One of the most important points to remember about final salvation (actually entering God’s kingdom) is, eternal life is only given to the righteous. The unrighteous (or wicked) will go to a totally different place, according to Jesus:
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Mt 25:46)
The immediate context of Mt. 25:31-46 describes the sheep (or the righteous) as the ones who helped other Christians by giving them (in their distress) food, drink, shelter, medical help and prison visits. Other Scriptures describe the righteous a different way, which supplements those characteristics and clarifies the saved. For example, the righteous have a continuous tense faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22) and obey Jesus (Heb. 5:9; Luke 8:21; etc.). They live HOLY.
NOTE: You can do all those merciful acts for Christians cited in Mt. 25 and yet go to hell, since certain sins will bring forth spiritual death, according to other verses (1 Cor. 6:9,10; Eph. 5:5-7; Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:8; etc.). Hence, you must consider all Scriptures together to properly understand salvation. Again, general obedience to God is needed, based on Paul’s grace teaching:
Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Rom 6:16)
If you aren’t of the group to go to eternal life, where will you go? Jesus said it would be eternal punishment (Mt. 25:46). The Greek word for punishment can also be translated torment. Mt. 25:41 adds to that by stating the unrighteous will go to eternal fire. Hence, one will go to eternal life or eternal torment in fire depending on him being righteous or not, from God’s holy perspective. All of that means, there categorically is no annihilation of the wicked dead (as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach) or universal salvation for everyone. Remember also it is only the pure in heart who will see God (Mt. 5:8). Which group are you in? Do you have the saving faith in Jesus needed to have eternal life?
