President's Gallery: The Heart of Love is The Essence of Piety
Photo taken by President at Christ Church Cathedral (where John and Charles Wesley were ordained), England, March 2023.
In Matthew 25: 31-46, Jesus speaks of how sheep and goats will be separated when He comes again. The former will be deemed righteous while the latter as those who have not acted in ways that please God. The two groups may, at first, seem like they belong together–– both knew the Lord and had encountered someone in need. Yet, their responses differed. One group responded through practical acts of provision, to which Jesus comments: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”.
The other group, however, turned a blind eye. We see the use of very stern words in this passage. Verse 41 says: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Were you taken aback upon reading this? How was it that eternal condemnation was brought upon these people because of their failure to attend to the physical needs of others?
We love to do works of piety. We like to gather in church to worship God, fellowship with our small groups, and spend time studying scriptures and praying––we may even engage in fasting and praying. But when it comes to acts of mercy, we often find ourselves holding back. Perhaps we may think that acts of piety should take priority over acts of mercy. However, Jesus reminds us through this passage that we must not neglect the needs of those around us.
Jesus brings this point across by citing a very strong connection, that is, whatever is done to the least amongst us is as being done unto Jesus himself. As the book of James echoes, a piety that is not accompanied by outward works is false. Works of mercy and compassion ought to be the product of a person who truly loves and reveres God.
It is true that salvation is by faith. But how is faith defined?
My heart aches as I read this passage because I know how easy it is for human nature to sink into hypocrisy. Take for instance our tendency to want to brush off a teaching like this that puts us in discomfort. If you find this relatable, we need to ask God for mercy so that we may not fall into the depths of human nature and become indifferent to people in need. For as Jesus warns, we will be judged according to these parameters when the day comes.
It is true that salvation is by faith. But how is faith defined? No one can earn God’s favour and the forgiveness of sins by their works. Nobody can receive salvation unless through the Cross of Jesus Christ, before which we have been unconditionally accepted. But the faith we profess in Christ must be translated into actions and into the way we live.
This scripture passage was a word of comfort to John Wesley because he recognised that if he were to do something for the least among them, he would be serving God Himself. How great of a promise of God this is! Would you like to serve Christ? You can do so simply by serving the least among you. It was precisely the awareness of this love that caused the missionaries to arrive on our land. They learnt new languages, adopted new cultures, started schools and more. By faith, prayer, and whatever means they had, they worked through their obstacles.
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works” – James 2:21-22
James 2:14-18 writes: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” While we are not saved through works, it is through it that our faith is demonstrated and can be a witness for Christ.
James 2:19-22 further reads: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works”. This truth is not difficult to comprehend. If the love between couples or parents and children is not verified by corresponding behaviours, that said love is false and unreliable. Likewise, when we profess faith in Christ, yet our lives and actions remain untransformed, that faith is either shallow or not true at all. The book of James tells us that faith is made complete by our actions. And so our love for others is actually a testament to our love for God.
My brothers and sisters, do you love God? Let us follow in the footsteps of John Wesley in responding to the needs of those around us. It could simply be a slice of bread, a cup of water, or a pre-loved piece of clothing. Love God is loving your neighbour.
When you submit yourself to the will of God in loving others, you will also experience the grace of God coming upon you, sanctifying you.
Jesus exhorts in Mark 12:30-31 that “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The commandments are not to be mistaken as divided or sequential; their summation forms the foundation of all of God’s laws and are to be carried out simultaneously. The Methodism that John Wesley advocates highlights both acts of piety and acts of mercy. We held them so closely together that it began the movement of social holiness.
God extends his grace to us not just through acts of piety such as praying, reading scriptures and holy communion. When you submit yourself to the will of God in loving others, you will also experience the grace of God coming upon you, sanctifying you. The work of helping others often requires us to practice the Fruit of the Spirit, such as patience, self-control and gentleness. When you do so, not only are you helping someone to experience the love and grace of God, but you get to experience his sanctifying grace upon your life as well.
This is Methodism. The Methodist movement is commonly seen getting involved with the needs of society. But we are not simply helping them, we are also helping ourselves – that we may not venture away from God, or become a Methodist by name but lacking in real spiritual power. Brothers and sisters, the heart of love is the essence of piety. Let us step out in acts of mercy, and through it, experience the presence of God in our lives.
The above article is an abridged version of the sermon given by President at TACMC’s 134th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service.
Rev Dr Gregory Goh Nai Lat
President, Chinese Annual Conference
Translator: Rev Jasper Ngoh