Now the second thing about doing the works is that, without love motivating our works, they have no eternal value. Without the love of God, the agape, the sacrificial love of God motivating our works, they have no value! When God looks at your works, to what level is love motivating them? Now this is perhaps something difficult to get a hold of, so let me show you a scripture.
1 Corinthians 13:2 – “Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith - I could do miracles and all kinds of things - and I could remove mountains, but if have not love I am nothing”.
1 Corinthians 13:3 – “Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor (wow, that's sacrificial!), though I give my body to be burned, or sacrificed as a martyr (whoa, that's amazing!), but have not love, it profits me nothing”.
Without love flavouring what we do, it doesn't have any value for us in eternity. We are called to be like our Father, and we're called to love people like our Father loves, with no hidden agenda. Wow, that's challenging isn't it? We must pursue God, and pursue the love of God, and then release that love to others. What is the Great Commandment?
Luke 10:27 – “Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and all your mind, and all your strength; and love your neighbour as yourself”.
Here's another thing then that shows the importance of love… Without love, our works are no different to an unbeliever's works!
Luke 6:32-35 – “If you love those who love you, what credit, or what grace, or what empowerment by God, is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what grace is that to you? What credit, what thanks? Even the sinners do the same. If you lend to those you hope to receive back, what grace is that? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back”.
If you only love people, because they've loved you, then you're acting as a response - there's no big deal about that. You don't have to be saved to do that. If you do good only to the ones who do good to you, you're just repaying them. You know, you're indebted to them, so what credit is that? Even sinners will do that! If you lend, and you always want to get something back, what credit? Even sinners will do the same.
” …but love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return”.
There it is right there: “hoping for nothing in return”. When you love people, when you do good, when you lend or give, there's no hidden expectation that they are indebted to you. The love you've given is totally free of any hidden agendas - otherwise you're trading. You're giving this, but want something back. The nature of God's love is to give, not wanting something back.
Luke 6:35 – “Love your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return. If you'll do that, your reward will be great!”
Not a little reward; a great reward! And, you will be sons of the Most High! Why? Because He's kind to unthankful, and the evil. If we operate like that - loving our enemies; doing good; lending; giving; and serving… without trying to extract a favour, an entitlement, or something back - then God sees it all! God will reward it greatly; and we are establishing that we are sons of our Father, because we're representing exactly what He is like - and that's what sonship is! That's what God's eternal purpose is! That's what He's looking for!
Will you be a son of the Most High? Will you act like your Father? Will you be like Jesus Christ? Will you act like He acted; and love people, love your enemies, do good - in the end hoping to get nothing back? This is a very powerful scripture. When we do works which are motivated and empowered by love, it establishes two things.
1) We've set it up for God to reward us. We will receive reward in heaven.
2) Our identity, as sons, who represent our Father in heaven.
We'll finish with just one last other thought on this... Many Christians (not a few, many!) will find their works rejected, and having no value. Now we think: they did all these things, don't they deserve to be acknowledged? No, no! Remember, God is looking at: did the works fit the pattern of divine design; and do they represent what Jesus Christ did? Are they following that pattern?
Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to Me: ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom, but he who does the will of My Father…”
(See, surrender!)
“Many will say to Me in that day…” (many is not a few people. That's many!)