by David Brenneman
We often miss this in life. But according to the Bible, you either are one of His or you are not.
Was reading in John this morning chapter 6, verses 22-44. The people wanted more food out of Him because He fed them once. Jesus tries to teach them and it's sort of apparent that teaching isn't what they are after but rather trying to get Him to do it again.
What the Father seeks are true worshippers. Sheep that desire a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Those that hear His voice and do the will of the Father.
It's a truth about you that determines your eternal destiny. If you are not one of His sheep...your eternity will be spent forever separated from God. Not only separated but spent paying the entire price for all your own sins. All the sinners that are not found to be in Christ Jesus will not be living it up. They will not be in their own paradise. Once the final judgment of mankind is complete the Lake of Fire will be a very full, very painful, place. Pain on an order never seen by any human being.
Those cast there will indeed have a glorified body. A body that cannot undergo decay. A body that will still feel pain and suffering that cannot erode. Pain in that lake will touch even the soul.
Nobody has to go through this! Jesus paid that great price! His enemy, Satan, Jesus says is a liar and the father of lies. His aim is to destroy all that the Father holds dear. Which is every human life.
In every way that he's permitted to do.
Jesus said that He knows His sheep and they know Him. "My sheep hear My voice".
While we yet breathe a breath of life in this world in this here, this now, we have the opportunity to know the real truth about life and living.
Those people Jesus spoke with were indignant about being revealed as users.
They were found out and exposed. Their hearts were shown to not be His.
God doesn't bargain. Some have tried this and all have failed at it.
Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Him. No man enters Heaven except those who placed their faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation.
We prove we are His sheep by being intentional on listening for His voice and living lives of obedience to His Word.
His seal is set upon every Believer.
His Spirit resides in every Believer.
The life of a Believer begins with coming to Jesus Christ for salvation, it then turns towards transformation into the kind of person that a person was meant to really be. We become His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.
We don't come to Christ just to get a ticket to do whatever we want, whenever we want. We don't get to live as we please. We want to please the One who did so much to save us.
Being sure of your salvation is oh so important.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13 NASB.
Some of the most amazing stories in this world are of those young children who grew up ever grateful to their rescuers from various tragic events. Those that seek out those and personally thank them, showing them that they didn't waste life.
This is oh so similar to what Believers are to be like in Christ. To live life in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. That people see how grateful we are to Jesus Christ for saving us that we show our gratitude in living in such that way as to honor His sacrifice.
Satan loves to cause dissension and confusion. To cause doubts to hinder people. To cause them to believe a lie rather than to know the truth. He has many voices in the realm of public opinion. He has people all throughout talk shows, political figures, news networks, school systems, doctors. Doing whatever he's permitted under the sun to deceive.
His aim with Believers is to either attempt to destroy or to nullify their meaning in life. He cannot take their life because it's hidden in Christ Jesus. But he can coerce them into selfish ways and to abandon the righteous life that God desires for them. Getting them to leave the ministry, much as we read about Demas in the New Testament.
So consider it well that being His Sheep isn't to be taken lightly. We represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to the world that isn't saved.
We aren't here to obtain success as the World sees it.
We are here to fulfill the Great Commission. Go therefore and make Disciples. Teaching them to do all that He commanded. Sheep showing people how to be sheep themselves and then doing it again.
The choice is simple and yet life altering.
We cannot know love without first being loved by Jesus. We cannot accept what the world offers but to rely on what Jesus already did.
Coming to Christ is the first step.
The first step that leads to an eternity with Jesus.
It isn't promised to be an easy life, but it's promised to be a life that brings us closer to who we were meant to be.
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