Abounding in Works of Love
To enter heaven we must abound...
When Paul learned that the Galatians and others had fallen back under the law,
he reminded them that they were saved by the grace of God through faith and not by
the works of the law.1 Clearly, we are not saved by striving to keep the letter of the
law, such as being circumcised, abstaining from meat offered to idols, offering
sacrifices, and being morally pure like the Pharisees. It is equally true, however, that
we are not saved apart from loving God and our neighbor, which is the spirit of the
law demonstrated by Christ.2 As Paul told the Ephesians, we are created in Christ
Jesus unto good works.3
Jesus compared himself with a vine in which his disciples were his branches
and their works of love for one another their fruit.4 Branches that fail to bear fruit, he
said, would be cut off and cast into the fire while those with little fruit would be
pruned and bear more fruit. To abide in him, he said, they must bear much fruit.
Moreover, if we have faith but are not abounding in the works of faith (bearing much
fruit), our works are incomplete and we are falling short of eternal life.5 Peter,
therefore, continually admonished believers to give all diligence to add to their faith
virtue… knowledge… temperance… patience… godliness… brotherly kindness… and
charity. If these things abound in us, he wrote, we will not be barren or unfruitful:
For
so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.6
Jesus said: Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in
the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation.7 The Bible teaches that Judgment Day will reveal every man’s work,
separating those like the Pharisees who judged and condemned others (evil works)
from those who showed abundant forgiveness, compassion and mercy (good works).8
Christ said that those whose works are in between, neither cold nor hot, will not enter
the kingdom of heaven.9 He also said that to have eternal life we must follow the greatest
commandment, which is to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and
our neighbor as ourselves. This degree of love is required to bear fruit abundantly.
References
1 Gal 3:11; Eph 2:8-9
2 Rom 2:27, 29; 7:6; 2Cor 3:6
3 Eph 2:10
4 Jn 15:1-17
5 Jas 2:14-26; Rev 2:4, 5, 7, 14 -17, 20-28; 3:2-5, 15-21
6 2Pet 1:5-117
7 Jn 5:28-29
8 Mt 25:31-46
9 Rev 3:14-22; Lu 8:14; Titus 2:14, i.e., they were choked out by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this
world and were neither zealous of good nor evil works.
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