khouriascorner

John 10:1-6 states

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 

Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Matthew 25:31-43 says something similar:

 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 

And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.”

Then He will also say to those on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.”

ARE YOU HIS SHEEP OR ARE YOU JUST A GOAT?

The world wants to tell everyone that all a person needs to do is be “a good person.”

A point or two about this mentality.

• Without God, is there any such thing as “a good person”? You see, without a standard by which to measure “goodness” there can be no measure. What does it mean to be “a good person” in the world? One is not a murderer? One does not do drugs? One tries to hold the door open for elderly people? What exactly are the requirements for “goodness” in the world? Basically, your “good” might not match my “good” and then we have a problem. The world says “good” is when we all get along and there is peace between people. “Good” people tolerate each other, keep quiet when they don’t agree about issues, and do not dare to speak a truth that someone else might reject. Our government tells us we are being “good” when we comply. “Goodness” is not an opinion, because as you know, some things are presented as “good” in the law, schools, and the media where they are very clearly the opposite of “good.” When opinions differ about “good,” whose opinion wins? Without Jesus Christ and the transformation He ALONE brings, there is no true “goodness.” Christ defines what is good, not the world, because the world’s “good” is not the same as Christ’s “good.”
• The Gospels speak about the sheep and the goats. Sheep and goats are different critters. Goats are often aggressive, wildly destructive, and will eat anything. They are obstinate and troublemakers. While sheep can be stubborn also, they recognize the voice of their Shepherd, their Protector, and they will come when the Shepherd calls them. Not everyone is a sheep. In fact, there are many who despise Christ’s flock, or reject membership in it altogether, preferring to join the world’s flock and saying things like, “I’m not religious” or “God lets evil happen so He must have created evil in the world” (as if a good God would place evil in the world). Having been given free will, the sheep and the goats have to choose. There are many people who do not know the Shepherd and have chosen evil (which is simply the absence of “good”). These are the goats. Oh, sure, they know of or about the Shepherd, in the same way goats can recognize a shepherd among other people. People everywhere know of Jesus Christ, but knowing Christ as Savior means that one must not be subject to his own desires. Knowledge of Christ is not the same as the acceptance of Him. Christ said that there would be people that “have ears but they do not hear” (Mark 8:18). This is what He was talking about.
• When the Shepherd finally does call them (bodily death will require all the goats to appear before Christ), what do you think will happen? Shall the goats appear before Him saying, “Here I am! Let me into Your kingdom! I’ve been a ‘good person!'” The Scriptures clearly tell us that this is NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. The Shepherd knows HIS SHEEP, and He calls THEM by name. When your days end, and you stand before Christ, don’t you want Him to recognize you? God forbid you hear “Who are you?” from the Lord of all Creation. Don’t live like a goat and expect to be treated like a sheep. Live like a goat, die like a goat. Be a sheep and follow the Shepherd.