I was going to post an answer based on Matthew 25 last night, but my Internet connection died. I am now glad it did, because now we have this insightful rejoinder from Dr. Eckleburg in 6216:
From before the foundation of the world, that excellent question has separated the sheep from the goats.
Wonderful. Indeed, sheep and goats are separated based on what we do:
31 And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. 32 And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. 34 Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: 36 Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.[...]
41 Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.
[...]
46 And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
(Matthew 25)
Thus, you are effectively taking salvation away from God's decree and handing it over to men's good choices.
But Scripture tells us all men are fallen and none can please God unless and until God regenerates the dead heart and instills the work of the Holy Spirit inside of us. Like Lazarus, we are dead until we are made alive by His will.
In truth, the sheep were sheep from before the foundation of the world. This is a profound security the world wants you to ignore.
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself" -- Ephesians 1:4-9"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
I assume it was thus for the goats, also. (Certainly Paul in Romans supports that.)
Or else salvation depends on the will of men, and not the predestining decree of God alone, creator of heaven and earth and everything therein.
If men can accomplish their own salvation, then other men and powers and principalities can offer them a way to achieve it by handing over their lives and fortunes and souls to the temporal powers of this world.
We are cautioned not to do that very thing. Instead, Paul tells us nothing can separate us from the God who, by mercy alone, chose us from before the foundation of the world.
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " -- Romans 8:-32-39 "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
So much simpler than some would have it. Saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ, as He ordained from before the foundation of the world, for His glory and the welfare of His children. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -- Titus 3:4-7"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,