and Born Again, being regenerated, caused them to behave in heavenly manner. The same applies to all other references and situations in the Bible pertaining to the relationship between works and salvation.

Christian faith and caste based benefits.

To be a Born Again Christian Believer, or a saved person, is to have repented from sins and accepted the Lord Jesus as your personal savior, to have surrendered your life to Him and accepted Him as the Lord and Master of your life, to become committed and obedient to Him (Luke 6:46). On being saved some things and some responsibilities naturally come into the life of the saved person. The saved person becomes part of God's family (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:19), a totally new creation where old things are past and over (2 Corinthians 5:17), becomes a person who is not to live according to the world but according to the will of God (Romans 12:1-2). The saved person should have a heavenly outlook (Colossians 3:1-2), and should not get caught up or entangled in the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17; 1 Peter 2:11-12). Having learnt and known about the true and living God, it is best to keep an attitude like Joshua for serving God (Joshua 24:14-15).

The saved person now belongs to the Lord Jesus and his life's aim should be to live for his Savior Lord and glorify Him in and through all things (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15). Now, having been saved, because he is part of God's family, the saved person also is Father God's responsibility; and God has promised to provide for this person's needs always (Matthew 6:24-34; Philippians 4:19), to never leave or forsake him (Hebrews 13:5-6), and to keep him safe in all temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). Therefore, for any needs, for any worldly gains and benefits, this person’s looking towards and relying upon anyone other than the Father God is tantamount to discounting His promises and His faithfulness towards His children, belittling Him, having an improper faith in Him and His promises, and providing Satan and the world an opportunity to mock God and His people, and their faith in Him, and to denigrate them.

In Christianity, there is no caste system and no place for any differentiation on grounds of a person’s caste. All Christians are of same status before God (Colossians 3:11), no one is higher or lower than another, therefore to consider one to be of a particular caste, and therefore to consider or make yourself to be lower or higher than another (by comparing yourself with an unsaved person of the world, and that too for mere perishable worldly things, obtained through a direct or an indirect acknowledgement and/or veneration of some other deity than the Lord God Almighty), is to go against the teachings of God's infallible, incontrovertible, eternal Word and to humiliate God. God is not mocked; such denigrating and reprehensible actions against God, that tantamount to denying God invite very serious consequences (Galatians 6:7-8; Joshua 23:16).

Therefore instead of the hypocrisy of hiding the Christian Faith, it is best to disclose it, no matter what the consequences may be (Matthew 10:16-18, 22; 24:9; Mark 13:9). Those who after having come into the Christian Faith, still want to indulge in worldly gains by any means, are afraid that by disclosing their Christian Faith they will no longer be able to have the benefits of being of a “lower caste or group” and therefore they do not disclose their Christian Faith. But by doing so, they are in serious jeopardy, from both the worldly as well as the spiritual point of view. The little that they stand to lose by declaring and adhering to their Christian faith, can be, and will be compensated many times over by the Lord (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:30; 1 Corinthians 2:9). But the magnitude of the physical and spiritual loss that they and their family stand to suffer by so denying the Lord and becoming a cause for Him and His people being mocked and denigrated, is incalculable, unimaginable, and will go down to their 3rd to 4th generation (Exodus 20:5-7).

The only way to enjoy God's care and benefits is to have full faith in Him and to completely rely on Him (Hebrews 11:6; Isaiah 40:31), be obedient to Him and honor Him through our lives and deeds, and separate ourselves from the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Place of Non-Christian wedding rituals in Christian Faith

Having converted to Christianity from a Non-Christian background, does the Bible allow getting married to another Christian Believer according to the rituals of the former Non-Christian religion?

As you would be well aware, the rituals in non-Christian marriages involve invoking, venerating and exalting the deities and things they venerate as gods in that religion. Marriage vows are taken in the names of, and believing these deities to be a witness to the marriage, and as protectors or guarantors of the marriage. This indirectly means that you not only acknowledge and accept that there are deities other than the Lord Jesus, but that you are willing to venerate and pay obeisance to those deities, invoke and accept their power in your life and allow an acknowledgment of their existence and hold in your life for the future, for other likely similar occasions and events as well. Once you submit to this compromise for one thing, then based on this precedence, you will have to do it for many others also in the days to come.

Not only will this be detrimental to your own spiritual life and faith in the Lord Jesus, but will also serve as a stumbling stone for many other Christian Believers, and cause them to stumble in their faith and steadfastness for the Lord Jesus, thereby fetching the Lord’s repercussions in your life (Mark 9:42). Whereas once you take a firm stand, and refuse to compromise, your steadfastness in your faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus will become evident to others, and they will be reluctant to try and persuade you for similar compromises related to other things as well, but you too will grow and mature further spiritually.

But in being firm in your faith, please do make it a point to be courteous and gentle as well. There is no need to be deprecating, demeaning or abusive towards the beliefs, rituals and objects of veneration of your family or others – this will only complicate matters without helping you in any way, and will obstruct their willingness to listen about the Lord Jesus. Don’t make any adverse comments about their beliefs and deities, as you take your stand for Lord Jesus and refuse to compromise on your faith.

Although the best course of action is to have the wedding in a Christian manner, but if this is not possible, and there seems to be no other solution then one possible way out is to undergo a “Civil Marriage” i.e. a “Court Marriage” since this only involves the Law of the Land, and has no religious connotations or rituals; therefore, neither your own, nor your families beliefs will in any way be challenged or compromised. Thereafter you can have an areligious ‘wedding reception’ and later a “Blessing service” in your Church, or maybe even at the time of the post wedding reception, if that is acceptable to your family; and this will also provide a good opportunity to present the gospel to all your family and friends in the message given by an evangelist or Pastor at the reception. This way your actual marriage would be legal, acceptable and yet not compel you to compromise on your faith, and also not offend your families, while providing an opportunity to present a gospel message to those gathered for the post wedding reception.

Naaman's Example in 2 Kings 5:18-19 - can it be used to justify participating in idolatrous gatherings.

The major and predominant cause of misinterpreting and misunderstanding God’s Word the Bible is taking its portions out of their context, using them in bits and pieces, and extrapolating them to suit one’s fancy. To properly understand and make use of the teachings of any part of God’s Word, it always has to be seen and understood in its context.

Here, to understand the meaning and application of Naaman’s statement that has been quoted, please also refer to verse 17, which provides the key to the answer: “So Naaman said, "Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord.”

Naaman, having being miraculously healed of his leprosy, by following Elisha’s instructions – albeit quite reluctantly, to his own surprise gets completely healed, and returns to Elisha absolutely convinced that there is no god other than the God of Israel (vs. 15), and it is that God alone who is worthy of all worship and offering sacrifices to. Naaman is so convinced about and dedicated to the God of Israel, that to offer his sacrifices to Him he does not want to build an altar for his sacrifices to the Lord God from the earth of the pagan land that he resides and works in; he wants to carry “two mule-loads” of earth to his home to be able to build that altar for offering sacrifices (see in context of Exodus 20:23-26). This speaks volumes about the sincerity and depth of his commitment to the Lord God, whom he has come to believe in and accept as the one true God, the only God worthy or worship and sacrificing to.

Keeping this sincerity and commitment in mind, now let us evaluate 2 Kings 5:18-19. Implied in Naaman’s statement are important truths that need to be taken in consideration while drawing any conclusions from it:

·         Naaman was steadfast in his faith and commitment to the Lord God, openly, not shying away from openly stating his new-found faith and his decision to henceforth serve only the God of Israel, and no other deity.

·         Naaman would not go to the house of Rimmon voluntarily, but under compulsion to his duties to the King.

·         Naaman was not the one bowing to Rimmon, it was the King; Naaman was going to move into that posture of bowing only if the King required his support to do so.

·         Naaman’s presence there in the house of Rimmon was neither for worship nor to appease the King, but only as a “supporting appendage” for the King.

·         Naaman was neither willing, not at peace within himself at all about having to carry out this possibility.

·         He openly expresses his reluctance about it, knowing full well that there were other people from his country present there with him as he was expressing himself about this to Elsiha, and was well aware of the potential consequences if the thing were reported to the King, and yet he was not hesitant to express his reservations about it, or speak about his faith commitment in their presence.

It is to this faith and commitment that Elisha responds by saying “Go in peace”, in other words – “don’t worry, God knows about your faith, about the state of your commitment to Him, and the feelings in your heart about it, and God evaluates you according to what is in your heart (see in context of 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Proverbs 16:2; Jeremiah 17:10; Jeremiah 20:12; Luke 16:15), so don’t worry about your compulsions and circumstances, and just do what is right for you to do.”

Hence, Elisha is not giving Naaman a casually expressed immunity from something that goes against what God has repeatedly and forcefully stated to His people – stay absolutely away from idols and idolatry. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 for a New Testament version of this often repeated truth of the Old Testament. God will never contradict His Word, for anyone or anything; don’t forget, that the Word incarnate is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (John 1:1-4, 14) – God Himself in human form, and any contradiction of the anything in the Bible is contradicting God Himself – an absolute impossibility for God to do!

Moreover, at no place in the Bible, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, has this incidence ever been used to provide any justification of any sort for God’s people associating themselves with idols or idolatry in any manner, whereas it could have well been used in this manner, if it were the right conclusion to draw from this incidence.

Hence it should be quite evident that God does not allow Believers to be a part of worship with the unbelievers, and Naaman’s example is no excuse for seeking a way to bypass God’s instructions, just to appease unbelievers we are working with.

I know this from my own life and example. I too have been working with and under non-Christian idolaters and unbelievers for a long time, and in different jobs, at different places. At every job interview and selection, I have made it openly clear to the interview board and my employer that I will never participate in any worship, offerings or any religious activity of any sort; and by God’s grace, to date I have stuck to it, and this has never come in the way of either my being selected, or promoted, or considered worthy of greater responsibilities than others. I unhesitatingly do not accept anything offered to idols, politely refusing it, with folded hands, not giving any offense in any manner to the one offering it to me, yet firm in my decision of not accepting things offered to idols, and I never participate in any religious functions or gatherings or occasions organized by them to commemorate their deities or their deceased. God has remained at my side, and kept me safe from any potential harm that Satan tries to frighten people about when they take such resolute steps.

Therefore take God at His Word (Hebrews 13:5-6) and see for yourself the faithfulness of God.

                  

 “Know Jesus, Know Peace; No Jesus, No Peace!”

P.S. All Bible quotes are from the New King James Version unless stated otherwise.