Who Are Christ's Sheep?

As we begin to look at John 10:3 it is so important that we look carefully at this verse. Apparently there are those within the professing church today who distort the truth of God's Word to fit into the scheme of its own theology.  The outcome of such biblical distortion is the "unhealthy" spiritual welfare of God's people (2 Pet. 3:16, 17).  In order that God's people can grow in the grace and knowledge of God's Word is to be properly taught God's Word of truth.  

   According to John chapter 10 verse 3 it says, "To him the porter opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out."  First, we must establish the fact within the context of John chapter 10 verse 3 it refers to Christ whom is the Shepherd by which the porter opens the gate for His sheep (v. 3a).  The problem with false spiritual leaders in the church today is that instead of leading God's people the way God wants them to lead them is that they claim that they are the possessors of God's sheep in whom Christ died for.  Many of God's people have been taken captive by false teachers so as to cause division within the Church so as to not listen to anyone else other than their authoritarian leadership.  Instead of God's people being recipients of hearing the truth of God's Word they are led to believe to hear a word from God within their own human spirit absence of what is divine truth (Jude 8-10).

   God's people are the ONLY ones who are the recipients of hearing the truth of God's Word; not the so-called spiritual elitists who claim that they have a corner on the truth as if they are God's anointed. God's people are receptive to the truth of God's Word whereby the unsaved are spiritually deaf in hearing the truth of God's Word. They are blinded by Satan by which they cannot understand spiritual truth (2 Cor. 4:3-4).  

   The nature of God's people hearing God's voice is what is already revealed in scripture. God's voice is His Word. It is unfortunate that there are so many of God's people wants something other than God's Word: that of experiencing His presence.  The truth of God's Word is unsatisfying to them whereby they desire to hear God speak to them personally through by-passing what God intends for the Church to know.  Experience holds sway than what is biblical truth.  The experience of mysticism has in fact reached into the annals of the Church today by which it is difficult to war off the intrusion of mystical theology.  Paul warns against mysticism within the Church today (Col. 2:18, 19). There are Christian mystics who are not convince of the truth of God's Word but they would rather continue in their mystical journey by claiming that they heard God spoke to them personally or that they were given some Revelation Knowledge so to their understanding of scripture (contrast 2 Pet. 1:20).

   The elect of God who have been called and chosen by God's election of grace are the ones whom God have saved by which their salvation are secured in Christ (Jn. 10:28). The elect of God has been predestined unto God's election of grace; not professing believers who refuse to cross over the threshold of faith in Christ (Heb. 6:8-10). Their are many professing believers who have heard the gospel day-in and day-out but because of unbelief reject Christ at the same time.  The tragedy of the matter is that for the unsaved to reject Christ as a result of abandoning the true faith is to be eternally separated from God's divine glory and presence (Jn. 3:36).

   The truth of the mater that God knows His people whereby His people knows Him because of their personal faith in Jesus Christ.  But on the other hand there are many professing believers who claim to know Christ but by what they say and do does not represent the fact that they are truly saved by the grace of God through personal faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5).

   It is my prayer that those who read this article will come to know the Christ of scripture by receiving the Gift of salvation (Jn. 1:12).  It is also my prayer that many of God's people who for some reason come across this article will experience true knowledge of God as oppose to other-worldly philosophy of mysticism (Col. 1:9-10; 2:8, 18-19).

Rev. Darryl Miller is the Lead pastor of Contending for the Faith Reformed Church of Atlanta, Georgia. He is also the president & Chairman of "Darryl Miller International Ministries" and travels extensively throughout the United States and the continents. As a apologist, pastor-teacher, senior researcher/editor, and conference speaker he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside of Atlanta, Georgia with their puppy "Little Baby."