Skip to main content

How Can Anyone Be Saved? by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous
     As Jesus interacted with some of the leading shepherds of Israel, it became apparent that they did not believe in Jesus because they did not belong to him. But if spiritual leaders like them can seem to know God but don’t, then how can anyone be saved. Jesus offers a compact and compelling answer in John 10:27, namely, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” I see four aspects of salvation here.
     First, notice that Jesus calls them “my sheep.” This means that before one receives Christ, he or she already belongs to Christ, and from what Jesus has already said, we can infer that they belong to him because they have been given to him by the Father (for example, John 10:7-18).
     Second, somewhere in the course of their life, the sheep that already belong to Jesus hear his voice. Perhaps they hear it through reading the Bible, or the preaching of the gospel, or the testimony of a friend, or some type of media outlet, or a dream or vision. Whatever the details, at some point, Jesus’ sheep hear specific speech about who he is and what he’s done and what he commands of his sheep. While they may not understand all that they’ve heard, something in them awakens and they feel compelled to listen. Some of them are drawn right away, and others take more time to process what they’ve heard. But the thing that all of Jesus’ sheep have in common is that somewhere along the way they hear the voice of Jesus and their spirit awakens.
     Third, Jesus says that he knows his sheep. Before a person comes to know Christ, they are already fully known by Christ, and this is the key to our salvation. Before they even hear his name, Jesus knows them thoroughly and eternally, and on the basis of this knowledge he draws them into the knowledge of him.
     Fourth, Jesus says that his sheep follow him. Some people seem to believe in Jesus. They speak well of him and they encourage others to learn more about him, and they might even do various things in his name. However, unless such people turn from their own ways and follow Jesus, they do not belong to him. Jesus did not come to provide goods and services for those who admire and speak well of him, rather, he came to save and enter into an everlasting relationship with those who belong to him. And the proof that his sheep have actually entered into this kind of relationship is that they listen to him and follow him in the daily details of life. True sheep follow Jesus. 
     Beloved, according to Jesus’ words in John 10:27, this is how a person is saved: they are given by the Father to the Son, they hear the voice of their Shepherd and awaken, they are known by their Shepherd, and they turn from their ways to follow him. Next week we will consider this question: if this is how a person is saved, then what happens once they’re saved? For now, let’s give thanks and praise to God for his saving knowledge of and call upon us. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord, by George Muller

By Anonymous
To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Billy Graham, Holiness, and Leadership

By
A few years ago, I was listening to a radio program on which Marshall Shelley was being interviewed about his new book, The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham (Zondervan, 2005). They were giving away a few copies of the book to those who called in, and something inside me felt compelled to call. But I didn’t have a good question to ask, so I prayed to the Lord and said, “If you want me to have a copy of this book, please give me a good question to ask and I’ll call.” I’m not sure if the Lord gave me this question or if it just popped into my head, but one way or the other, I thought to ask about the connection in Billy’s life between his private pursuit of holiness and integrity, and his public effectiveness and longevity. So, I made the call and was given the last copy of the book they had to give. A couple of years earlier, I had breakfast with some friends and the subject of Billy Graham’s life and ministry came up. We talked mostly about his commitment to integrity in the area...
Post a Comment
Read more

Catechisms: Building a Heritage of Sound Faith - By Pastor Kevin Feder

By
This is an article I (Pastor Kevin) wrote in 2005 and updated in 2017. It is featured in a new resource available through Children’s Desiring God called Discipleship through Doctrinal Teaching and Catechism by Sally Michael.  It is our desire to encourage parents to use a children’s catechism as a tool in building and strengthening faith in children. A simple definition of a catechism is “organized teaching.” Catechisms are not the only things that can or should be used to instruct the next generation, yet they have useful purposes. Listed here are ten specific benefits a catechism can uniquely offer. Hopefully these ten points will help parents understand how a catechism can be effectively used in their families. 1.  A catechism is a very clear and complete gospel message. A catechism is, among other things, a very clear and concise gospel message to children. Everything a child needs to know for salvation is embodied within a catechism. The gospel is truly ama...
Post a Comment
Read more