John 10:1-4 ESV
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ is the door to the sheepfold, to the kingdom of
heaven where all who believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith dwell. Jesus
Christ is also the shepherd of the sheep. And God the Father is the gatekeeper,
for he controls, and he limits who has access into the kingdom of heaven. For,
we can’t even come to faith in Jesus unless God the Father draws us to him.
Since Jesus is the door, and since he is the only way into
God’s eternal kingdom, those who climb in by another way are truly not part of
the sheepfold. They are thieves and robbers. They are those who disguise
themselves as true sheep but who truly are not. They give the outward
appearance of being part of God’s kingdom, but it is all a lie.
Jesus Christ is our shepherd. He is the one who leads us and
guides us in the way that we should go. He leads us to what is truth, and to
what is righteous and holy. And he leads us away from all that is evil and
sinful. He shows us the way of righteousness and he warns us against walking in
the path of wickedness. But we must listen to him and follow (obey) him.
He said that if anyone would come after him he must deny
self, take up his cross daily (daily die with Christ to sin and to self) and
follow (obey) him. For, he said if we save our own lives (if we hold on to
living for sin and for self) we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we
lose our lives for his sake (if we die with him to sin and to self) we will
have life in him (Lu 9:23-26).
And that, in a nutshell, is the gospel of our salvation. For
Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and
to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but
for him who gave his life up for us. And he died that we might be delivered
from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so we might now be slaves of God
and of his righteousness (1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15; Rom 6:1-23; 1 Co 6:19-20).
Jesus Christ did not die on that cross just to forgive us
our sins, just to deliver us from the punishment of sin, and just to promise us
eternal life with God. He died to free us from our slavery to sin so we would
no longer walk in sin, so sin would no longer have power and control over our
lives. He freed us so we would now walk in his holiness and righteousness
according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom 6:1-23; Rom
8:1-17).
And if that is not the gospel message that you received,
then you have not believed in the true gospel of salvation, but you have
accepted a lie, instead. And if you are convinced that how you live your life
on this earth doesn’t matter for your eternity, then you are also believing a
lie. For we are all going to be judged by our deeds. If we are living to please
God, we have eternal life, but if we are living to please self, we will die in
our sins.
John 10:5-6 ESV
“’A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
If we truly know Jesus Christ we are not going to be
following after those who only portend to be his followers but who are not. The
Holy Spirit within us will sensitize us to who is of God and to who is not, if
we are listening, and if we are willing to heed his voice. We will know that
something isn’t right and we will be lead to search the Scriptures for the
truth.
For there are many of these wolves in sheep’s clothing
within the gatherings of the church today, at least here in America. There are
many liars and deceivers preaching to the gatherings of what is called church
each week. And so many of them are teaching humanistic philosophy and a
half-truth altered gospel message which appeases human flesh instead of teaching
putting sin to death with Jesus on that cross.
They are preaching “feel-good” messages intended to tickle
itching ears and to appeal to human flesh. And they are telling people that
they can believe in Jesus, have their sins forgiven, and have heaven guaranteed
them when they die, but most are not teaching that they must repent of their
sins, and submit to Christ as Lord, and walk in obedience to his commands to
have life eternal with God and salvation from sin.
And so they are leaving their adherents still in slavery to
sin, still living for the flesh, still floundering, and wandering aimlessly,
still following the ways of this sinful world, and still committing sin
deliberately and habitually and even premeditatedly, and then making excuses
for why they are still addicted to sin and then lying to cover up their sins.
Their adherents go through the motions of religious practice, but they don’t
really know God.
[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17;
Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:22-25; 1
Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; 1 Co 15:58; Php 2:12-13]
John 10:7-10 ESV
“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’”
Don’t listen to the liars. Test everything you hear against
the Scriptures. Study the Scriptures in their context. Read Matthew through
Revelation word for word and then read it again and again. Each time take notes
on what it says. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Utilize bible study tools
but with discernment. Don’t let them replace the Holy Spirit. And let the Holy
Spirit reveal truth to your heart.
Follow the way of salvation as defined by the Scriptures in
their context. Don’t pull Scriptures out of their context to make them say what
you want them to say. Let the Lord show you the whole big picture. For his way
of salvation is via us dying with him to sin and us living to him and to his
righteousness, by God’s grace, and in his power and strength.
Mary, Did You Know?
Songwriters: Greene Lee Rufus / Lowry Mark Alan
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy
Has come to make you new?
This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy
Would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy
Is heaven's perfect Lamb?
That sleeping child you're
Holding is the great, I Am
Mary, did you know?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPsgIhlYQmM
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