JESUS SPEAKING
“Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10: 7 – 10)
FAITHFUL THOUGHTS
Jesus uses a shepherding parable to illustrate an essential truth. In this illustration He identifies a sheepfold, or an enclosure where the livestock are penned in for safe keeping. This secure and protected place represents heaven. Jesus then likens Himself to the one true Shepherd, as well as the only door through which an individual can enter God’s heavenly kingdom. The thieves and robbers mentioned in this parable represent anyone who suggests there is another way to fellowship with God, other than through Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. As they reached the shores of the Red Sea, Pharaoh and his army were fast approaching them with murderous intentions. With no means of escape, God performed a miracle. He divided the Red Sea and made a pathway for the Jewish people to escape to the other side. They walked through the sea and were saved; Pharaoh’s army however was destroyed. God prescribes the method of salvation, and mankind must then choose to follow God or to wander off. Any religion that suggests there is a different pathway to reach God is evil and exists solely to lead people astray.
Like those who walked through the sea, God has made a way for human beings to escape death. This pathway is exclusive; rendering all other religions useless. Only by believing in Jesus Christ and accepting His sacrifice upon the cross can one enter God’s eternal kingdom. Jesus is the doorway; He is the path, and He is the life. May we all choose to follow Him and surrender ourselves to His service.
“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before you with humble hearts. We recognize that You have made a way for us to enter into eternal fellowship with You. May we never stray from this path, nor become idle in our evangelistic endeavors. May we remain zealous for the truth as we spread the gospel message to all those who are lost. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!
