Daily Devotional For Monday, March 2, 2026

Good day Southside. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew and currently we are in Matthew 25. We read the first half of a parable Jesus told and today we conclude with the second or last half of that same parable. It is found in Matthew 25:41-46:

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. (42) For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. (43) I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ (44) “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ (45) “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ (46) “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” (NLT).

Yesterday we saw Jesus speaking to the “sheep” and in this passage, He is speaking to the “goats.” These “goats” had been mingling everyday with the sheep and thought they could get by unnoticed. But the point Jesus makes here is that God the Father had already separated them and their judgment would be severe. There would be no middle ground, no purgatory, no second chances. The result would either be the Kingdom of God for the sheep (Matt. 25:34) or the damning fires of hell for the goats (Matt. 25:41).

Eternal punishment awaits those who refuse the Gospel. Hell is real for those who do not repent. There are those who falsely believe they are “in” because they come to church. Jesus makes it clear that is not enough. Being in church is not the same as being in Christ. The Bible uses 3 words to refer to death and/or eternal punishment:

1. “Sheol” – this is used a lot in the Old Testament to refer to the grave. Read Job 24:19, Psalm 16:10, and Isaiah 38:10  for example.
2. “Hades” – this is a Greek New Testament word that refers to the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the New Testament counterpart to the Old Testament word “Sheol.” Read Matthew 16:18, Revelation 1:18 and Revelation 20:13-14 for example. 
3. “Gehenna” or “Hell” – this was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children had been sacrificed by hot fires to pagan gods (see 2 Kings 23:10, 2 Chronicles 28:3). According to Jesus, this was a place of eternal fire (Matt. 5:22; Matt. 10:28; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5; James 3:6 and Rev. 19:20) for the devil, his demons (former angels) and all those who do not believe in Christ (Rev. 20:9-10).

This is the final and eternal state of the sinful after the Last Judgment. Their sin (besides rejecting Christ) was not necessarily out doing evil, but failure to do good to others. The Apostle James talks about this in James 4:17. The list is not comprehensive but lists the most common good deeds that people often fail to do. When unbelievers act in ignorance to do good deeds, that is excusable (see Acts 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:13). But when believers neglect to help those in need, there is no excuse because they have intentionally and willfully disobeyed the Lord. You do not have to be rich or wealthy to show kindness.

The wicked were shocked by the King’s words and judgment to and on them. His words seem unfair and cruel. So, the King explained that not showing kindness to anyone was not showing kindness to Him personally. By this neglect alone, or lack of fruit, they had proven they were not saved, were not His. Their failure to show compassion proved there had been no real transformation. What existed in their hearts was justification for selfishness. From this judgment, God provides an appeal. There is no higher court above this court. Given how much love God has shown towards you, and the finality of the Last Judgment against you, if you have not submitted to the Holy Spirit’s call to come to Him, would you today?

Reflection Assignment: What are you personally doing to help the poor around the world? There are numerous Christian organizations you can give money to above your tithe to help. Here are some suggestions:

1. Our own denomination has a fund. Here is the link: IMB Global Hunger Fund. 
2. Here a link to Compassion International where you can sponsor a child in a 3rd world country: Compassion International. 
3. Show Hope is an organization started by Stephen Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, to care for orphans overseas. Here is the link to this: Show Hope. 
4. You can also give to help orphans at the NC Baptist Children’s Homes. Here is their link: Baptist Children's Homes. 
5. There are many. You could reach out to Prison Fellowship started by Chuck Colson and go with them to minister to prisoners. Here is their link: Prison Fellowship.

Scripture To Meditate On: Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I want to have compassion for those less fortunate as You do. I do not want to be found so greedy and self-centered that I turn a blind eye to those in need, especially those in the house of faith. Your word is clear – if I do not help someone, I am refusing to help You. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love Southside! – Pastor Kelly