27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Jesus talked earlier in the chapter of the relationship between sheep and shepherd.  He contrasted Himself, the good shepherd, with those who were hired and some who were robbers. Spiritually we know that there were false teachers and religious workers who were only out for what they could get. Instead of protecting the sheep, leading them and providing for them, they abused the sheep and treated them only for their own ends.  We see examples of this still today.

Jesus returns to the figure of sheep when He talks about those who belong to God.  He reminds us of some basics. His sheep hear His voice.  People that are truly Christians desire God. They want to please Jesus.  They want His will for their life. They wait expectantly for Him and for His direction. They are eager for a relationship with the Shepherd and their joy is in the Lord. Anything else is either immature faith or man-made religion. It is interesting that He says the sheep hear His voice and He knows them. Doesn't it seem that if the sheep hear His voice, they would know Him?  Another important consideration of being a Christians isn't just knowing Jesus and listening for His voice, it is being known by Jesus.  What a mystery and marvel that Jesus knows us. He calls us to Himself.  The reason many do not believe what Jesus told them was they were not His sheep.

In the Bible, divine elections and human responsibility are balanced and taught. They appear to be contradictory.  I cannot get away from the clear call of God to you and me to respond in belief in Jesus.  I cannot get away from the fact that before we were born, He already chose us for Himself.  Theologians have been debating this one for years. Eph. 1:4 "Chosen before the foundation of the world."  Each saved sheep is a love gift from the Father to His Son. Life is a life. You and I were born into a world, into a culture, into a country, to parents none of which is our doing. We had no voice in it.  Yet it is grace. 

God planned your birth here, now, under the conditions which you face.  You could have been born today in famine-stricken Africa and the chances of living in many areas beyond 5 years are 30%. Great accomplishments have been made in the last two decades. You could have been born in Japan and the chances of coming to know Jesus Christ is less than 5%.  You could be born in one of the closed countries under Moslem domination and your chance of hearing the gospel, not to mention responding to it, is less they 5%.  Eternal life and the opportunities of coming to Christ as our Savior and Lord is not earned, nor is it because of intrinsic merit or value. 

We become His sheep by believing. The debate of predestination has not been resolved. John Newton used to tell a story of a good woman who said, in order to prove the doctrine of election, “Ah sir, the Lord must have loved me before I was born, or else He would not have seen anything in me to love afterwards."

Romans 11:33-36 is a doxology that expresses our wonder and praise as Christians, "Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!  Amen."

I praise the Lord I grew up in a Christian home where my parents from birth brought me to a gospel preaching church. We know in the same family, some siblings follow Jesus and others do not. Both election and free will are taught in the Bible, but I can declare clearly, more children become Christians who are raised in home where their parents have put their personal faith in Jesus.

Proverbs 22:6 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

Dale