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The Book of James describes two types of works. There are the works that involve helping the poor, and there are works which demonstrate your belief in God. Of the former, James 2:15-17 says “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also FAITH BY ITSELF, IF IT DOES NOT HAVE WORKS, is dead.” Of the latter, James 2:21 says “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” Regarding James 2:21, Abraham isn’t helping anyone, but his demonstration of his belief in God when he was willing to sacrifice his son is counted as works.
Jesus in the Parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:10-14 tell of these two who go into the temple to pray. The Pharisee says to God that he gives tithes of what he gets. The tax collector just asks God to be merciful to him since he’s a sinner. The works of the Pharisee, therefore, involves helping to promote the faith in God, and the works of the tax collector involve showing his belief in God as Abraham showed his belief.
Jesus in the Parable implies that God will give deference to the tax collector. Does that further imply that if God had space in Heaven left for only one person, He would choose the tax collector? If so, then what is the value toward Heaven in the other things Jesus tells us to do, such as giving everything you have to the poor as he told a rich young man?
But let’s try and put this in perspective. In Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-8 and Verse 10 he blesses the unfortunate. In Matthew 25:45-46 Jesus says that those who do nothing for the least of God’s people will go to hell. Also, in Matthew 25:31-40 he says that those who help the least of God’s people will go to Heaven. It seems from these verses in Matthew, both the unfortunate and those who help the unfortunate will go to Heaven. But in the Parable described above, greater justification is given to the tax collector who gives nothing except his faith in God, over the Pharisee who gives tithes to the temple. Could it be that giving justification, and rendering judgement, are two different things having nothing to do with eachother?
Or perhaps another way of looking at this is people like the Pharisee and the rich young man, who have been fruitful in their lives, will not be worthy of Heaven unless they give away EVERYTHING they have so they would be like those who have nothing and who will be allowed into Heaven. If so, then, what of God’s commandment in Genesis 1:28 for us to “be fruitful”? Perhaps the order of things is this: Be fruitful, then give away everything you have to the poor, and it will go a long way to assuring your place in Heaven. And as far as the unfortunate in Jesus’ Beatitudes goes, they have already been assured a place in Heaven without any works, except the works of showing their belief in God.
Jesus in the Parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:10-14 tell of these two who go into the temple to pray. The Pharisee says to God that he gives tithes of what he gets. The tax collector just asks God to be merciful to him since he’s a sinner. The works of the Pharisee, therefore, involves helping to promote the faith in God, and the works of the tax collector involve showing his belief in God as Abraham showed his belief.
Jesus in the Parable implies that God will give deference to the tax collector. Does that further imply that if God had space in Heaven left for only one person, He would choose the tax collector? If so, then what is the value toward Heaven in the other things Jesus tells us to do, such as giving everything you have to the poor as he told a rich young man?
But let’s try and put this in perspective. In Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-8 and Verse 10 he blesses the unfortunate. In Matthew 25:45-46 Jesus says that those who do nothing for the least of God’s people will go to hell. Also, in Matthew 25:31-40 he says that those who help the least of God’s people will go to Heaven. It seems from these verses in Matthew, both the unfortunate and those who help the unfortunate will go to Heaven. But in the Parable described above, greater justification is given to the tax collector who gives nothing except his faith in God, over the Pharisee who gives tithes to the temple. Could it be that giving justification, and rendering judgement, are two different things having nothing to do with eachother?
Or perhaps another way of looking at this is people like the Pharisee and the rich young man, who have been fruitful in their lives, will not be worthy of Heaven unless they give away EVERYTHING they have so they would be like those who have nothing and who will be allowed into Heaven. If so, then, what of God’s commandment in Genesis 1:28 for us to “be fruitful”? Perhaps the order of things is this: Be fruitful, then give away everything you have to the poor, and it will go a long way to assuring your place in Heaven. And as far as the unfortunate in Jesus’ Beatitudes goes, they have already been assured a place in Heaven without any works, except the works of showing their belief in God.
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