Okay. I contributed a little early on, but didn;t follow the conversation. Have now tried to catch up, but couldn't get past page 4 or 5. So notwithstanding the possibility that someone has mentioned this previously, I would like to cite a couple of verses regarding our "doing". Now don't get me wrong. I am not boasting. I am not citing these texts as evidence we are saved by our works. We aren't. Nevertheless, here they are. Do with them as you will, it aint me talking.
We will be judged by what we build on that foundation; the works of the flesh or the fruits of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 Those that do not depart from iniquity in having their temple of the Holy Spirit defiled before the Bridegroom comes, will be destroyed, as in physical death in that day, but the spirit is still saved because they are still His. When God judges His House first at the pre great trib rapture event, those abiding in Him by His grace & by His help as our confidence is in Him to finish His work in us, shall be received as vessels unto honor in His House. Those that did not look to Him for help in laying aside every weight & sin in running that race of abiding in Him as His disciple will become castaways at the pre great trib rapture event. This is where the vessels unto dishonor comes from that are still in His House that will be resurrected later on after the great tribulation.
As for the references; applying it with His discernment is key;
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
I am seeing how this is about when every one is being judged, that this is the white throne judgment in judging everybody after the defeat of Satan when he was released from the pit after a thousand year reign. Everybody that has not been judged before hand; at the firstfruit of the resurrection or after the great tribulation, they will be judged then as it is an everlasting punishment; the lake of fire.
Blessed are those that have not seen Him and yet believe cannot be carried over to that generation coming out of the millennium reign when they have seen the Lord Jesus Christ reigning as the King of kings for a thousand years and so they will be judged by their actions of love or lack thereof.
Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The above reference is in regards to judgment at the House of God at the pre great trib rapture. Luke 12:40-49 gives more clues that those left behind are still His servants seeing how they are receiving stripes for not abiding nor being willing to leave this life when the Bridegroom had come.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
The above reference is to the prophecy of the falling away from the faith by engaging in iniquity; works that deny Him ( Titus 1:15-16 ), they will be denied by Him ( 2 Timothy 2:12 ) but even if they believe not in Him any more, He still abides even in former believers ( 2 Timothy 2:13 & 2 Timothy 2:18-21 ) for why even former believers are still His having His seal but called to depart from iniquity or else risk becoming a vessel unto dishonor.
Now forgive me for thinking that although we obviously are saved by grace through faith, and not of works, on reading the above scriptures it would appear that doing stuff, like obedience for example, and not doing stuff, has a very powerful bearing on where we spend eternity. Without any contradiction, we need to reconcile the obvious vital importance of doing what God requires in obedience to His calling and in practical service to others, with our acceptance through faith of His grace and mercy. What we cannot do, is boast, and what we cannot do is do nothing.
Our works will be judged by what we build on that foundation, but only the works that deny Him will be burned away but that foundation remains forever as well as that seal of adoption. Those that do not depart from iniquity before the Bridegroom comes, shall be disqualified from attending the Marriage Supper held in His honor.
Indeed, the crowns I hope to receive by Him are really His crowning achievements in me as the crowns testify to His glory in bringing me Home as a vessel unto honor. So the race I run is still by faith & confidence in Jesus Christ to finish as I hope in His mercy in being my Friend and Good Shepherd in leading me away from temptations that seek to dominate me, as well as from the evil one, to dwell in the House of the Lord as a vessel unto honor rather than a vessel unto dishonor.
