John 10:22-30 ESV
Some people are ever learning but they never come to the knowledge of the truth. And it isn’t because they haven’t heard the truth. Some of them have heard the truth for 50 years or longer, and some of them much less, so they are not ignorant of the truth. It is that they block out the truth that they hear so that they can keep on in their deliberate and habitual sin. They don’t want to acknowledge the truth, for then they will have to admit that they deliberately went against what they know is the truth in open rebellion.
Now many of these people profess faith in Jesus Christ. Many of them have professed Jesus as Savior and Lord for 50 years or more, and some of them for a much shorter period of time. But still they will claim ignorance when it suits their purposes. They will claim, “I didn’t know,” when they knew fully. For they want to live on in their sin guilt free while still claiming Jesus as their Lord and heaven as their eternal destiny. But they are without excuse for they willfully deny the Lord who they say is their Lord (Romans 1:18-32).
Now, although they profess Jesus as Savior and Lord with their lips, by their actions they deny him. So they are not the Lord’s true sheep. They do not have salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life with God. For Jesus’ true sheep listen to him (they adhere his teachings) and they follow him in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). They don’t play games with God and with religion. They are sincere in their walks of faith in the Lord and they are committed to hearing him and to doing what he says to do.
And they are the ones who are given eternal life with God, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of our Lord’s hand. But please pay attention to what this is saying. This promise is for those only who are actively and continually listening to the Lord and obeying him. And this has to continue until the very end of time, or until we die. For this is what the Scriptures teach. For our salvation is not a one-time deal, now we are in, so we can live however we want. We have to walk the walk, not just talk it.
We are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when our Lord returns for his bride, which is when our salvation will be complete, but provided that we are walking in obedience to our Lord and not in sin, and provided that we are living holy lives, pleasing to God, and that we continue in these walks of faith steadfast until the very end. Even Paul said this: “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
So, if you are of the belief that you can make a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and now all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and so now heaven is guaranteed you when you die while you continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience and righteousness, then you are dead wrong. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).
And Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (daily die to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of the name of Jesus we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, and so we are walking in righteousness and obedience, then we have life in him, and we do have the hope of eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14).
So, please take this to heart. Lip service only is not going to get us into heaven. We must walk the walk and not just talk it, and we must continue in that walk of faith steadfast unto the end, or until we die.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 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 among my sheep. 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.’”
Some people are ever learning but they never come to the knowledge of the truth. And it isn’t because they haven’t heard the truth. Some of them have heard the truth for 50 years or longer, and some of them much less, so they are not ignorant of the truth. It is that they block out the truth that they hear so that they can keep on in their deliberate and habitual sin. They don’t want to acknowledge the truth, for then they will have to admit that they deliberately went against what they know is the truth in open rebellion.
Now many of these people profess faith in Jesus Christ. Many of them have professed Jesus as Savior and Lord for 50 years or more, and some of them for a much shorter period of time. But still they will claim ignorance when it suits their purposes. They will claim, “I didn’t know,” when they knew fully. For they want to live on in their sin guilt free while still claiming Jesus as their Lord and heaven as their eternal destiny. But they are without excuse for they willfully deny the Lord who they say is their Lord (Romans 1:18-32).
Now, although they profess Jesus as Savior and Lord with their lips, by their actions they deny him. So they are not the Lord’s true sheep. They do not have salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life with God. For Jesus’ true sheep listen to him (they adhere his teachings) and they follow him in obedience to his commands (New Covenant). They don’t play games with God and with religion. They are sincere in their walks of faith in the Lord and they are committed to hearing him and to doing what he says to do.
And they are the ones who are given eternal life with God, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of our Lord’s hand. But please pay attention to what this is saying. This promise is for those only who are actively and continually listening to the Lord and obeying him. And this has to continue until the very end of time, or until we die. For this is what the Scriptures teach. For our salvation is not a one-time deal, now we are in, so we can live however we want. We have to walk the walk, not just talk it.
We are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when our Lord returns for his bride, which is when our salvation will be complete, but provided that we are walking in obedience to our Lord and not in sin, and provided that we are living holy lives, pleasing to God, and that we continue in these walks of faith steadfast until the very end. Even Paul said this: “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
So, if you are of the belief that you can make a one-time profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and now all your sins are forgiven (past, present, and future), and so now heaven is guaranteed you when you die while you continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience and righteousness, then you are dead wrong. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).
And Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (daily die to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of the name of Jesus we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, and so we are walking in righteousness and obedience, then we have life in him, and we do have the hope of eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 8:1-14; Titus 2:11-14).
So, please take this to heart. Lip service only is not going to get us into heaven. We must walk the walk and not just talk it, and we must continue in that walk of faith steadfast unto the end, or until we die.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
