“… 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” (Mat. 25:34).
Paul also speaks of those who will “inherit the kingdom” or otherwise, saying thus: “know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?” (1Cor.6:9). And again, he writes: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…” (1Cor.15:50).
It is clear then, that those who will inherit and enter into the Kingdom of God are the righteous, who are no longer flesh and blood, but energised by the Spirit in glorious incorruptibility – just like their Lord himself (see context of 1Cor.15). There is some discussion as to whether the Sheep and Goats are nations, or individuals: the present writer holds to the latter on the following basis:
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- The “righteous” are said to “inherit the kingdom” (vs 34), and as per above, according to 1 Corinthians 15:50, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”. Hence inheriting the kingdom can only be for those who are immortalised.
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- The class of men who are accepted constitute “the righteous”. Yet, righteousness can only be given upon the basis of faith: righteousness is imputed to the faithful (Rom. 4:5).
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- The “righteous” are said to enter “into life eternal”, and whilst this expression can have the sense of the age-long life, i.e. life during the millennium, when used in connection with righteousness and an inheritance, it seems more likely to refer to the immortal nature of the saints who enter into the joy of their Lord.
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Matthew 25 describes the qualifications for entry into the kingdom:
“I was an hungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked and ye clothed me: I was sick and ye visited me: I was in prison and ye came unto me” (Mat.25:35-36).
None of these things require great skill or training: they are simple things that the lowliest disciple can do. And these are things that the faithful do without even realising it, saying: “Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee etc.” (Mat.25:37-39). Notice, this doing of good to the brethren – and so to the Lord – is so ingrained in them, that they don’t even know they have done it!
But for the unfaithful, they didn’t even see the opportunity to attend to their brethren’s needs, also asking: “Lord, when saw we thee an hungered etc.” The simple things by way of tending to each other’s needs, are the things that can so easily be overlooked, as in this case of the rejected. Yet they are necessary for the righteous to enter into the joy of their Lord. To meet with the Lord’s approval, the faithful must seek the opportunity to care for their brethren and sisters: then they shall be blessed by inheriting the kingdom with him.
This attitude of mind is very instructive when it comes to working in the ecclesia. Tending to the needs of the brethren and sisters is a very important job. Rather than focusing on our own affairs, we should be looking for ways that we can serve our brethren and sisters. Even as it is written: “look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:4). As we say, what is sobering about this parable, is that the Goat class didn’t even see those opportunities! The faithful are proactive in looking to the needs of their fellow-servants, for all will experience afflictions of one form or another, and all need the help and support to bear the burdens of life. If we cannot see this, then that places us in the Goat category, a grave situation which we must seek to rectify.
Those who are accepted by the Great Shepherd, are those who hear his voice (Jno. 10:3), and who lay down their lives in service: “Hereby perceive we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 Jno. 3:17). Our duty is clear, but whether or not we discharge it is entirely up to us to decide!
Christopher Maddocks
