Featured Failing the Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats

What makes the righteous do good works?

 

That's their new mindset--2 Cor. 5:15-17

 

If that's why they were doing the good works then they were doing the works "unto the Lord".

 

So, what are you saying there brother?

 

Do you think the sheep in Mt 25 were comprised of only NT Saints?

Let's say the Good Samaritan lived 300 BC. Was he consciously doing his good works "unto the Lord"?

 

That's a good question--maybe not--as he may not have been given that understanding yet.

 

John 3:6. 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'

So let's look at the Holy Spirit's own commentary on John 3:6.

Romans 8:5-9. 'For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally [i.e. 'fleshly'] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor, indeed, can it be. So those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of God, he is not His.'

We all know unsaved Christians who live outwardly righteous lives, who give money to charity, who put themselves out for their neighbours and so forth. And we know Christians who grieve the Spirit at times who who quench the Spirit at times or who walk in the Spirit less closely at times. But there is no third realm. There is no half-way house between flesh and spirit. 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh.....' It will always be flesh and never be spirit unless God does such a dramatic work on a man that it can only be called a New Birth. '........ and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.' Those who are born of the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. It is their delight and desire to please God in their lives and it distresses them when they fall short, just because they are born of the Holy Spirit..

'So those in the flesh cannot please God.' Their good deeds are like filthy rags before God because they are marred and mired by sin. But he who is born of God has Christ for his Saviour. His sins have been atoned for, God is propitiated and He promises that 'their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more' (Hebrews 8:12).