Well Done Good and Faithful Servant.

I have been thinking about that phrase a lot lately. Will Jesus say that when I get to Heaven? Some would say, "well yes you're a Christian," and that is true but have I been good and faithful? We're saved by grace and James says faith without works is dead. So what does that mean? If you're not doing good works you're really not a Christian?? Well I know of some that would say yes and some that would say no.

So if you're a Christian but you have no works but you sincerely believe Jesus is the Son of God and have recieved him. So when you get to heaven what will Jesus say? Do you ever wonder that? I have wondered about that lately. What role do works play if the main message preached today is we're saved by grace through faith.

I'm familiar with Romans and James...but what about the parable of the talents in Matthew? There is a Master with 3 of his servants and 2 are good and faithful with the talents he's given them but the other is not and he is cast into the darkness and if I remember right he's called a wicked lazy slave.

For many years I thought well the dude went to hell...he wasn't really a Christian. But in the parable the servant does represent a Christian, I have come to believe, because the parable is of a Master and HIS servants.

So he was a Christian and he wasnn't good and faithful. And he was cast out. Well we know getting into heaven does not depend on our works...it's by grace through faith alone and not by works. So what is Jesus talking about here? Where was he cast and how long? Will unfaithful Christians be cast out somewhere for a time being? Works, or should it simply be known as being good and faithful, definately has a role in our Christian life.

Well I have one idea about all this that I've heard recently the first time in my ten years as a Christian but I just thought I'd toss it out there for any readers to chew on and see what they think. I think it's worth pondering. What if it's not all a bed of roses for some of us after we die? What if we go through a time of "being cast out" for our unfaithfulness?

Maybe some of you have contemplated this all before but for me it's only been recently that it has came to my attention.