Spiritual Israelite
Well-Known Member
Notice how @marks didn't address anything I said in this post and just picked out one thing from what I said here (first sentence of the last paragraph) and accused me of supposedly rewording the text with no explanation of why he was accusing me of that. How convenient for him to do that while not addressing anything else I said in this post. Looks like he just made up an excuse to avoid addressing my points.The word "nations" is translated from the Greek word "ethnos" which can mean people in general, the heathen, the Gentiles and other things. In this case it's referring to people in general and they are all separated to Christ's right hand (the sheep) and left hand (the goats).
I already told you who the chosen are. It's us. The church.
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Those who belong to Christ, of course. The church. You need to learn to allow scripture to interpret scripture for you.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The "one fold" of the one shepherd, Jesus, is the church consisting of "this fold" (Jewish believers) and another fold with "other sheep" (Gentile believers) that were joined together into the one fold.
They're not. Where do you get that idea from? After the angels gather the church we are then brought before the throne of Jesus after which we are moved to His right hand with unbelievers being moved to His left hand.
The goats are unbelievers. The lost. The unsaved. Those whose names are not written in the book of life. That's why it says they are cast into "everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matt 25:41) at that time, which is the same as the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
If you look at the text closely you should see that each person is judged according to whether they served Jesus or not. He commands us to love others as we love ourselves, so the things He talks about are the kinds of things we do to love others and to serve Him. As He said, people are known by their fruit, which represent their works (Matthew 7:16-20). It doesn't mean we are saved by works, it means our works reflect what kind of faith we have and who we serve.