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T H E K IN G ’S BU S INESS
It is for the welfare of the sheep that they shall (Rev. 21:27). The present mixing up of sheep and goats in the world and in our churches cannot go on forever, and there is reason to think it will not go' on much longer. Thursday, April 22. Matt. 25:34-40. How sweet and significant the title He ap plies to those on His right hand, “Ye blessed of my Father." The word trans lated “blessed” here is not the same word so translated in the Beatitudes (ch. 5:1-12). It means literally, “well spoken of.”’ God has already blessed the believer with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ (Eph. 1:3), but here He invites those who are well spoken of by Him, to the inheritance of the kingdom, which is not something we earn, it is a gift (Luke 12:32). This kingdom has been prepared “from the foundation of the world” and it was prepared for us. Jesus gives as the reason for inviting the persons referred to, to the inheritance in His kingdom the fact that they had ministered to Him in His need. The whole destiny of man hangs on his faith, but the proof of the faith is conduct (cf. Gal. 5:6; Jas. 2:17, 18). How glad we ought to be to give the thirsty Christ a drink when we think of the water He has already given us (John 4:14; 6:55). How glad we ought to be to give the hungry Christ to eat when we think of the bread He has given us (John 6:32, 35). How glad we ought to be to receive Him when a stranger (Eph. 2:13, 18, 19) ; clothe Him when naked (Is. 64:6; Rom. 3:13, 14; Phil. 3 :9) ; visit Him when sick (Luke 1: 68, 78), or in prison (Luke 4:18), when we think of how He has done all these things for us. It is deeply significant that the righteous were not aware of the food deeds they had been doing, and the most acceptable, righteousness to God is that which is free from self-consciousness. Christ'S© identifies Himself with His people (both His spiritual people and His earthly people, the Jews) that any act done to
(v. 30). To be damned one need not do ill, he need only be “useless.” His talent- was given to the one who already had ten > talents, and Jesus explains that the one who uses what he has will get more and the one who neglects to use what he has will lose even that (v. 30). This principle runs through all life. Wednesday, April 21. Matt. 25:31-33. The judgment here represented is of the nations living on the earth at the time of Christ’s coming to the earth. We shall all appear some time before Christ’s judg ment seat (cf. 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10), but the destiny of the believer is decided the moment he accepts Christ (John 5 :24) ; and the judgment of those out of Christ who have died before His return will be at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:1-4, 12- 15). When Jesus came the first time, he came in humiliation; when He comes again, He will come in glory. All the holy angels shall come as His retinue (cf. 16:27; 19: 28; 26:64; Zech. 14:3, 4; Mark 8:38; 1 Thess. 4:16; 2 Thess, 1:7-10; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7). What a wonderful spectacle it will be when our Lord comes sweeping down from heaven with the countless mil lions of angels forming His train. When He comes He shall sit upon a throne, “the throne of His glory.” He now sits upon a heavenly throne (Rey. 3:21) but then He will sit upon an earthly throne. There are many who make Christ’s second coming at death, or at the destruction of Jerusalem, or at the descent of the Holy Spirit, but certainly none of these fit the description of His coming given here. Not only will “all the angels” (R. V.) be with Him but “all the nations” shall be gathered before Him (v. 32). He will judge the nations and separate them into two classes. The scene here represented is not so much of a trial as of a declaration of a ve.rdict. The trial is taking place every day; all men are divided into two classes today (John 3:18). It is a thing to rejoice over that some day the goats shall be separated from the sheep.
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