Below are two sets of scriptures. One taken from John and the other from
Matthew. How do they compare to each other. One speaks of believing, and
the other speaks of doing, each one promising eternal life if you follow
them, and eternal hell if you do not. Is simpley believing not enough? Or
are we only insured eternity with god if we do the works? Why do these
two scriptures seem to contradict each other.
John 3:5-19
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water
and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.
7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.'
8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not
know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born
of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do
not understand these things?
11 "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of
what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the
Son of Man.
14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of Man be lifted up;
15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
that the world might be saved through Him.
18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been
judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32
"All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will
separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His
right, and the goats on the left. 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. 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; 36 naked, and you clothed Me;
I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to
Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we
see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something
to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite
You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick,
or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and
say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it
to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you
did it to Me.' 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; 42 for I was
hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you
gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not
invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in
prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves
also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty,
or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take
care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to
you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of
these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
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