It breaks my heart when I hear many sermons in the Christian religion miss-using the scriptures in order to make a point. Case in point, “The Sheep and Goat Judgment”.
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They use this scripture to indicate that we are to help others as a basis for our salvation. Under the Law of Moses the Jews were to love others as they loved themselves. It was a Law. Under grace the works of the Law were fulfilled when Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay for our sins. If, under grace, we are to keep any of the Law of Moses for “salvation” then grace is no longer grace.
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Then what do we make out of these scriptures? What was the intended purpose? It is my opinion that Jesus is talking about the fulfillment of the Covenant (promise) made to Abraham that God would bless those that bless him and curse those that curse him. Since Abraham was the beginning of the Jewish race this means that God would bless those who bless the Jews and curse those that curse the Jews.
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When Jesus returns to set up His 1,000 year Jewish kingdom on this earth there will be both Jews and Gentles that have made it through the 7 years of God’s wrath. How will Jesus determine which of those in the Nations (Gentiles) will go into that 1,000 year kingdom? -- It is at that time that God’s promise to Abraham will be honored by letting those Gentiles who helped (blessed) the Jews receive the promise God made to Abraham. There is no other reason given in the story for their blessing except that they helped the Jews (Jesus’ brothers were Jews).
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Now if anyone wants to insist that we are under a law that we must help others as a basis for our salvation then they are saying a person is saved by their works and their works of loving others is a basis for a place in Heaven and not just faith in Jesus’ work on the cross alone. --- No one can have it both ways. It is either by faith in Jesus’ work on the cross or by the works of man. A person can’t be married to one and play around with another. In this case that is spiritual adultery. In my opinion miss-using the scriptures to make social moral points will send many to hell.
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Richard
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The Sheep and Goat Judgement
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Matt 25:31-37 NKJV
31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
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It was determined by God, “from the foundation of the world” that those who helped the Jews would inherit a place in the wonderful 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ. -- As for us, today under grace, our salvation is totally based on our faith that Jesus’ shed blood has (past tense) paid for all our sins and we are given salvation based on our believing it. -- The only sin that condemns us under grace is the sin of unbelief --- Not believing that Jesus’ shed blood has already paid for our salvation.
*
They use this scripture to indicate that we are to help others as a basis for our salvation. Under the Law of Moses the Jews were to love others as they loved themselves. It was a Law. Under grace the works of the Law were fulfilled when Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay for our sins. If, under grace, we are to keep any of the Law of Moses for “salvation” then grace is no longer grace.
*
Then what do we make out of these scriptures? What was the intended purpose? It is my opinion that Jesus is talking about the fulfillment of the Covenant (promise) made to Abraham that God would bless those that bless him and curse those that curse him. Since Abraham was the beginning of the Jewish race this means that God would bless those who bless the Jews and curse those that curse the Jews.
*
When Jesus returns to set up His 1,000 year Jewish kingdom on this earth there will be both Jews and Gentles that have made it through the 7 years of God’s wrath. How will Jesus determine which of those in the Nations (Gentiles) will go into that 1,000 year kingdom? -- It is at that time that God’s promise to Abraham will be honored by letting those Gentiles who helped (blessed) the Jews receive the promise God made to Abraham. There is no other reason given in the story for their blessing except that they helped the Jews (Jesus’ brothers were Jews).
*
Now if anyone wants to insist that we are under a law that we must help others as a basis for our salvation then they are saying a person is saved by their works and their works of loving others is a basis for a place in Heaven and not just faith in Jesus’ work on the cross alone. --- No one can have it both ways. It is either by faith in Jesus’ work on the cross or by the works of man. A person can’t be married to one and play around with another. In this case that is spiritual adultery. In my opinion miss-using the scriptures to make social moral points will send many to hell.
*
Richard
*
The Sheep and Goat Judgement
*
Matt 25:31-37 NKJV
31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
*
It was determined by God, “from the foundation of the world” that those who helped the Jews would inherit a place in the wonderful 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ. -- As for us, today under grace, our salvation is totally based on our faith that Jesus’ shed blood has (past tense) paid for all our sins and we are given salvation based on our believing it. -- The only sin that condemns us under grace is the sin of unbelief --- Not believing that Jesus’ shed blood has already paid for our salvation.