ONLY TWO OPTIONS— YOU ARE A GOAT OR A SHEEP
ONLY TWO OPTIONS— YOU ARE A GOAT OR A SHEEP
And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. —Matthew 25:33
Those who know Jesus seek to help others. They are not self-centered but are looking out for the interest of others and not just their own— “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Yes, those who know Jesus will seek to model after Him— “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Philippians 2:3-7).
Sheep, followers of Jesus on His right- the favored position, are servants as seen in this passage by—
- Feeding the hungry
- Providing for the thirsty
- Welcoming the stranger
- Providing clothing to those needing it
- Visiting the sick
- Visiting those in prison
This is not an exhaustive list of where those who love Jesus serve, but these are areas where you will see followers of Jesus serving. Why? The motivation is out of love for God and love for people. Serving like this does not save a person but gives evidence that a person is truly following Jesus.
On the other hand, those who are not following Jesus, goats on His left— the unfavorable position, are known by—
- Not feeding the hungry
- Not providing for the thirsty
- Not welcoming the stranger
- Not providing clothing to those needing it
- Not visiting the sick
- Not visiting those in prison
Again, we are talking about serving those who know Jesus in these situations. Those not following Jesus have no desire to serve those who do. We who know Jesus surely should have a desire to serve those fellow followers of Jesus that are in these situations. Are you a follower of Jesus? Surely you are serving somehow in one of the situations above…
The end result is that the goats will hear Jesus say, “‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… go away into eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:41, 46). The sheep will go into eternal life with Jesus and all who love Him. Are you a sheep, a follower and servant of Jesus? Rejoice if you are. Eternal joy is before us. Are you a goat… I would strongly encourage you to trust Jesus now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk&t=21s
Dear Father, I thank You for heaven ahead, to be with Jesus and all who love You. I so look forward to that time. Until then, please help me to run the race with perseverance by the power of Your Holy Spirit, keeping my eyes fixed on Your Son Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. Yes, may this be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-QvSnHY–Q