35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;” Matthew 25:33-35.
We see two things in these three verses. The Judgment will be just. The Judgment will be based on election.
The Judgment will be just in the sense that the good will be rewarded and the bad will be punished. The good are represented by the sheep, and the bad are represented by the goats. They will be separated and sent in opposite directions. The good (the sheep) will receive eternal life. The bad (the goats) will receive eternal punishment. Those who do good (feed the hungry, visited the sick etc.) will receive eternal life. Those who do bad (did not feed the hungry, did not visit the sick etc.) will receive eternal punishment. “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46.
The Judgment will be based on election. There are those who are blessed from God who will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.
As Reformed folk, we tend to emphasize “unconditional election”, the “U” in “TULIP”. It is right that we do so, because election is emphasized in Scripture. But, we should not neglect the fact that the Judgment will also be just. We should not neglect that we should do good. However, we should look to the Holy Spirit to produce the good fruit. See Galatians Chapter 5.
In other words, we need to both trust the promises of God, and we need to do good. We trust the promise of election. We do good.
2 Peter 1:2-11 helps us. Notice how it starts with the promises of God (“seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness”). Notice how it finishes (“in your faith, supply moral excellence … brotherly kindness, love.”). I emphasize “in your faith”, because it is only through our faith that we are able to do these good things.
“2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.” 2 Peter 1:2-11.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 