Sheep and Goats, Wheat and Tares. How Do I Know the Difference (Part 1)

Am I really a Christian? I wonder how many “Christians” ask themselves this question. I ponder this thought just about every single day. I have been criticized by many well-meaning brothers and sisters for stating that I am not always sure I am even saved. I understand their thoughts when we discuss this. I want to be clear; I believe that salvation is by grace and grace alone. I also believe in the doctrine of divine election. I have a difficult time imagining anyone else believes any stronger than I, that God does the work of salvation. But the truth of it all is that there are false professions and there are many who have been deluded into thinking they are heaven bound, when in truth, they are in eternal despair. The main basis of the work of Satan is to deceive people and what more effective deception might there be than that of someone thinking they are Christ’s, when in truth they are not.

The scriptures are clear that there are tares and wheat, there are sheep and goats. Jesus told the parable of the tares among wheat. Read it again. It isn’t hard to understand. But there is a key verse to consider. Matthew chapter 13, verse 30 Jesus said that the tares should be allowed to grow amongst the wheat. Why? Not because the tares might be influenced by the wheat and change what they are. No, it was because telling the difference is hard for us to tell, so Jesus said that “while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.”

The only conclusion to make in this is that tares and wheat are hard to separate. In other words, until the harvest they will grow together. But at the harvest, Jesus will have the reapers “gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up.”

Consider that in terms of this scripture reading.

2 Corinthians 13:5
“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

I don’t want to fail the test. The test is the difference between heaven and hell. Jesus explains the coming judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. We must understand the truth He speaks of here. It’s the sheep and the goats and it is important. You see the goats don’t seem to understand that they are not sheep, they do not grasp that Jesus is the Great Shepherd that herds sheep, not goats. Listen to the what happens to those who have allowed themselves to be deceived.

Matthew 25:45-46
"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

The truth of the Gospel is not just that you get a free trip to Heaven. What Jesus is saying is that when He saves us, He puts His Holy Spirit in us and He gifts and empowers us to live an obedient life. This is why it’s called being Born Again. The truly saved are transformed into obedient bond-servants of Christ. They are changed from a people who rebel and deny His word, into people that love Jesus and that are proven to be the real thing, through obedience. No, most of us are not instantly turned into perfect Christians, it is certainly a change that continues until we are reunited with Christ and taken into His presence. But if our lives do not reflect a repentant heart, meaning we agree with God and His Word that what He says is right and it is our desire to follow Him, then we are in danger.

I am not trying to pass judgement on anyone. I am just asking us as Christians to encourage and keep an eye on each other by sharing the truth of the scriptures. Listen to Paul as He states this in 1 Corinthians 11:31, “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.”

We must judge ourselves and the judgment is to look at how we line up with scripture.

Ponder this over. Read the Bible and search out the scriptures I share, comparing them with the entire counsel of scripture. Then consider judging yourself.

I will write more on this next time. I want to see what are the behaviors that should tell me I am truly Christ’s? Then I can be sure I have not deceived myself.