OK, I think I read all the posts and if I missed someone making this point, forgive me.
Check this out... Jesus said: John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 10:30 I and my Father are one.
Ok, so I'm a little obvious with the highlighting and underlining. My style...
So, the Lord Himself said "He knows us and we shall never perish". Right?
Not done yet though. Check out what the Savior said in Matthew about the Great White Throne Judgment... Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Isn't this the great judgment of the lost in Revelation? And if Jesus told folks there who had lost their salvation that He never knew them, wouldn't that make the Savior a fibber?
Now notice the underlined words in green. What is the Fathers will? 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
This is just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. Want to hear more?
I think you're dabbling in Calvinism here..look at what the scripture says:
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
There are three conditions here to being one of His sheep. One is that they listen to His voice. Two is that He knows them (He approves of them). Three is that they follow Him.
If you qualify as one of His sheep under those three conditions, you can move on to verse 28:
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand
It is those He
gives eternal life; those who hear His voice, are known by Him, and follow Him will never perish. Of course anyone who meets those conditions will never perish, and anyone who doesn't certainly will perish. This is exactly what it says in John 15:4-6
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
They're both talking about abiding in Christ, and abiding in Christ is what makes you His sheep. This isn't just for the lucky few who God predestined to be His sheep, which is what you have to believe to make your interpretation of these verses true. The only way you could say this applies to certain people is if everyone isn't called, but everyone is called according to Romans 1:18-21. The scripture says that God gives everyone revelation that He exists, and that no one will have any excuse on judgment day. Therefore, everyone has the potential to be a sheep of His, and perhaps they will follow Him for a time..this is what the word says in the parable of the sower. But ultimately, what identifies them as a true sheep is their persistence in abiding in Him. If at some point they cease to listen, or choose not to follow Him, they identify themselves as not being His true sheep after all. If you want to say that everyone who is a true sheep of Jesus will be saved, you are right. However I think the word makes it clear that everyone has that potential, and it is ultimately the conditions listed in 10:27 which will determine whether that potential becomes actual or not.
