The Righteous Produce Fruit Naturally (Matthew 25:31-46).

Class Outline:

Thursday January 15, 2026

 

It was the design of God from the beginning for Christ to reign over a kingdom in which humanity would enjoy His personal presence in a righteous world on earth in glorious harmony and love with one another and with the Lord and submissive to Him.

 

MAT 25:34

“Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

 

The phrase “foundation of the world” is a reference to the beginning, ala GEN 1:1. And there was, and is, a register of citizens.

 

REV 13:8

whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

 

EPH 1:4

He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world

 

But known by God and allowed was the fall of Satan and his angels. For them the eternal fire or Lake of Fire was prepared.

 

MAT 25:41

“Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

 

The eternal fire was not prepared for mankind. Mankind follows in Satan’s manner: not a failure of works but of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

 

Believers will have works that are godly.

 

Curiously, both groups were unaware of their actions - a phenomenon that only happens when our actions become so routine that we no longer think consciously about them. They become second nature. Why? Because of our nature.

 

MAT 25:37

“Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when …”

 

MAT 25:44

“Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when …”

 

The “brothers of Mine” are Jews suffering during the worst time on earth with the worst antisemitism.

 

The righteous helped them and the unrighteous did not.

 

Jesus is showing us what righteousness looks like; it is the inner righteousness that comes from the heart and expresses itself in love for the Lord and for His people. How else could the righteousness of God look?

 

Salvation is by faith alone and is not based on works.

 

ROM 3:21-28

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

 

ROM 4:1-5

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,  

 

We could read so many passages that state the same thing:

 

EPH 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

How are we sure of our eternal security (works or no)? ROM 8:16

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

Our assurance is supernatural.

 

Paul then gives us a hint of what he will begin in Eph 4: we have a purpose (as does Rom 8).

 

EPH 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

 

Would we imagine that if God made a machine designed to do a certain task that it would fail? How about if He predestined the exact tasks it would perform?

 

Don’t fear it, rather, know that you were made for it.

 

The unique time of the Tribulation

 

In the Tribulation the majority of Jews are going to be killed. The persecution on them is going to be immense. If a Gentile Christian sees or befriends a Jew to the extent of feeding and clothing him, it could only mean that he is a believer in Christ and recognizes the Jews as the chosen people.

 

ZEC 13:8-9

"It will come about in all the land,"

Declares the Lord,

"That two parts in it will be cut off and perish;

But the third will be left in it.

9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire,

Refine them as silver is refined,

And test them as gold is tested.

They will call on My name,

And I will answer them;

I will say, 'They are My people,'

And they will say, 'The Lord is my God.'"

 

REV 12:13-17

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.  14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

 

“Those who attempt to put God in their debt by good works are typically quite deliberate in their efforts.” [Miller]

 

A Pharisee never did a good deed unconsciously. Believers in Christ do, probably most of their good this way.

 

MAT 6:1

"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

 

God desires you and me to be what He made us to be. Again in Rom 8; we are those who walk by the Spirit.

 

That is God’s new machine. It is made by Him to produce divine fruit by the power of God the Holy Spirit. But it is not a machine. It is something even more amazing. It is a man, made in God’s image who has a choice.