Re: "works after salvation"
Aloha brother Winman,
I ask you to carefully consider what I have to say, because it is not meant to offend you in any way. 
There are Three (3) “divisions” (“parts”) to every Scripture in the Bible:- There is a HISTORICAL aspect (context)
- There is a “SPIRITUAL” aspect (context)
- And there is a “DOCTRINAL” aspect (context)
When a Christian studies the word of God to shew himself “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed”, he MUST always engage in “rightly dividing the word of truth”.
[2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.]
I believe that a FAILURE to “rightly divide” God’s Holy words is at the heart of almost all of the “differences” (disputes) we see between Christian brethren here on the Forum.
According to the Scriptures the Lord Jesus Christ said:
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
HOW can anyone mistake the implications of this simple statement? This verse of Scripture unambiguously states that - (during Christ’s “earthly ministry”) the Lord Jesus Christ was “NOT SENT” (to any one else), BUT unto the “LOST SHEEP” of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL. If you can “get a hold” of this truth, it will be a tremendous “help” in “rightly dividing the word of truth”.
WHY? Because it clarifies to WHOM the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry (here on earth BEFORE His death, burial, and resurrection) was DIRECTED – i.e. “the house of Israel” and to WHOM it was NOT DIRECTED, i.e. the “Gentiles” or the “church”. And correspondingly to WHOM He was addressing His “words” DIRECTLY – i.e. “the house of Israel” and to WHOM He was NOT addressing His “words” DIRECTLY, i.e. the “Gentiles” or the “church”.
WHY else would He have commanded His disciples NOT to go in the way of the Gentiles?
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Could it be any plainer? Could God have made it any more SIMPLE?
When the Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke:
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
He was talking about: “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
He wasn’t talking about the “LOST”, as we see and understand “the Lost” today – NOT YET. He wasn’t talking about the Gentiles or the church – NOT YET! {He hadn’t died – yet; He hadn’t been buried – yet; He hadn’t risen from the dead – yet; the nation of Israel had not REJECTED Him for the last time [Acts 7:1-60] - yet}
In talking about “My sheep” the Lord Jesus Christ said:
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Quote:
Sheepfold Sheep"fold`\, n.
A fold or pen for sheep; a place where sheep are collected or confined.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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The Lord talked about “MY SHEEP” (His people Israel) in the Scriptures, and He said that he had “OTHER SHEEP” – “which are not of this fold” (Please notice that He did not say ‘which are not of this flock'). The Lord Jesus Christ has only ONE FLOCK OF SHEEP – but they come from TWO DIFFERENT “FOLDS” – i.e. Jews and Gentiles. While the Lord was here on earth He had ONE FLOCK OF SHEEP that came from only ONE FOLD (i.e. the Nation of Israel), and that consisted of ONLY JEWS; it wasn’t until AFTER the Nation of Israel’s REJECTION of the Apostles’ (Peter foremost) “message” to Israel - that the Lord turned to the Gentiles (His “other sheep” . . . . “which are not of this fold”) so that when “the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” there will be “ONE FOLD” (made up of both Jews& Gentiles) and there will be ONLY ONE SHEPHERD.
Brother, your comments on AV1611 Bible Forums > Doctrine > “works after salvation”> Post #35 > about Matthew 25:34-46 ignore the Historical and Doctrinal context of the verses. You have “spiritualized” the verses to make them “mean” whatever you want them to “mean”, rather than let them say exactly what they say.
In both the historical and doctrinal context the whole of Matthew Chapter 25 is in reference to “the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 25:1-13; Matthew 25:14-30] and the Lord’s return to this earth to rule and reign in His Millennial Kingdom {His “physical” return to “physically” reign over the whole earth in a “physical” kingdom.}.
The Lord used two “Parables” to illustrate what it would be like just before He returns and what is to be expected of His “people” at His return.
Now the Lord spoke in “Parables” so that:
Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.“
Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
So the two “Parables” that Christ spoke of were “mysteries” that are only revealed to whomsoever God chooses to reveal them to, everyone else cannot understand them, although the words are there for them to see and hear.
Now what follows the two Parables is a PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION of WHAT is going to occur after the end of the Great Tribulation and BEFORE the beginning of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. For want of a better name this is called the “Judgment of the Nations” to distinguish it from the “Judgment Seat of Christ” – where the Lord will judge a Christian's (all Christians') “works” [Romans 14:19 & 2 Corinthians 5:10]; and “The Great White Judgment” – where the Lord Jesus Christ will judge all of the dead (with the exception of His saints, who were already judged at Calvary) [Revelation 20:11-15].
Matthew 25:31 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:
{This is speaking about the “physical” return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to rule and to reign – sitting 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:
{This is speaking about Christ “physically” GATHERING ALL OF THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD FOR JUDGMENT – and that judgment will be based on HOW those NATIONS treated the JEWS DURING THE TRIBULATION. It is NOT speaking about how a Christian feeds the poor, cares for the widows, or performs other “good works”. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with Christians!}
{This is NOT speaking about Christ’s “SHEEP” [John 10: 11-16]! Do you see the word “AS”? The Lord is using a “simile” to explain what is going to take place (the judgment of the NATIONS) immediately after He returns to the earth, at the beginning of His Millennial reign. On the one hand (the right), The Lord Jesus Christ is explaining that those NATIONS (the sheep) who treated the Jews kindly and helped and supported them, will get to live and go into His Kingdom. While on the other hand (the left) those NATIONS (the goats) who neglected or refused to help or assist the Jews, or those NATIONS who actively opposed them are going to be sent into “everlasting fire & punishment”.}
{Read the verses (in CONTEXT) – these verses are NOT talking about the “atonement”, or New Testament salvation, or Christ’s “SHEEP”. These are in reference to THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS, which will take place immediately after the end of the Great Tribulation. This is NOT THE “Judgment Seat of Christ” (for Christians), and NEITHER is it the “Great White Throne” Judgment (for the “dead”); this is “The Judgment of the Nations”! This is “rightly dividing the word of truth” -101. Please read to the end of the Chapter. Do you see anything connected to the church, Christians, or New Testament salvation?}
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. {Jews during the Tribulation}
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. {Jews during the Tribulation}
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
These verses are describing “physical” events that have been prophesied to occur in the future. This is a prophesy spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ, and we ought not to “spiritualize” them and make them mean something other than what they plainly say.
The verses have NOTHING to do with Christians or with the Lord Jesus Christ’s “SHEEP”. They have everything to do with the “JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS” which will occur just before the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Scriptures are clear:
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. {His “own” = the Nation of Israel}
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {the “many” & “them” = both Individual Jews & Gentiles}
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. {All those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and in His shed blood and His sacrifice on Calvary for their sins, and who have RECEIVED Him as their personal Saviour.}
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