Are You a Sheep or a Goat? (Separating True Believers From Pretenders)

 In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks in three parables: 

1. Parable of the Ten Virgins (vv. 1-13);

2. Parable of the Talents (vv. 14-30); and

3. Parable of the Sheep and Goats (vv. 31-46).

It is interesting that all the virgins considered themselves friends of the bridegroom, both the wise and foolish. All the servants in the Parable of the Talents considered themselves in the employ of the lord. In the final parable, all the sheep and goats seem to know the Son of Man. The distinction in the verses is not between the Christians and the world, but rather the Christians from the pretenders, i.e. hypocrites. 

Jesus ends the parable of the virgins by saying: "the door was shut....But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." He concluded the parable of the talents by saying: "And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." To the goats in the parable of sheep and goats, Jesus says: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels...." Can there be any doubt that the pretenders in all three parables were sent away from Jesus' presence into hell? Jesus is talking about eternal judgment and not just a lost of rewards.

This message is important because there are many, and I feel most, who are in the church building that are not converted. They live in sin, have sinful hearts, but they sing, raise their hands, and look pious when they pray. How does Jesus describe those that will enter the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world? The difference between the sheep and goats is what their actions were. The sheep gave food to the hungry, gave something to drink to the thirsty, took in strangers, provided clothes to the naked, visited the sick and those in prison. The goats did not do these things. 

The sheep had a mission to take care of those that had physical needs. They showed compassion through their actions to those who needed their help. While there is only one interpretation to a verse of Scripture. there are many applications. Today, we can apply the principles of these teachings to reaching the poor, those with sickness like COVID-19, those incarcerated, and the unborn in the womb. Life begins at conception and a real Christian will do everything in his or her power to protect innocent blood. Those that choose to spill innocent blood, or assist those that do, will be among the foolish virgins, unprofitable servants, and the goats.

Believers need to call those to repentance that have endorsed abortion as a right. Killing unborn children is murder and there will be a judgment. To all those that attend church and profess to be a Christian, what do your actions say about your faith? Which camp will you find yourself in at the judgment? Help the poor and sick, clothe those that need help, visit those in prison and protect the unborn. If you do, you will be at the right hand of Jesus.