What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Matthew 25: Readiness and True Faith
Have you ever wondered what Jesus really meant in his parables about readiness for his return? In this enlightening exploration of Matthew 25, we dive deep into three powerful parables that challenge common assumptions about salvation.
The parable of the Ten Virgins presents a sobering picture of spiritual preparation. When five virgins fail to bring enough oil for their lamps while awaiting the bridegroom, they miss their opportunity and face rejection. This story has sparked considerable debate among believers, particularly those who hold to "once saved, always saved" theology. But as we discover, Jesus isn't primarily concerned with theological positions—he's focused on the practical reality of spiritual readiness.
Moving to the parable of the Talents, we see how faithful stewardship demonstrates authentic faith. Two servants double their master's investment and receive abundant reward, while the servant who buries his talent faces severe consequences. This powerful illustration reminds us that how we use what God entrusts to us reveals the true nature of our hearts.
Finally, Jesus removes all ambiguity with his teaching on the sheep and goats judgment. Here, he explicitly connects authentic faith with compassionate action—feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. The righteous, surprisingly, don't even realize they've been serving Christ through their actions toward others. This reveals that genuine faith naturally produces good works as its fruit.
Beyond theological debates about salvation security, Matthew 25 calls us to examine our lives in light of Christ's expectations. Are we spiritually prepared? Are we faithfully using what He's entrusted to us? Does our faith manifest itself in practical compassion? As we await Christ's return, these questions deserve our urgent attention. Join us as we rediscover what Jesus really meant about being ready for his coming.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be in Matthew 25, verse 1. Then the kingdom of heaven will be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were prudent. But when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them, but the prudent ones took oil in the flask, took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them, but the prudent ones took oil in the flask with their lamps.
Speaker 1:Now, while the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there finally was a shout Behold the groom Come out to meet him. Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out. However, the prudent ones answered no, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves. But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Yet later the other virgins also came saying Lord, lord, open up for us. But he answered. Truly, I say to you I do not know, you Be on alert then, because you do not know the day or the hour. Let's stop here at verse 13.
Speaker 1:I really didn't understand how controversial this passage was, and it's become a not heated Now, heated in other circles, but in my circles it's become a topic of discussion. We have a camp, a majority of the camp that we have is the once saved, always saved. You can't lose your salvation, and that's a lens that we look through when we read the Bible and this kind of really messes with people's heads. If you know what I mean and why is that, you may ask. Well, let me change the words a little bit and help you understand why this is so controversial. It says you have 10 virgins. Right, say, you have 10 Christians and they're waiting for the bridegroom to come, they're waiting for Jesus to come back. And these 10 Christians, they all have their lamps lit, but they became drowsy and they began to sleep because the Lord took a long time. Finally, the shout came out that it's time, it's become time to come out and meet the Lord.
Speaker 1:Five were wise because they had brought with them enough oil, they had prepared themselves, they had been prepared. And five were foolish. They weren't prepared and they went out. They asked the other ones hey, give us some of your oil? And they said we don't have enough, go buy some for yourselves. They left, they went away. Understand the significance of went oil. And they said we don't have enough, go buy some for yourselves. They left, they went away. Understand the significance of went away. They went away to buy oil and while they were gone, the bridegroom came and they missed their shot and the door was closed to them. And when they came, they knocked on the door and said we are here. And he said I don't know where you're from, depart from me. This, really, it smacks on losing your salvation and it's a hard. That's a hard thing for people to understand. Whether you're in one camp or you're in another camp has become way too much of the focus of believers and we need to get away from that focus. It's not a matter of whether or not we can lose our salvation. It matters about being prepared.
Speaker 1:Jesus gives three parables. The first one we read was in Matthew 24, and it was the good servant versus the evil servant. And now we've come to the 10 virgins Five were wise, five were foolish and we're fixing to go into the next parable. So let's do that now. Let's go into the next parable. So let's do that now. Let's go into the next parable, starting verse 14, for it is just like a man about to go on a journey who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To the one, he gave five talents, to another two and to another one, each according to his own ability. He went on his journey. The one who had received five talents immediately went out and did business with him and to another one, each according to his own ability, and he went on his journey. The one who had received five talents immediately went out and did business with him and earned five more talents. In the same way, the one who had received the two talents earned two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground and he hid the master's money.
Speaker 1:Now, after a long time, the master of the slaves came and he settled accounts with them. The one who received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents. His master said to him Well done, good and faithful slave, you were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter the joy of your master. Also, the one who received two talents came up and said Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents. His master said to him Well done, good and faithful slave, you were faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter the joy of your master.
Speaker 1:Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed, and I was afraid. So I went and hid your talent into the ground. So you still have what is yours into the ground. So you still have what is yours. But his master answered and said to him you worthless, lazy slave, did you know that I reap where I do not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed? Then you ought to have put my money in the bank and on my arrival I would have received money back with interest. Therefore, take the talent away from him and give it to the one who had ten talents, for to everyone who has more shall be given and he will have an abundance, but the one who does not have even what he does have shall be taken away and throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, all right.
Speaker 1:So at the end of verse 30, we come to the third parable, and it's much like the first two. There is a common theme, and it's about being prepared. It's about doing what you've been asked to do by your master, and not to be a worthless, lazy slave or a mean and hateful slave. Don't mistreat people. Do everything that you've been asked to do. And this, this kind of, really fights against the idea of once saved, always saved. I'm not trying to teach that you can lose your salvation. Please do not hear that. That's not what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to say is that true salvation, true belief, has a look, so much so that Jesus himself, in the final parts of chapter 25, explains this. So we don't have to. Let's continue in verse 31.
Speaker 1:But when the Son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him. Then he will sit on his glorious throne and all the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them from one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep on his right but the goats he'll put on the left. Then the king will say to those on the right Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in, naked and you clothed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in, naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.
Speaker 1:Then the righteous will answer him Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? Or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison? And came to you. And the king will answer and say to them Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me. Then he will also say to those on the left Depart from me. You accursed people into the eternal fire from which has been prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in. I was naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison, and you do not visit me. Then they themselves also will answer lord, when do we see you hungry or thirsty, or stranger, or naked or sick or in prison? It did not take care of you. Then he will answer them truly. I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me either. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. All right. We come to the end of Matthew 25.
Speaker 1:As I was saying, these parables were so important that Jesus himself decides clear up any misunderstanding and get right to the point. This is what it means to be saved. He's given you a look. He's drawn a picture of what it looks like to be a true believer and the consequences of not being faithful. All right, I'm going to end this one here. I love you guys. Keep the faith. Goodbye.