‘When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or in any state of need and fail to assist you? We have no recollection of such events even though you have reminded us of all that took place in our lives.’ But God scrutinizes the heart very closely and in all honesty the wicked have to admit that, had they been in such a situation, they would certainly have acted as he says. God has his own ways of finding out what is in our hearts, and he can bring the hidden things to light that we have not yet admitted to ourselves.
Does this mean that men will not be judged for other sins such as murder, adultery and lying? Will Christ overlook all the other transgressions of his law that do not involve himself directly? Certainly not, but in this brief summary of what he will say to men and women, he focuses on those omissions that most starkly expose their attitude to him. Ultimately all sins may be resolved into this: hatred towards God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is therefore the key aspect of human behaviour that determines all our eternal destiny.