How does this parable fit in with your concept of what it means to be Christian?

Question

For those who say that all that is necessary to be a Christian or to be saved is to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior, how does the parable of the separation of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25: 31-46) fit in with that belief?

Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'

He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.'

And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Answer 1

I think the parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates this point as well. It's not just saying "I believe Jesus died for my sins, he is God and I want to be saved!"

You have to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Good works are the way to salvation. Living as Jesus taught- by loving your neighbor as yourself, being kind, compassionate and forgiving- that is the way to the kingdom of heaven.

If I might interject a bit of "heresy"-

From the Gospel of Thomas-

"(Jesus) said to them, 'Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness.'"

"...the kindom (of God) is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father."

Answer 2

You should treat everyone as if he were Christ. If you do not help someone because you feel better, or are just scared or too self-involved you may end up a goat. You may end up the one calling His name and He knows you not...Actions speak louder than words and just calling yourself a Christian and telling those around you they will go to hell (instead of giving them a plate of food or some water) does not make you a follower.. It comes from within and I think some that do not believe in God yet but are good people may sail through easier as it is very quick to become a believer, yet not as quick to wash away the stain..

Love

"they know, that God created all men equal.."

Answer 3

The way I understand it is that anyone can attend a church, say they are Christian, yet not truly be one. Church atrendance doesn't make one a Christian. It goes beyond that. God knows who the real Christians are; God knows their hearts. God looks at what we've done for others, whether we are Christian or not. God sees how we treat everyone else, no matter what their race, color or creed. Christ sees how we follow Him, and if our hearts are wanting us to help those less fortunate than ourselves, if we pray for others, etc...Altho good works can't save us, only Christ's sacrifice does, we must be the kind of Christian that does as Christ did, and as He wants us to be. If we are not, then, we'd be one of those who may hear, " I do not know you"...and we won't inherit that special place in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Answer 4

The sheep are believers; the goats are unbelievers. Truly Born Again believers are identified by their love: for God, for fellow believers and for the unsaved. At the "sheep and goat judgement," some "goats" will try to say they're "sheep;" however, their lack of love will betray them.

The Apostle Paul wrote at 1 Cor. 13:

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Anyone who doesn't have love for others, doesn't have love for God. And whoever doesn't love God, cannot be saved.

Peace.

Answer 5

Couple that with the parable of the sower. Some received the message with gladness, but never bore fruit, were gathered and thrown in the fire.
It is a process of growth, not an event.
Take joy in the journey.

Answer 6

It agrees totally with the concept for salvation by faith in Jeus Christ. What is often overlooked is that faith is only the first step in what it is to be a Christian. All through the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the New (and Old) Testament, is is taught that once saved, a Christian is called to peform good works. They are NOT the cause of his salavation, but the effect. It is possible to judge the sincerity of a person's faith by his works.

Remember first that this is a parable. That means it is a story that teachs a moral principle. To try to make every detail in a parable fit in the real world is, of course, ridiculous. Or try to try to take this one parable and make it the total teaching of salvation is equally ridiculous.

Look at the first part of the same chapter, Matthew 25. It has two other parables before this one. In the first, a wedding party is either admitted to the wedding or locked out based on whether they have oil of their lamp. I do not know of a church anywhere that interpretes this to mean you have to have a burning oil lamp to be saved. And if it goes out, you are lost. The prinicple, that we are to be living our lives in a manner that keeps us prepared for heaven, is valid. Salvation or damnation by oil lamp was never intended by Jesus.

The second parable features a man who is given some money and does not invest it. When the master returns, he is condemed to hell (reread verse 30) because he has not made money. I do not know if a church anywhere that teaches salvation by making money, and damnation by not. That would be a ridiculous interpretation when compared with the rest of the Bible. The principle, that God wants us to use our money, talents, times, etc, as best we can is valid. The idea of salvation or damnation by profit is not.

If this third parable was to be taken as literal fact, then people would have fur, walk on all four, and either baa or naa. And people go to heaven because they baa and hell because the naa. Ridiculous. But the prinicple that the parable teachs is valid. It teaches that a true fellower of Christ is one who will sacrifice, give, help, aid and support others. Any failure to do that is a sin.

But just like Jesus' parable of the talent in Matthew 25:14-30 does not teach that making money saves you and not making money sends you to hell, so this parable that immediately follows in verses 31-45 should not be taken to mean that giving a cup of water is the way you get saved. If that was true, every person who ever helped one of the children drink when they were one year old would be saved. It does not take a genuis to see that there are lots of people who have given water, but are not saved - do not believe in God - and are living lives of total destruction and sin.

The prinicples is valid - those who are truly saved with be living giving and sacrifical lives. But to try to extend the parable to cover all and every aspect of the Christian life and faith would require you to threw out hundreds of other clear scriptures on salvation by faith. So a "salvation by works, not faith" interpretation would be to try and read into that parable more than Jesus intended. Just as he never intended to teach "salvation by oil lamps, not faith" or "salvation by bank accounts, not faith".

Answer 7

Those sheep represent those who are saved and the goats are those who are lost. I am not sure of your question?

Answer 8

As a Catholic I understand that you are not saved by faith alone, for faith without works is dead