Note 24 at Mt. 25:32: The rest of the scriptures in this chapter use a parable of a shepherd dividing his sheep from the goats (vv. 32-33), but the teaching itself is not in parable form. It is to be taken literally that the Lord will separate His own true followers from among all nations.

Notice that there were only two categories of people--those who did honor the lord with their actions and those who didn't. There was not the popular category many people think they fall into of "I meant to" or "it wasn't our ministry." A goat may not see any difference between himself and a sheep, but the Shepherd can.