Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Matthew 25:31-35 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
HE WILL SHEPHERD HIS SHEEP INTO HEAVEN
Among the events which the Scriptures foretell will transpire on the Last Day is the great division of believers and unbelievers. Every person who has ever lived shall be resurrected from their graves and made to stand before the Lord their Judge. He will then separate the mass of humanity into two groups. One group He will usher into heaven's glory, the other He will consign to the fiery pit of hell.
The criterion He will use to make this division is clearly spelled out in the Scriptures: "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
God gave the Bible to us for this purpose so we might place our trust in Him as our deliverer from sin and death and hell, and live with Him in Paradise.
So on the Last Day, when you stand before your Savior and if He should ask you: "Why should I let you into heaven?" let this be your answer: "Because in love You lived and died for me, Lord, and You rose again to obtain for me the crown of life. All glory be to You!"
Nothing have I, Christ, to offer, You alone, my highest good.
Nothing have I, Lord, to proffer But Your crimson-colored blood.
Your death on the cross has death wholly defeated And thereby my righteousness fully completed;
Salvation's white raiments I there did obtain, And in them in glory with You I shall reign.
(Lutheran Service Book, 536:3)
