Excellence - Part 6

When was the last time you read Matthew 25:31-46?

Matthew is giving us insight into the final judgment of the nations.  Christ has come in all His glory and is seated upon the throne.  Before him are the ethnos the nations.  This is a judgment of separation: sheep on His right …. Goats on his left.  The judgment of the nations depends, in part, on how they respond to other Christians.  It seems very clear that the characteristic of the redeemed are those who served the need of the Church.  And in doing such, Christ says, they served Him.

It is without doubt that Christ came to serve and give His life for us.  This is your Christ.   Thankfully as we look back at all the times when we have served poorly or not at all we can know that through faith in Him, His perfect service has been given to us as a gift and that all our wayward sin has been paid for on Calvary's Cross.   But Christ does not leave us there.  No, He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to serve Him and the Church.   Because of God's grace we can chant with President Obama: "Yes we can!"   And for those who serve with His grace and for His glory, we can anticipate with great joy hearing:

 ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:21, ESV)