What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats?
Matthew 25:31 - 46
ESV - 31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
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Asked July 01 2013
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Anonymous (via GotQuestions)
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
Matthew 25 is three parables. If the parable of the ten virgins is about the kingdom of heaven rewarding the people who keep their lamps trimmed with eternal life, then it reveals to us that 50% of us will inherit eternal life. Five were prepared and five weren't.
In the second parable about the three servants given talents to do business with, two out of three were rewarded. That's 67%. So is it half or two thirds of us who will be saved?
No number of sheep and goats was given. The third parable is not like the other two, although it's laid next to them for a comparison...
In the first parable there were 5 sheep and five goats. The second had 2 sheep and 1 goat. The third didn't give a number of the sheep or the goats. Clearly these parables go together like the 3 parables in Luke 15. The third parable is the one the other two are there to highlight.
James Kraft
We are saved by faith alone apart from any works. Works do not justify a believe.
Lots of lost people do good works in the eyes of the world. Only those who have done the will of His Father in heaven are saved. John 6:40 and John 6:29.
If we could be saved by works, then Jesus died in vain. For the believer there are rewards in heaven for our works. Our works have nothing to do with salvation. That Is a free gift from God in which we have nothing to boast in. You can not boast in free.
Romans 3:26-28. For He is the just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus. Where is boasting then? You can not boast in free. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus did all the saving we are going to get. We can add nothing to it or take anything away from it. The GIFT of God is eternal life. Jesus paid the debt and set us free.
John 3:18. Unbelievers trust in their own works to save them selves. Believers trust Jesus alone apart from works for the free gift of eternal life.
ALL believers have eternal life. Gods word. John 6:47. God can not lie. The GIFT of God is eternal life Paid in full. John 3:18.
First John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may KNOW YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. Gods word.
We have to divide the word of God rightly. Matthew 24 is about the Jews that will be saved during the tribulation. Revelation 7.
Jesus told them, you will not see me again, until you confess with your mouth that I am the Lord.
Do we have to confess with our mouth? No, we are saved the instant we believe on Jesus apart from any works. Acts 16:31. The simplicity of the gospel.
The tribulation saints will have to keep from taking the mark of the beast to be saved. Revelation 14:9-11.
The church age of grace is over before the tribulation begins. We will go to meet the Lord in the clouds. At the end of the tribulation He comes back to earth and we will come with Him.
Romans 4:5-8. But to him that worketh not, (the thief on the cross) but believeth on Him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
We are declared righteous before God the second we believe on Him alone for the free gift of eternal life. Romans 4:6 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness apart from works Faith alone. Blessed is the man whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Our sin debt is paid in full by Jesus one blood sacrifice for all sin, past, present, and future sins we have not even thought of yet. First John 1:8 IF we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us.
On our best days we are still sinners in Gods eyes. But Christ died for sinners. First John 2:2 If Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, why should you go to hell to pay for your own sins? Jesus already paid the debt and set us free. John 3:18. No longer condemned.
You should know 100% you are going to heaven based on Gods word, and He can not lie. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent me, that ALL, not some, but ALL that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on the last day. Gods word. John 6:47 Gods word. We are saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit the second we trust in Jesus alone apart from any works.
John 3:16 Jesus said it, we believe it, and that settles it. Faith alone apart from works. You can not boast in free. John 10:28-29. Gods word. No one can earn heaven. We can only be saved by what Jesus did for us plus nothing. We can do nothing to save ourselves. All of the good works in the world can not save a sinner.
Jesus paid the debt and set us free. No longer condemned to hell John 3:18. Believers are no longer condemned, but unbelievers are condemned already because they have not believed on the name of the Son of God.
Believers are the sheep, unbelievers are the goats.