What is the meaning of Matthew 25:46? And they will go away Jesus is finishing His parable of the sheep and the goats. The phrase marks an irreversible moment of separation after judgment. • Matthew 7:23 echoes this final dismissal: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” • Hebrews 9:27 reminds us that “people are appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment.” The departure is not temporary or symbolic; it is the real, eternal consequence of an earthly life lived without saving faith in Christ. into eternal punishment “Eternal” (aiōnios) is the same word used later for “eternal life,” underscoring equal duration. Punishment is conscious and unending, not annihilation. • 2 Thessalonians 1:9 warns of “the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord.” • Revelation 14:11 says, “The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever, and day and night there is no rest.” • Daniel 12:2 foretells “shame and everlasting contempt” for the wicked. Key points: – God’s justice demands recompense for sin. – Hell is not merely absence of good but active judgment. – The reality of eternal punishment magnifies the urgency of the gospel. but the righteous The contrast pivots on the word “but.” Righteousness here is not earned; it is bestowed through faith, then evidenced by obedient living (as pictured in the parable’s acts of mercy). • Romans 3:22: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” • 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” • Ephesians 2:10 shows the fruit: “We are His workmanship…to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” True believers display compassionate deeds, not to earn salvation, but because they possess it. into eternal life This is life in its fullest sense—unending, abundant, face-to-face fellowship with God. • John 3:16 promises that whoever believes in Jesus “shall not perish but have eternal life.” • John 10:28: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” • Revelation 21:3-4 paints the destination: “God Himself will be with them…there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” Highlights: – Eternal life begins now but reaches perfection in the age to come. – It is a gift (Romans 6:23) secured by Christ’s finished work. – Its permanence mirrors the permanence of punishment, reinforcing the seriousness of present decisions. summary Matthew 25:46 draws a clear, sobering line: humanity divides into two eternal destinies. Those who reject Christ face everlasting punishment; those made righteous by faith enter everlasting life. The verse underscores God’s justice, the reality of hell, the certainty of heaven, and the necessity of a genuine, faith-filled response to Jesus that bears the fruit of love and obedience. |
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