Matthew 25:41-46

Mat 25:41 (KJB)
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:

Now the king will turn his attention to the unbelievers on his left hand. He now pronounces their sentence which is eternal damnation in the lake of fire which was originally prepared for the devil and those rebellious angels that fell with him. He is not pronouncing a curse upon them because they are cursed already since they had sinned against God and had no covering for their sins. (Mat 7:23 KJV) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. One only need to read the curses pronounced in Deuteronomy 28 to see that unsaved man is under a curse. (Gal 3:10 KJV) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. No one on earth has the ability to keep the law and that means every unredeemed soul on earth is cursed.

Mat 25:42 (KJB)
For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

Now Jesus tells them what they are guilty of. Now there are many secular organizations out there that bring food and water to poverty stricken areas of the world and in essence they are bringing food and water to the poorest of people. If you notice the statement above, you will see that these unbelievers were doing it, not unto the Lord but unto themselves. How many times do we read of altruistic millionaires who donate to worldly causes to help alleviate poverty, hunger, or lack of hygiene or lack of medical care. The key to understanding the way the Lord is phrasing it, is that they did not do it out of a saved heart but an unbelieving heart. (Prov 21:27 KJV) The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? They gave meat and water but not to the Lord because of their unregenerate state. This verse is also a warning to churches who have traded the true Gospel for a gospel of worldly works because they will be placed on the left on Judgment Day. No one gains Heaven by means of any works, no matter how selfless the works are.

Mat 25:43 (KJB)
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.

Then Jesus speaks to them of not only feeding and giving drink to others but here He is telling them they did not even do any type of effort in works which were not even considered life saving. These people chose to show no hospitality nor did they choose to make friends with others so they could stay aloof and it would not cost them anything. It would be like going into a church and not be welcomed. Then speaking about being naked, they themselves are naked without the true Gospel and so they could not give what they themselves did not have. Like a dead church or ministry which does not teach the true Gospel. Then when a person is spiritually sick or in prison, they visited them not to try and bring them out of the prison. That is, they are not giving the true Gospel. They have no desire to have anything to do with the “religion” and as a result of being unregenerate self-servers, they have proven they too are under the curse.

Mat 25:44 (KJB)
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then these people are going to ask the same questions the believers had asked, that when did they see Him hungry, thirsty, naked, sick or in prison? The reality is that they saw Jesus every day in those places and positions but because they were spiritually dead, they did not know that ministering to these people was like ministering to Jesus. Opportunities are there everywhere around the world to bring the Gospel that clothes, feeds, quenches thirsts, or sets the captives free but when a life is lived solely for the purpose of self-gratification, time goes by and soon the person slips into eternity having nothing in their repository. This is why it so important that Christians be involved because non-involvement in ministry may be a clear sign a person is not saved.

Mat 25:45 (KJB)
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.

Then Jesus gives the same answer He gave to the believers except in reverse. These people did nothing for the glory of God nor for the Son of God which means they were still in the kingdom of Satan and their lives were lived for themselves. In neglecting the needs of others, it was like they were neglecting the Lord.

Mat 25:46 (KJB)
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Normally in the orient, the sheep and goats will feed together in the same pasture during the day but when the night comes, they are separated and just like the sheep and goats are separated at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The goats, the unbelievers are sentenced to an eternity in hell. The sheep, the believers are going to live eternally in Heaven with the Lord. So ends the Olivet Discourse.

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