“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46).
TEXT — Matthew 25:31-46
Message
It was the interment event of a beloved godly mother. The crowd wore gloomy look on their faces as they came to pay their last respect to the great woman. The preacher was giving his emotion- laden homily to extol the virtues and work of the departed Christian woman. While concluding the exhortation, he fired two remarks targeted at the children. To those who are born again among them, the preacher said their Mum bade them “Good Night”. To those ones who were not born again, he said their Mum bade them “Good Bye”. Those two contrastive parting remarks illustrate the final separation and alluded to two destinations that will ultimately play out at the end of life.
In today’s text, Christ clearly affirms the existence of two separate destinations and what will determine where everyone will spend eternity. While the King (God) will welcome those on the right hand (the believers in Christ) and they will be ushered into eternal bliss in heaven, those on the left hand (the unbelievers) will have their abode in hell where they will suffer forever. According to the Lord, the life we live here, the love we show to others and our decision to remain as sheep in His fold will determine what side we will go at the end of life.
Regardless of man’s arguments and opposition against the reality of heaven and hell, and about the final separation, none of these can invalidate the fulfilment of what Christ said will happen.
As pilgrims, we must then be wise to prepare for our eternal home. The only condition that guarantees access into heaven is to switch to the right side now by becoming sheep in the Kingdom through repentance from all sins, faith in Christ and acceptance of His salvation.
Thought for the day
Separation from sin here prevents separation from God hereafter.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
