What criteria determine who are "sheep" and "goats" in Matthew 25:33? The scene of the judgment “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.” — Matthew 25:31-33 What Jesus looks for • Fed the hungry • Gave drink to the thirsty • Welcomed the stranger • Clothed the naked • Cared for the sick • Visited the imprisoned (vv. 35-36) Positive criteria: marks of the sheep • Active compassion that meets real needs • Service done “to one of the least of these My brothers” (v. 40) — believers in need and, by extension, any person made in God’s image • Deeds performed as unto Christ Himself, even when the giver is unaware of the eternal significance • Evidence that saving faith produces visible fruit (cf. James 2:14-17; Ephesians 2:8-10) Negative criteria: marks of the goats • Need was seen yet ignored (v. 42) • No practical mercy, revealing an unchanged heart • Failure to recognize Christ in His people and in the hurting (v. 45) • Absence of works that naturally flow from genuine faith (cf. 1 John 3:17-18) What the criteria reveal • Relationship to Christ: loving Him results in loving acts (John 14:15) • Nature of the heart: new birth shows itself in mercy; unregenerate hearts remain self-focused • Final destiny: eternal life for the sheep, eternal punishment for the goats (v. 46) Supporting snapshots from Scripture • Proverbs 14:31 — “Whoever oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.” • Isaiah 58:6-10 — true worship pairs fasting with relieving oppression and feeding the hungry. • Galatians 6:10 — “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, especially to those who belong to the household of faith.” Takeaway for today • A redeemed heart cannot remain indifferent; love for Christ overflows in tangible mercy. • These works do not earn salvation but unmistakably display it. • The Judge still sees and remembers every cup of water and every neglected need. |
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