By Doug Bell
Matthew 25:31-46
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.
33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left
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Sheep and Goats! Anyone who has eaten Indian Food knows that tender lamb meat is a lot better than the grisly meat of a goat. So, I can only suppose that when Jesus was giving this prophecy, He was stating there was a drastic difference between these two types of animals. I was curious about their difference, so I did what most people do today to find facts; I went to the internet!
Summary: Difference of Sheep/ Goats-
1.A goat is more slender of the two, while a sheep is tubbier.
2.Sheep belong to the Ovas Aries species and have 54 chromosomes while goats belong to Capra Hircus species and have 6o chromosomes.
3.A goat’s tail is for most part stands up, while a sheep’s hangs down.
4.A goat is a typical browser, feeding on leaves, shrubs, twigs and vines. A sheep on the other hand loves to graze on grass and clover.
5.Goats are curious by nature and are quite independent. A sheep on the other hand prefers to stay put in its flock.
6.While a goat has hair a sheep has fleece.
7.A goat has a beard while a sheep has a mane.
8.Wild goats are found in abundance and by all accounts sheep are entirely domesticated.*
So while both groups may look similar, in reality, they have absolutely nothing at all in common! So too, in humanity, though we all may look the same we are in reality two distinct groups:
•Sheep and Goats,
•Saved and Unsaved,
•Believers and Unbelievers,
•Christian and NonChristian.
And while the world wants to divide us by race, social economics, sexual orientation, etc. God’s Word says there is only two real divisions in the world; those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and those who have Not! And in the end there are only two destinations:
Luke 16
22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried,
23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side
Sheep and Goats, saved and unsaved, and Heaven and Hell.
And I hear so many today say (including some Christians), “But, we are all children of God.” FALSE! God is the ‘Creator’ of all (Genesis), we are all ‘creatures’ of God, but NOT His children. In fact, the Bible teaches that we all begin as “goats.” We come into the world as sinners, estranged from God, and even enemies of God! (See: Genesis 3; Romans 5:6-10; 12-21). And it is ONLY after a person is saved, that;
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” (Colossians 1:13).
And as far as being God’s Children, Jesus had a discussion with some Jews in His day. They told Him that God was their father, but Jesus told them plainly;
John 8:
44 “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Two different people groups, Two different Fathers, with Two different destinations. In our text today, Jesus is telling these groups of individuals WHY there is a real difference between them.
The “Sheep” DO His will throughout their lives, sometimes without even realizing they are doing it. HOW? They have the Holy Spirit living within them, leading, guiding, and directing their every move, thought, and action. And while none do it perfectly, they all do it progressively!
The “Goats” DON’T do God’s will, never even realizing they should care. They live their lives, too. But, instead of getting better, they go from bad to worse. Living for the ‘world, their flesh, and for their father, the devil’ All the time “every intention of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually”. And “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 6:5; 8:21).
Let me ask you a serious question: Are you SURE you are saved? That you have realized that you stand ‘Spiritually Bankrupt’ before your Holy God? Your Hand’s empty because you have nothing to offer God. Not good works, a good life, or anything else! (Isaiah 64:6). Have you repented (turned) from your sins that offends His purity and grieves you? Have you ever thrown yourself completely upon God’s Mercy and Grace, accepting Jesus sacrifice in your place? Are you trusting Jesus death on the Cross to save you and nothing else? Settle this now! Your eternity hangs in the balance!
Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out if you are:
A SHEEP OR A GOAT!
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