The study that follows comes out of a recent, painful experience in my own life. To make a long story short, through what I perceive to be miscommunication, someone I have long respected as a good teacher of the Word questioned my salvation. However, they did not do so directly to me, but to someone I am very close to, so I "heard it through the grapevine." There is much danger in responding to hearsay and taking offense at what someone may or may not have meant. Therefore, let me make it clear that this is not a response to the questioning of my salvation, but is a reflection upon the work of Jesus Christ as presented through his own witness and the witness of the apostles John and Paul.
"So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one'." -John 10:24-30
As John records it, Jesus has been teaching and proclaiming his Christ-ness to the Jews. He has said that the Father has charged him with the authority to lay down his life in order that we might be saved (John 10:17-18); firstly, to the Jews, and then to those not of that "fold" (Gentiles, me and probably you) who too must be brought by Jesus to the Father. Jesus has clearly stated that he is the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah, sent from the Father. And yet these Jews (if not Pharisees, a group committed to Jewish tradition) ask him again to tell plainly that he is the Christ.
Jesus says "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." This is a terrible indictment, and don't be too quick to point fingers at these unbelieving Jews, for this indictment is held against all who do not believe. Jesus' teachings are clear: he declared that he is one with the Father and that he was sent by the Father to give the world eternal life through his death. If you do not believe that, you are not of his flock, you are not his follower. That is the indictment, if you do not believe, you do not belong. Yet, those who do not believe that Jesus is who he claims to be, do not do so because of sufficient logic or reasoning, nor because of deep convictions they formulate, nor for any other reason than this: "[they] are not part of [his] flock." If you do not see the works of Jesus as bearing witness to his relationship with the Father, it is because you do not belong to him. You do not hear his voice. Those who are in the "flock," are those who believe, and they believe because they belong to God. The order here seems unnatural to many; because of our own desire to be sovereign and fully control our lives, we are adamant to say that we belong because we believe, but that is not what Jesus presents here.
Continuing, Jesus says, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." Those who belong to Jesus, those who believe, have eternal life from now unto eternity. It is a present gift, and because it is, they will never perish nor be snatched from his hand, for he is one with the Father, who is "greater than all."
This promise of never being snatched from Jesus' grasp leads me directly to Paul's question in Romans 8:31...
"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels or rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:31-39
If we truly belong to Jesus, if we are the sheep of his flock, then we are his. We will follow his voice. If Jesus is our shepherd, if he is for us, and if he is one with the Father, then the Father is for us. How do we know? Because the Father "did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all." Who can bring anything against God's people? Could the Jewish leaders condemn Jesus' followers, could their legalistic way of life bring charges against his disciples? No. God has justified his people, those who belong to him, and he has done so through Christ...therefore, Christ is interceding for us. There is no person nor is there any thing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Now, you can read this post and debate a number of controversial issues...but what you cannot do is condemn. I hear the voice of my shepherd, Jesus the Christ; I believe because I belong to him. If you can say the same thing, never let your faith be defined by anyone or anything other than Christ. I encourage you to remember that through Christ, we conquer every circumstance that comes our way (tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, etc.). Paul will say in his letter to the Philippians that he "can do all things through him who strengthens me [Paul]." Paul would follow Jesus wherever that led, if it meant doing so with nothing but the shirt on his back or if he was fully supplied with food, water, and shelter; circumstances did not dictate his identity in Christ.
Christian, remember who you belong to, remember who you believe in. Do not let your soul be crushed by condemnation from others, from Satan, or from your own deceitful heart. You are in his flock, you know his voice. We do not heed to call of strangers, for their voice is not the sweet sound of our savior's call.
Father, grant your people that read these words the ears to hear the voice of Jesus calling. Give us the discernment to know when strangers are trying to influence us to follow any other way than behind Jesus. Continue to call us, that we may not stray to the right or to the left, but that we will stay close behind as you draw us to yourself in our conforming to the image of Christ. For those who do not yet believe, we hold onto hope that they do belong to you and have yet to heed your call. Grant us graciousness Father, keep us from being a tool of destruction that seeks to condemn those who belong to you. Your Son died for all who are in your flock, may we always be mindful of that. In that Son's name, Jesus, we pray to you our Father, Amen.
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