The Lord Wants His People Separate From Sinners
- INTRODUCTION:
- SCRIPTURE READING: Matt 25:31-46 = "[31] When the Son of
man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: [32] And before him shall
be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. [34]
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world: [35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took
me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited
me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?
or thirsty, and gave thee drink?[38] When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we
thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall
answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me. [41] Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the devil and his angels: [42] For I was an hungred, and ye
gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: [43] I
was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me
not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. [44] Then shall
they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred,
or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and
did not minister unto thee? [45] Then shall he answer them, saying,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least
of these, ye did it not to me. [46] And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
NOTE: In the words of this passage the Lord's reaches the final
scene in the life of man. The scene is the last judgment and man's
final separation for eternity. There are actually five secondary
scenes to this climax to the existence of man on earth.
- THE LORD HAS ALWAYS WANTED HIS PEOPLE SEPARATE FROM SINNERS:
- Even today the Lords calls man out of darkness into His marvelous
light.
I Pet. 2:9 = "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,
an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth
the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light."
II Cor. 6:14 = "Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
And what communion hath light with darkness?" Note: These
are those that the Lord has added unto His church daily (See
Acts 2:47).
- The Lord Word instructs His people to be separate from sinners.
2 Cor 6:17-18 = "Wherefore come out from among them, and
be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."
- The Lord instructs His people to withdraw from the disorderly.
II Th 3:6 = "Now we command you, brethren, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every
brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition
which he received of us."
- The Lord knows those that are good and bad.
2 Tim 2:19-21 = "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of
gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some
to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself
from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and
meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work."
Note: This is separation now, preparing us for the final permanent
separation in eternity.
- LET US THEN TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT ETERNITY'S SEPARATION --
- DISCUSSION:
- THE FIRST SCENE -- THE THRONE OF GLORY:
- Text: [v.31] = "When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon
the throne of his glory:"
- Christ the King is on the throne. John 5:22 & 27 = "For
the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son: … And hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of man."
- The angels around the throne will go forth to execute the
Kings' decisions:
Matt 13:41-42 = "The Son of man shall send forth his angels,
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace
of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
II Th 1:7-8 = " And to you who are troubled rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not
God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
- THE SECOND SCENE -- THE SEPARATION:
- Text: Matt. 25:32-33 = "And before him shall be gathered
all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: [33] And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."
- The separation will be with unerring certainty, as a shepherd
would separate the goats from the sheep.
John 10:14 = "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep,
and am known of mine."
2 Tim 2:19 = "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.
And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity."
Note: The people are assembled as nations, but the separation
is done individually.
Rom 14:12 = "So then every one of us shall give account
of himself to God."
- Each individual will be place in his proper destiny.
- The sheep (righteous) will be placed on the right –
a place of honor.
- As the Lord received a place of honor in heaven.
Mark 16:19 = "So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on
the right hand of God."
- That place of honor was at the right hand of God.
Ps 110:1 = " The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou
at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."
- A place of honor for the sheep. Matt. 25:34 = "Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world."
- The goats (unrighteous) will be placed on the left –
a place of dishonor.
Matt. 25:41 = "Then shall he say also unto them on
the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
- There is no middle or neutral position.
Matt 12:30 = " He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
Matt 7:13-14 = "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for
wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth
unto life, and few there be that find it."
Rev 3:15-16 = "I know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth."
- THE THIRD SCENE -- THE BENEDICTION:
- Text: Matt. 25:34-40 = "Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty,
and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36]
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was
in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed
thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?[38] When saw we thee
a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39]
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
- The invitation: "Come ye blessed of my Father."
- Note: While the Lord was still on earth, He spoke these
words:
Matt 11:28 = "Come unto me, all ye that labour and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Mark 10:14 = "But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased,
and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto
me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."
John 7:34 = "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me:
and where I am, thither ye cannot come."
- After the Lord's departure, the invitation was continued
by those sent out in His name to the world.
- Rev 22:17 = "And the Spirit and the bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely."
- The bride is the church. [See Ephesians 5:22-27].
- The invitation will be spoken once more by the Lord at
His coming, but spoken only to the sheep at the right hand
of Lord.
- The blessedness to which they are called.
Matt. 25:34 = "Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"
John 14:1-3 = "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe
in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also."
- The grounds of the blessing:
Matt. 25:35-40 = "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger,
and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick,
and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37]
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink?[38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or
naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in
prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done
it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done
it unto me."
- Christ identifies himself with the unfortunate of the
earth.
- To render service unto Him, we must render service to
the unfortunate.
- THE FOURTH SCENE -- THE DENUNCIATION:
- Text: [v.41-45] = "Then shall he say also unto them
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: [42] For I was
an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me no drink: [43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked,
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me
not. [44] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked,
or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? [45]
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not
to me."
- The denunciation: "Depart, ye cursed" [v.41].
Note: All that do not come unto the Lord during the days of
his merciful grace will hear this denunciation of the Lord.
- The place of banishment is [v.41] = "into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."
4. The grounds for the denunciation of the Lord was the neglect
of the unfortunate:
Matt. 25:43-45 = "I was a stranger, and ye took me not
in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not. [44] Then shall they also answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger,
or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
[45] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did
it not to me."
Acts 9:4-5 = "And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice
saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he
said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
- THE FIFTH AND FINAL SCENE -- THE PASSING INTO ONE'S DESTINY:
- Text: [v.46] = "And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
- Clothed in garments of mourning, those on the left shall
take the downward path that leads "into everlasting punishment."
Rev 21:8 = "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
- Clothed in garments of white, those on the right shall take
the upward path that leads into the heavenly mansion of the
Lord.
Rev 7:13-17 = " And one of the elders answered, saying
unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and
whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And
he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and
serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on
the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of
waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
John 14:1-3 = "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe
in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also."
- CONCLUSION:
- THE CLIMAX OF THE LAST SCENE OF ONE'S LIFE CAN BE EITHER A BLESSED
EVENT, OR A TRAGEDY.
- THE FINAL SCENE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A TRAGEDY.
- THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN SEE THAT IT WILL NOT BE IS YOU!
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