2 Sides

The Sheep and the Goats: Matthew 25: 31- 46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Matthew 25 presents the Day of Judgment as a separation into two distinct sides: the sheep and the goats. Both groups are being evaluated by the King, but their response to God’s will reveals who truly belongs to His Kingdom.

Jesus says:

“He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.” — Matthew 25:33

• Sheep → Right side → Kingdom inheritance

• Goats → Left side → Judgment

The sheep are not commended merely because they claimed to know the King. Their lives demonstrated obedience to the King’s will through their love, mercy, and service toward others.

Jesus identifies their actions toward “the least of these” as actions done unto Him (Matthew 25:34–40).

The goats, however, apparently did not recognize that their response to others revealed their response to Christ. Their failure to act demonstrated that they were not living according to the revealed will of the King (Matthew 25:41–45).

Kingdom Principle

The Day of Judgment reveals whether our faith has produced obedience to the revealed will of God.

It is therefore possible to think we are doing God's will, while our life does not actually conform to His revealed will.

This connects with Matthew 7:21:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord!

The Bible speaks about the will of God in two dimensions:

1. God's Revealed (Moral) Will – what God has clearly revealed in Scripture for all people to obey.

2. God's Hidden (Sovereign/Secret) Will – God's eternal purposes and plans that are often unknown until He chooses to reveal them.

This distinction is drawn from passages like Deuteronomy 29:29:

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

Jesus' Perfect Example

Jesus perfectly demonstrated both aspects of God's will.

Revealed Will

• John 4:34 — "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me."

• Matthew 26:39 — "Not My will, but Yours be done."

• Hebrews 10:7 — "I have come to do Your will."

Hidden Will

Jesus did not always reveal the timing or full details of the Father's plan.

• Mark 13:32 — The day and hour known only to the Father.

• John 18:11 — "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?"

Summary 

A helpful way to understand the distinction is:

• God's revealed will answers: "How should I live?"

• God's hidden will answers: "What is God accomplishing behind the scenes?"

For discipleship, the New Testament consistently emphasizes that believers should focus on obeying God's revealed will while trusting His hidden will. As Jesus taught, "Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:50).

The Will of God is not merely that we believe in Christ and receive salvation; God desires that we become holy, united as one Body in Christ, and ultimately inherit and build His Kingdom according to His divine pattern.

1. God’s Will Is for All People to Enter His Kingdom

God’s Kingdom is not limited to one nation or people. Jesus revealed that Gentiles from east and west would come and sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 8:11–12).

God desires people from every nation to respond to Him. His patience gives people an opportunity to repent:

“He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” — 2 Peter 3:9

Therefore, the salvation and repentance of people is part of God’s revealed will.

2. God’s Will Is Our Sanctification

God does not intend for believers to remain unchanged after salvation.

“God’s will is for you to be holy.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Sanctification means that our lives increasingly reflect the character of Christ. We are called to control our bodies, reject impurity, live in holiness and honor, and walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Therefore:

Justification brings us into Christ; sanctification transforms us into Christlikeness.

3. God’s Will Is for Jews and Gentiles to Become One in Christ

God’s ultimate plan is to bring everything together under the authority of Christ (Ephesians 1:9–14).

Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ are brought together into one spiritual family and receive the same Holy Spirit and inheritance. God's purpose is not merely to save isolated individuals, but to create one Body under one Head—Christ.

Therefore, God's will includes:

Many people → One Christ → One Body → One Kingdom → One inheritance.

4. To Inherit the Kingdom, We Must Do the Will of God

There is an important distinction between entering the Kingdom and inheriting/building according to the Kingdom's principles.

Jesus taught that:

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” — Matthew 7:21

Therefore, knowing God's will is not enough. We must practice God's will according to God's principles and pattern.

Doing the will of God is not simply doing something that appears good or spiritual; it is doing what God has revealed, according to His instructions and pattern.

The Tabernacle is a clear example. 

In Exodus 25–30, God gave Moses specific instructions concerning:

• Materials — what was to be used

• Measurements — how it was to be constructed

• Methods — how the work was to be performed

• Offerings — the materials were to be given willingly

• Purpose — everything was designed according to God's plan

God did not tell Moses to build the Tabernacle according to his own preference. Moses was commanded to follow the pattern shown by God. Exodus 31 then shows that God empowered the craftsmen with the Spirit of God to accomplish the work.

This gives us an important Kingdom principle:  God's work must be done God's way.

We should not:

• Substitute our own knowledge for God's requirements.

• Add to or subtract from God's pattern.

• Replace God's method with human methods.

• Serve God merely because of external pressure.

• Build according to personal preference instead of divine direction.

Instead, we should serve according to God's revealed pattern, empowered by His Spirit, and motivated by a willing heart. Therefore, doing God's will means:

Know God's revealed will → Follow God's pattern → Use God's provision → Depend on God's Spirit → Obey with a willing heart.

Doing the will of God = Obeying what God has revealed, according to His pattern, by His Spirit, with a willing heart.

The teachings of Jesus show that it is possible for a person to think they are doing the will of God while actually failing to do what God has revealed. In the teachings concerning the Kingdom, Jesus warns that outward religious activity, spiritual gifts, and even acts performed in His name do not automatically mean that a person truly knows Him.

Jesus says:

“I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” — Matthew 7:23

The issue is not simply whether we know about Christ, but whether we know Christ through obedience.

True knowledge of Christ grows as we respond to His revealed will. As we obey what He has shown us, the Holy Spirit transforms our character, our motives, our relationships, and our actions. Obedience therefore becomes the pathway through which our relationship with Christ becomes deeper and more experiential.

Knowing Christ → Receiving His Word → Obeying His revealed will → Being transformed by the Spirit → Knowing Him more deeply.

Therefore, doing God's will is not merely performing religious activities for Christ. It is walking in obedience to what He has revealed and allowing that obedience to produce a genuine relationship with Him.

Kingdom Principle

We do not truly know Christ merely by knowing His teachings, doing religious works, or calling Him “Lord.” We come to know Him more deeply as we obey His revealed will.

Revelation without obedience produces knowledge.
Revelation with obedience produces transformation.
Transformation through obedience produces deeper fellowship with Christ.

Ultimately, the question is not only:

“Did I do something for Christ?”

but:

“Did I do what Christ revealed, in the way He revealed it, and did my obedience lead me into a deeper relationship with Him?”