A Nation's Response to Christianity, Parts 1 & 2 - Jan. 9th & 16th, 2022

Pre-Introduction: At this time, we invite any children who desire to join team for a children’s service to follow them in the back where you can hear a wonderful bible lesson and sing some uplifting songs about Jesus. For those joining us virtually or by other means, you’re listening to the Services of the First Baptist Church of Westminster. This is the Co-Pastor bringing the Sunday Morning message entitled "A Nation’s Response to Christianity.” We invite you to follow along with us in your Bible in the Book of Matthew, chapter twenty-five, and verses thirty-one to forty-six.

Introduction:

[Start Low]

Matthew 25:31–46 KJV 1900

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: 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: 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. 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. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

A. Get Attention - Striking Statement:

Did you hear about that Sheriff in South Carolina who refused to take down the Bible verse (Phil. 4:13) he had on the wall in his office?

B. Raise Need - Illustration:

Show me a nation who has opened her doors to genuine born-again, bible-believing followers of Jesus, and I’ll show you places where people are better off, and where captives are freed, and where joy abounds even when material possessions might not; a place where burdens are borne between each other; a place where griefs are present but never debilitating; a place where children are loved and women are elevated; a place where men are strengthened together; a place where Creation’s groan under the curse of Adam is lessened. On the other hand, throughout the history of nations on the earth, show me where God’s people have been persecuted, marginalized, tormented, shamed, and martyred, and I will show you a nation that soon ceases to exist. It has never bode well for the nation that forgets God and neglects the people of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor shall it ever.

C. State Purpose/Theme-

I would speak to you today on the subject of Christ’s great climax of His Olivet Discourse.

Main Thought:

What makes a nation righteous or cursed in the End: its response to Christ & His disciples.

Sub-introduction:

Provide a brief treatment of the immediate context of Matthew’s Gospel and Christ’s Olivet Discourse. Be sure to mention the parallel verses discussing the nations early on in the Discourse and the trouble that God’s people can expect to endure during the Tribulation and leading up thereto.

Body:

I. The Throne of His Glory (Mt. 25:31-33)

[Go Slow]

A. Christ’s Glorious Ascension (Mt. 25:31)

Matthew 25:31 KJV 1900

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:

Daniel 7:14 KJV 1900

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Note - Adj. “holy” excludes the fallen angels and is abundantly witnessed as part of the Received Text. There is therefore no need to see this as some “scribal addition” to the TR but rather a “scribal omission” in the CT.

Contextually, it serves to answer in semitic parallelism v. 41. Our Savior provides a clear distinction between the 2/3 Angelic Host that remained faithful to the Throne of God and those 1/3 that “left their first estate.” The fact that "holy” was omitted in a few obscure mss may rather indicate concern over opening the door to any heretical leanings in Angelology where the texts might have been obscured. How awful would the Millennial Reign be should the Slanderer maintain his minions amongst the leadership ranks with Christ? There would be no reason for the devil to then wait a thousand years to revolt then if he could simply maintain his tyrannical leadership over the kingdoms of the earth from a distance through his planted worm-tongues.

If there is ever an area of theology prone to heresy, is it not the doctrines of angelology? How many deviant teachings surrounding “angels” are in abundance today?

Note - could be taken as an Attributive Genitive: lit. “. . . upon His glorious throne”

“Αὐτοῦ is poss. gen. The Son of Man is no intruder or usurper. The throne is reserved for him, and he alone is to occupy it.”

[Charles L. Quarles, Matthew, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (B&H Academic, 2017), 304.]

B. Nations Gathered for Separation (Mt. 25:32-33)

Matthew 25:32–33 KJV 1900

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: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Note - discuss various aspects of separation mentioned by Jesus

Ezekiel 34:17–22 KJV 1900

17 And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. 18 Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. 20 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 21 Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; 22 Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

Joel 3:2 KJV 1900

2 I will also gather all nations, And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Joel 3:11–12 KJV 1900

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, And gather yourselves together round about: Thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. 12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: For there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Zephaniah 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, Until the day that I rise up to the prey: For my determination is to gather the nations, That I may assemble the kingdoms, To pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

Zechariah 12:3 KJV 1900

3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, Though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

GOD’S PLAN

When Jesus first called his disciples, he said, “Come, follow.” Here, at the end, he said to all his disciples, “Come, take.” What can we learn about our spiritual pilgrimage during the time in between?

• Jesus is forever calling us closer to himself. We are never too close, never close enough. Jesus invites us closer all the time.

• Spiritual life is movement. We’re always approaching (or conversely, retreating from) God, never standing still. All the physical movements in your life (changing jobs, changing homes, traveling to serve others) are pictures of your spiritual journey: moving closer to God, finding how faith works, reaching heavenly goals. All the emotional movement in your life (loves found and lost, loved ones dying and new ones born) reflect the need we all have to find a stable place to build our lives. That stable place is a person, the Lord Jesus.

You are God’s plan. Since the very moment of creation, the wonderful kingdom of God—you included—has been the goal that now comes to its fullness and finality. You have been part of the world’s most important movement—faithfully living as a disciple of Jesus—and now you are part of the world’s biggest celebration. Are you lucky? No, you are God’s plan, now fulfilled.

[Bruce B. Barton, Matthew, Life Application Bible Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1996), 495.]

C. Each Nation to an Appointed Destination (Mt. 25:46)

Matthew 25:46 KJV 1900

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Matthew 18:8 KJV 1900

8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

Mark 3:29 KJV 1900

29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

2 Thessalonians 1:9 KJV 1900

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Hebrews 6:2 KJV 1900

2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

Jude 7 KJV 1900

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Application:

A number of features, many of them uncomfortable, stand out.

It tells me that I am accountable. I am free to live my life just as I please, but at the end I shall have to give account to the one who gave me my life.

It tells me that judgment awaits everyone. There will be no exceptions. There will be no [favoritism]. There will be no excuses. It will be totally fair.

It tells me that we are not all going in the same direction though by different roads, as we would dearly love to think in this tolerant and pluralist age. We will not all end up in the same place. It is possible to be utterly lost, and Jesus warns us of that possibility here.

It tells me that there will be great surprises on that day. Lots of people who were very confident of their condition will be undone. Lots of people who rated themselves very lowly will be astonished by their reception.

It tells me that the heart of Christianity is relationship with Jesus himself, which shows itself in loving, sacrificial care for others, in particular the poor and needy.

It tells me that [the nations] . . . will be judged by their response to what light they had, and in particular by their response to the brothers (and sisters) of Jesus. . . .

But most of all this great [climax] brings us face to face with our Judge, and we need to be clear about three great realities which it underlines.

[Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 263.]

Transition:

Having noticed the Ascension of the Son of Man to the Throne of His Glory, let us hasten to enjoy thoughts regarding the promised,

II. Inheritance of the Righteous Believers (Mt. 25:34-40)

[Climb Higher]

A. The Blessing: The Matchless Kingdom (Mt. 25:34)

Matthew 25:34 KJV 1900

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:

Romans 8:17 KJV 1900

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Hebrews 11:16 KJV 1900

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Note - “THE Kingdom. . . “ - Par Excellence use of the Article:

Par Excellence

a) Definition

The article is frequently used to point out a substantive that is, in a sense, “in a class by itself.” It is the only one deserving of the name. For example, if in late January someone were to say to you, “Did you see the game?” you might reply, “Which game?” They might then reply, “The game! The only game worth watching! The BIG game! You know, the Super Bowl!” This is the article used in a par excellence way.

It is used by the speaker to point out an object as the only one worthy of the name, even though there are many other such objects by the same name.

b) Amplification

The par excellence article is not necessarily used just for the best of a class. It could be used for the worst of a class—if the lexical nuance (or contextual connotation) of that particular class suggests it. In essence, par excellence indicates the extreme of a particular class. “I am the chief of sinners” does not mean the best of sinners, but the worst of sinners. If I make a “pig” of myself while eating ice cream and then get labeled “the pig,” it certainly would not be a valued appellation.

The article par excellence and the well-known article are often difficult to distinguish. Technically, this is due to the fact that the article par excellence is a subset of the well-known article. A rule of thumb here is that if the article points out an object that is not conceived as the best (or worst) of its category, but is nevertheless well known, it is a well-known article. The question one must always ask is, Why is it well known?

c) Illustrations

John 1:21 ὁ προφήτης εἶ σύ;

John 1:21 KJV 1900

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

Are you the prophet?

Here the interrogators are asking John if he is the prophet mentioned in Deut 18:15. Of course, there were many prophets, but only one who deserved to be singled out in this way.

Mark 1:10 εἶδεν … τὸ πνεῦμα ὡς περιστερὰν καταβαῖνον εἰς αὐτόν

Mark 1:10 KJV 1900

10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

He saw the Spirit descending on him like a dove

Acts 1:7 οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστιν γνῶναι χρόνους … οὓς ὁ πατὴρ ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ

Acts 1:7 KJV 1900

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

It is not for you to know the times … which the Father has appointed by his own authority

1 Cor 3:13 ἡ ἡμέρα δηλώσει

1 Corinthians 3:13 KJV 1900

13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

the day will reveal it

That is, the day of judgment—the great day.

Jas 5:9 ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν.

James 5:9 KJV 1900

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

Behold, the judge is standing at the doors.

Rev 1:5 ὁ μάρτυς, ὁ πιστός

the witness, the faithful one

In this allusion to Ps 89, Christ is described as the preeminent one who deserves such accolades.

. . . Often “the gospel” (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον) and “the Lord” (ὁ κύριος) employ articles par excellence. In other words, there was only one gospel and one Lord worth mentioning as far as the early Christians were concerned.35

Cf. also Matt 4:3; John 1:32, 45; Rom 1:16; Jas 4:12; 1 Pet 2:3, 8; 2 Pet 3:18; 1 John 2:1, 22.

[35 ὁ θεός also may be regarded as par excellence rather than monadic in many contexts. This is not to say that to the NT writers there were many gods, but that there were many entities and beings called θεός. Only one truly deserved the name.]

[Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 222–223.]

Note - “Inherit” - Aor. Impv. expressing Urgency

The inheritance they are to receive has overtones of the Abrahamic Covenant implied, “. . . in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”

Christ is the “Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world.” As the Seed of Abraham, the inheritance is to do with as He deems best. As the Second Adam, He reinstates man’s dominion on the earth and dethrones the prince of the power of the air, who presently holds (by thievery) all the kingdoms of the earth.

B. Exhibit A: Righteousness that Exalts a Nation (Mt. 25:35-36, 40)

Matthew 25:35–36 KJV 1900

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.

Matthew 25:40 KJV 1900

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.

Illustration - Men of Ephraim

2 Chronicles 28:15 KJV 1900

15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

Proverbs 19:17 KJV 1900

17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; And that which he hath given will he pay him again.

James 1:27 KJV 1900

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

C. Criteria: Hospitable to the Gospel of the Kingdom and Christ’s Disciples (Mt. 25:37-39)

Matthew 25:37–39 KJV 1900

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?

Application:

Politically speaking, the best thing a nation could do regarding Christians is to take them in, feed, nourish, welcome, clothe and help them. A genuine believer will in turn over time only serve and help others once he or she is strengthened. Granted, the church abused this throughout her sordid history of compromise (Roman National Church), yet the truth also remains that where genuine Christians have thrived, society as a whole has been only blessed by their being strengthened.

Implied here is Jesus’ invitation to the Roman and Jewish Governments of His day to open their hearts to His message of hope and welcome those who follow Him rather than persecute them as a threat to their national well-being, for there will be no greater inheritance for any nation than that which the Messiah will grant to those who receive Him as their most benevolent Lord.

Transition:

The Son of Man will one day, upon His imminent return, invite those nations who have welcomed Him, His Gospel and her messengers to enjoy the inheritance of His heavenly Father, as the blessed meek inherit the earth with Him, but on the other hand, notice the,

III. Fate of the Cursed Unbelievers (Mt. 25:41-46)

[Take Fire]

A. The Curse: Everlasting Fire (Mt. 25:41)

Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900

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:

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 KJV 1900

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

B. Exhibit B: Negligence Toward the Gospel & Abuse of Christ’s Disciples (Mt. 25:42, 45)

Matthew 25:42 KJV 1900

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

Matthew 25:45 KJV 1900

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.

What does it take to miss the blessings of the Father, simple negligence toward the person of Christ.

Consider Saul on the Damascus road, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

C. Criteria: Ignoring Jesus & His Disciples = Rejecting Him (Mt. 25:44)

Matthew 25:44 KJV 1900

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?

Note - All (the righteous as well as the cursed) will one day acknowledge Christ as “Lord.” See Phil. 2:5-12

Philippians 2:5–12 KJV 1900

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Is the neglect of loving service to others so wicked that it deserves eternal fire? The answer is yes.

In a work entitled “Temptation and Deliverance,” Jonathan Edwards wrote, “Every sin naturally carries hell in it!” He went on to explain and exhort, “Let us then consider, that though the next voluntary act of known sin shall not necessarily and unavoidably issue in certain damnation, yet it will certainly deserve it.”36 Today the church is plagued with a high view of the goodness of man and a low view of the holiness of God. But Edwards’s era didn’t suffer from our disease, or at least not as much. To even ask the question, does this sin or that sin really deserve damnation? shows that the sinfulness of sin is not so sinful to us.

[36 Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, ed. Edward Hickman, vol. 2 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, repr. 1992), p. 228.]

[Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth, ed. R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 756.]

Conclusion:

A. Call to Act/Summary of Message/Application:

One Left Turn to Destruction (25:31–46)

1. When the Son of Man returns, he will judge all people of all nations (25:31–33)

2. Those who have displayed allegiance to Jesus by kindnesses to his disciples will enter his kingdom (25:34–40)

a. God has graciously blessed the heirs of the kingdom

b. God has prepared his kingdom for his heirs since creation

3. Those who rejected Jesus by ignoring the needs of his disciples will be eternally punished (25:41–46)

4. People show how they respond to Jesus by their treatment of his disciples (25:40, 46)

[Charles L. Quarles, Matthew, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (B&H Academic, 2017), 307.]

The Goats

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: (Matthew 25:41) What a startling contrast to those who were allowed to enter into the Kingdom of Christ. These are banished into everlasting fire. There is nothing pretty about this picture.

The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)

The lost will be cast into Hell, a place of awful torment prepared for the devil and his angels. Charles H. Spurgeon said:

They had joined the devil in refusing allegiance to the Lord; so it was but right that, imitating his rebellion, they should share his punishment.

Notice the word everlasting. This clearly describes the duration of Hell fire. Hell is the everlasting torment in literal fire for those who reject Christ. Hell is the eternal home of the damned. The worst thing that could happen to a person is to be cast into Hell for eternity. It is a place of outer darkness, where the Bible says there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of the teeth, where people burn for eternity. John the Baptist spoke of Hell as a place of:

… unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12)

The word unquenchable means that the fire will never be put out. It is eternal fire. The Apostle John describes Hell as a:

… lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)

Just think for a moment about being lost and going to this awful place of torment for eternity. It is beyond the ability of the human mind to fully comprehend. What a fearful reality for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. Hell!

. . . It is a fact that everyone will spend eternity somewhere. It will either be with the Saviour or with Satan. It will either be Heaven, or it will be Hell.

[Glen Spencer Jr., The Gospel according to Matthew, vol. 3, Expository Pulpit Series (Wordsearch, 2017), 224–225.]

B. Gospel Invitation:

Only Two Kinds of People in the World

In our “seeker-sensitive” environment, we are often guilty of elevating seekers to a third type of humanity—those who reject Christ and are headed for eternal damnation, seekers who are almost there, and believers who are headed for heaven. This is wrong; seekers actually belong to the first group. We might add to this the “quasi-Christians,” those who attend regularly but show no fruit of this in their lives. Some belong to the first group and some to the second. There is no middle ground. Every person on earth is going either to heaven or to hell. Moreover, the decision will be made in this life, so it is essential that every person be confronted by the gospel and challenged to make a decision. There is no neutrality, and nothing in life is as important as this question, because it determines every person’s eternal destiny!

[Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, vol. 1, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 940.]