Are you by that wanting to abandon the discussion regarding the sheep in John 10? Just say so. But if you are saying that I am concocting my own warped version of the Gospel as a rebuttal to my post, then anybody would agree with me that that isn't a proper rebuttal and in fact isn't a rebuttal at all.You are concocting your own warped version of the Gospel. The real issue is "How does a person become a sheep of the Good Shepherd?", or more in keeping with Gospel truth, "How does a sinner become a child of God?" And the answer is found in John 1:12,13:Tong2020 said: ↑
So, not that the sheep were better off than them, but that the sheep are Christ's and the others are not.
CHRIST MUST BE BELIEVED ON AND RECEIVED BY FAITH FIRST
But as many as received Him... even to them that believe on His name:
BELIEVERS THEN BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD
...to them gave He power to become the sons of God...
THIS IS BY THE SUPERNATURAL NEW BIRTH
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And just in case you mistakenly think that anyone is excluded, John the Baptist tells you that no one is excluded: The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (Jn 1:29)
Even John Calvin could not dodge this declaration, and plainly agreed that "the world" the Baptizer was talking about was the whole world of humanity.
So when people continue to push their false beliefs in the face of plain Scripture, it means that they are WILFULLY BLIND. Kindly see my thread on that topic.
You said "The real issue is "How does a person become a sheep of the Good Shepherd?". As I said and had explained several times over, so I will not repeat myself here, there is no such thing as "becoming a sheep". What is there in scriptures is the seeking of the lost sheep and bringing them home, to be one flock with one shepherd.
You asked "How does a sinner become a child of God?". You said "the answer is found in John 1:12,13.
What we have in John 1:12,13 I'd say does not answer the out of context question "How does a sinner become a child of God?". Rather it answers the question, "Who are they who received the Word whom John had just spoken about in verses 1-10, when He came to the world?" And the answer is in verse 12 & 13, them who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is them who believe in His name, them whom God had given the right to become children of God. They are those who are referred to, elsewhere in scriptures, who are "born of God", or "born of the Spirit". They are therefore those whom God had created anew in Christ. This other scriptural figure of the born again or the new birth, like the figure of the sheep, shows the matter of salvation as ultimately all God's work and doing. That the sheep is found and brought home to safety is all of God. That the sinner is created anew in Christ Jesus, as being born again, who will be conformed by God to the image of the heavenly man, the other Adam, as will be given a heavenly body as that of the heavenly man, Jesus Christ, is all of God as well. So, what you read in scriptures about repentance, faith or believing, sanctification, obedience, etc. are all but the things involve in the working of God's salvation.
With regards the part "which taketh away the sin of the world." in Jn 1:29, that would be for another topic altogether. So I will refrain to discuss it here. Perhaps you can start a new thread and we can discuss it there. Notice, "sin" there is singular.
Tong
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