.
God's free will trumps everybody else's free will, including Christ's. For
example:
"This is the will of the one who sent me; that I should not lose anything of
what He gave me." (John 6:39)
One of the many things that God gives His son is sheep. (John 10:27-30)
Now, whether the sheep like it or not, they're struck with the good shepherd
because Jesus is determined to always satisfy his superior's wishes.
"I always do what is pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)
Were Christ to fail-- fail in any way at all --accomplishing the will of the one
who sent him; then it would be dishonest of Christ to claim to "always"
please God. Christ might be able to claim pleasing the one who sent him a
high percentage of the time, but certainly not always.
Bottom line: The good shepherd's will trumps the sheep's will. (It would be a
pretty dim-witted wrangler that lets the wishes of a herd overrule him; as if
animal husbandry were somehow democratic. HAW!)
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." (1Cor 6:19-20)
Q: What if a believer decides to leave his faith and worship Satan instead?
A: Assuming the "believer" is one of the sheep that God gives His son to
keep, then no soap. Regardless of what the sheep think, feel, say, or do;
once they're brought into the sheepfold, they're stuck.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me shall be saved." (John 10:9)
Were Christ a so-so shepherd; then he wouldn't dare say "shall be" saved;
no, he'd have to tone it down a bit and say "can be" saved. That would leave
him some room for error. But when Christ says "shall be" he's claiming a
0.0% failure rate. That's how confident Christ is that he will lose nothing of
what his Father has given him.
Cattle ranchers whose livestock roam on BLM lands, typically brand their
stock for easy identification later on at round-up. Well; God doesn't brand
the good shepherd's sheep but He does mark them.
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
(Eph 1:13)
The Greek word for "seal" is sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo) which basically refers to
the impression that a signet ring leaves in wax and/or soft clay.
Well; the good shepherd's sheep might wander far and wide and even
attempt to blend in with another flock, but any and all attempts to escape
and/or repudiate their rightful owner are futile. That seal will always give
them away as belonging to the good shepherd and it's only a matter of time
before he comes looking for his investment.
Nowhere to run to baby
Nowhere to hide.
(Martha Reeves and the Vandellas: Motown, 1965)
The sheep's hope to be saved isn't based upon their willingness to comply
with the shepherd's wishes; no, their hope to be saved is based upon the
good shepherd's willingness to comply with his Father's wishes; a willingness
proven by blood.
"I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)
Were the good shepherd only human, then I would be inclined to agree with
skeptics that Jesus might fail to keep his sheep safe. But the Bible teaches
that Christ is not only human, but also the divine architect of the entire
cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Col
1:16-17). So then, the good shepherd has at his disposal all the powers and
abilities of the supreme being to utilize in order to succeed at keeping his
sheep on the books.
NOTE: Jesus spoke of himself as "the good shepherd" (John 10:14). Well; in
my estimation, shepherds that lose sheep don't deserve to be called good.
_
God's free will trumps everybody else's free will, including Christ's. For
example:
"This is the will of the one who sent me; that I should not lose anything of
what He gave me." (John 6:39)
One of the many things that God gives His son is sheep. (John 10:27-30)
Now, whether the sheep like it or not, they're struck with the good shepherd
because Jesus is determined to always satisfy his superior's wishes.
"I always do what is pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)
Were Christ to fail-- fail in any way at all --accomplishing the will of the one
who sent him; then it would be dishonest of Christ to claim to "always"
please God. Christ might be able to claim pleasing the one who sent him a
high percentage of the time, but certainly not always.
Bottom line: The good shepherd's will trumps the sheep's will. (It would be a
pretty dim-witted wrangler that lets the wishes of a herd overrule him; as if
animal husbandry were somehow democratic. HAW!)
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." (1Cor 6:19-20)
Q: What if a believer decides to leave his faith and worship Satan instead?
A: Assuming the "believer" is one of the sheep that God gives His son to
keep, then no soap. Regardless of what the sheep think, feel, say, or do;
once they're brought into the sheepfold, they're stuck.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me shall be saved." (John 10:9)
Were Christ a so-so shepherd; then he wouldn't dare say "shall be" saved;
no, he'd have to tone it down a bit and say "can be" saved. That would leave
him some room for error. But when Christ says "shall be" he's claiming a
0.0% failure rate. That's how confident Christ is that he will lose nothing of
what his Father has given him.
Cattle ranchers whose livestock roam on BLM lands, typically brand their
stock for easy identification later on at round-up. Well; God doesn't brand
the good shepherd's sheep but He does mark them.
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit
(Eph 1:13)
The Greek word for "seal" is sphragizo (sfrag-id'-zo) which basically refers to
the impression that a signet ring leaves in wax and/or soft clay.
Well; the good shepherd's sheep might wander far and wide and even
attempt to blend in with another flock, but any and all attempts to escape
and/or repudiate their rightful owner are futile. That seal will always give
them away as belonging to the good shepherd and it's only a matter of time
before he comes looking for his investment.
Nowhere to run to baby
Nowhere to hide.
(Martha Reeves and the Vandellas: Motown, 1965)
The sheep's hope to be saved isn't based upon their willingness to comply
with the shepherd's wishes; no, their hope to be saved is based upon the
good shepherd's willingness to comply with his Father's wishes; a willingness
proven by blood.
"I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)
Were the good shepherd only human, then I would be inclined to agree with
skeptics that Jesus might fail to keep his sheep safe. But the Bible teaches
that Christ is not only human, but also the divine architect of the entire
cosmos with all of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Col
1:16-17). So then, the good shepherd has at his disposal all the powers and
abilities of the supreme being to utilize in order to succeed at keeping his
sheep on the books.
NOTE: Jesus spoke of himself as "the good shepherd" (John 10:14). Well; in
my estimation, shepherds that lose sheep don't deserve to be called good.
_
Last edited:
