What’s with the accounting of our deeds in the Athanasian Creed?

At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire. (Athanasian Creed; lines: 38-39)

That sounds pretty severe, doesn’t it? It’s not the just sound, but the reality. Jesus warns us again and again that there is a reckoning in store for humanity. Sheep and goats, wheat and tares, wedding guests with and without a wedding garment, good trees and bad trees; some will receive salvation and some will not. Some will receive eternal fire.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, …he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… Then the King will say to [the sheep], ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? … “Then he will say to [the goats], ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty … and did not minister to you?’ … And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-32b, 34, 37, 41, 44, 46)

One very significant thing about Jesus’ description of the final judgement is that neither the sheep nor the goats recognize themselves in their deeds. The goats do not see their wickedness. The sheep do not see their righteousness.

Unbelief and faith are the mitigating issues at play here.

As with Judas, unbelief produces wickedness. Out of hatred of God, those who choose to deny Christ are bad trees producing bad fruit. The road to hell is paved not in good intentions, but in unbelief.

As with Abraham, our faith is credited to us as righteousness. Our faith, which is a gift given in our baptism, produces good works. Good trees produce good fruit. And, God makes good trees out of us sinners.

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:13-14)

In baptism we find our identity. We are children of God, called, named, and saved by the blood of Jesus. We are saved by this washing of regeneration. Through it, God only sees us a righteous people, sheep, wheat, wedding guests clothed in Jesus’ righteousness, good trees producing good fruit. At the accounting of our deeds, we will all still be surprised that God finds us righteous. Now, we can only see our sin. There, He only sees us in Christ.

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX