Walking With Christ

Matthew 18:12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?(ESV)

Stream of consciousness writing has perks and drawbacks. I have a feeling this is going to be a bit long. The topic is a bit important though.

The lost sheep does not go looking for the shepherd. We are fortunate to have the Good Shepherd who will leave the ninety-nine to find the one. I was the one. It wasn’t until He rescued me the second time that I began to listen and trust His voice.

Fortunately, as Christians, we are allowed to disagree with one another. The topic of once saved, always saved is a huge point of disagreement for many. It really shouldn’t be. God sees everything from the beginning to the end. He knew the choices I would make today before Moses walked the Red Sea or Eve ate the apple. He knows who will return to Him at the end and can say from that perspective who are among the elect. It’s pretty easy to predict the outcome when you already know it.

Here’s the rub, it is not up to me to get or keep salvation. The only choice that I had to make was to believe or not. Believing is still the only choice that I have to hold on to. If I continue to renew my decision to believe and let that seed grow into a trustworthy vine with roots that go deep into the core of who I am then the fruit that will be reaped from that seed will be so much more abundant and sweet than I could ever imagine. Jesus paid for every salvation on the cross with His holy and pure blood. The debt was paid before I was even born. The debt that I wouldn’t know I owed until many years after my account was opened was paid by someone I wouldn’t meet and come to know on a personal level for years after I became aware of the debt.

John 10:27-30 (27)My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (28)I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (29)My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (30)I and the Father are one.(ESV)

My sheep. That’s what Jesus called us. He promises to give His sheep eternal life. No one will snatch them out of my hand. We cannot simply lose our salvation. It isn’t like the enemy can slip in while we are asleep and steal our ticket. If we have made the choice then we have our non-refundable boarding pass waiting for us at the gate.

Caution here. Salvation cannot be stolen. Much like Eden, however, it can be given away. The enemy did not force Adam and Eve to eat the apple. He didn’t hand it to them disguised as another food. They had to make the choice to eat. We have to make our choice. We have to keep making our choice. That is the endurance race that Paul writes about. Make the same choice daily until we run out of days.

No, the enemy cannot snatch us from His hand. We can still choose to leave it. Stay vigilant.