- Apr 5, 2007
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I don’t expect to get a response from him. Perhaps I will.There are two thoughts about that. Some prefer to believe that everyone is born a goat and then decides to meet God's terms (i.e. accept Jesus into their hear) and become a sheep. Others believe that, as in nature, goats are born goats and cannot be genetically modified to become sheep and thus, those who are born sheep always will remain sheep. It becomes quite dicey when the theology supports a concept of goats becoming sheep, but then later becoming goats again, with the possibility of changing species back and forth at will.
Supporting the second view is Jesus' statement in Matthew 7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
My issues is this. If we are all sheep, then why didn’t He lay down His life for all the sheep? He says clearly that He lays down His life for the sheep. This would rule out universal atonement, at face value.
The other view, that we are goats who become sheep, is even more problematic. Why? Because Jesus never says He lays down His life for the goats. So if it’s only for sheep, which don’t even exist, then there’s nobody to lay His life down for.
I think it is best to see that the Father had given Him sheep, and it’s for those alone who His life is given for.
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