The Terror of The Sheep and The Goats

 Truly it is misunderstanding The Word of God that keeps many people from desiring a relationship with their Creator, and the passage from Matthew 25:31:46 can be most confusing. This passage is used to support the need for an accumulation of good works to get into Heaven.  It's has been preached and taught that way by the same people who teach and preach that we are saved by Grace through Faith so no man can boast. Unbelievers must scratch their heads and think, "How can both be true?"

This picture painted by Jesus of Himself separating people into sheep and goats; goats being cast into hell and sheep being ushered into heaven, has been the source of much fear in believers and unbelievers alike, because we don't pay attention to who the sheep and goats are.  The sheep and goats are 'the nations'. That is what Jesus calls them.  Believers who have received salvation by Grace through Faith in Jesus' atoning death are not sheep or goats. They are the Church-The Assembly according toThe Word.  

I know this causes some problems for those who believe Jesus is the only way to God and who, in their Faith in Christ, seek to exclude all others from Heaven. It tis a puzzlement, as The King of Siam said so wisely in The "King and I" and I certainly don't have the answers to all the debate about this scripture. I do understand that The Word speaks generally of three groups of people, The Jews-Israel, The Church, and the nations (everybody else).

Mark Twain once said, "It ain't those parts of The Bible that I can't understand that bother me. It's the parts that I do understand."  That's wisdom, right there, so let's look at the scripture. 

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’  “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’  “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’  “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life." Matt 25:31-46 NLT

Is this a different picture than John teaches in 1 John 4?

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them..... Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

The most important fact about Jesus' discourse on sheeps and goats is that believers who Faith in Jesus' Christ and His atoning death are not sheep or goats. They are Saints of The Assembly (Church) of God.

Secondly, it is important that it speaks of a time when Jesus has come to earth as Judge and identifies Himself as the Brother of those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, and in prison! Jesus' identification with those in dire need is so intimate that His Divine discernment knows and will show to all on earth at that time who among them knows Love, and therefore Him, and who does not.