Tag: Matthew 7:21-23

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Saved for Good Works

This episode places the themes of redemption, sin, and works in their proper perspective. Preoccupation with sin issues is understandable for infants in Christ, but evidence of true saving faith is that service to God and/or "works" that He prepared beforehand (Eph 2:10) become the motivation for life. The episode connects "service to the living God" with the roadmap of sanctification in Eph 4:22-24, where putting off the old and putting on the new self is emphasized as the means of producing good works.

Fake Salvation: a look at the wicked, lazy “servant”

This episode focuses on the wicked, lazy servant in the parable of the talents, providing a stark warning that true repentance is marked by service to God bearing fruit. Salvation that doesn't bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance is tantamount to burying the talent of salvation in the ground. The attitude of the evil servant never changes with respect to God: he flatters himself about his superficial salvation experience which is all about forgiveness of sins, but service to the Master is not in view, who is apparently unreasonable for expecting him to sow without seed. This contention contradicts everything the Scripture says about God who provides bountiful gifts, His own Son chief among them. The wicked lazy servant is around the gospel and pays lip service to knowing Christ, but never knew HIm.