“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” (John 10:27-30 NLT)
If you were asked to define your life in Christ, where would you start? A biography is written from the standpoint of another, so, the above verses are who we are from the standpoint of our Savior and His eternal Father, but how we see ourselves as a child of God may differ widely from that description, but why?
The Lord says His sheep listen to His voice? What does that mean? Read this carefully because it’s very deep. It means His sheep listen to His voice! Yep, just as He said, but why is it so important? Because many today who profess faith in the living Christ never open their Bible or speak with Him in prayer. They can’t hear from Him because they aren’t listening. No listening, according to the Lord, no relationship. “My sheep LISTEN!” Are you listening?
But secondly, the Lord knows us. The word Jesus used that’s translated “know” in Greek comes from the same Hebrew word used in Genesis 4:1 where the Bible says, “Adam knew Eve and she conceived.” It means: “to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel, understand. Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.”
It speaks of intimacy that goes far beyond an acquaintance or casual relationship. We’ve so cheapened sex in our day, but God’s intention is for one man and one woman to share life in all it’s fullness together for a lifetime. God’s plan for intimacy with Him is for all eternity – growing more and more closely to Him and with Him. That’s why life from God’s standpoint is for eternity.
It’s not, “I’ll try this Christianity business, but if it doesn’t work, I’m outta here!” The Christian Faith is a lifetime commitment to a God who has committed everything He has to us as a faithful Father. He knows nothing of casual commitment or partial obedience. The Lord is so committed to us He will allow no power on earth or anyplace else to rob us of our hope in Him. When He gives us eternal life with Him, that’s exactly what He’s committed to. How can He make that promise? Because “He is more powerful than anyone else” including, but not limited to, Satan himself and all his evil emissaries.
Thabiti Anyabwile summed it up this way: “Called, beloved, and kept is the biography of every genuine Christian.” Does that summarize your spiritual biography. Do you understand you’re called? Loved and secure in Jesus, not because of anything you’ve done or could ever do, but by His grace alone offered to you by faith alone. If there’s a shred of self-confidence that you’re a child of God because of who you are, the family you grew up in, your strong faith, your obedience, your service, your strong prayer life or anything else that gives a molecule of credit to yourself rather than 100% credit to the Lord, you may need to rethink whether or not the God you think you know is Jesus.
The biography of every believer is filled with dependence upon a Risen Savior who alone paid the penalty for our sin and has opened a way for us to know Him by faith in His completed work on Calvary. We have no grounds for acceptance except repentance and Spirit-led and ordained obedience to His holy directives.
If you’d like to open your heart to the only way to heaven and learn what it means to be a believer in the only true and living God, tap on anewstory.com and let Ron Hutchcraft walk you through a simple, straightforward explanation as how you can begin your faith journey in how to know and love the Lord.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 