First Christian Church

By Bruce Humes

Pastor

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the Gospel of God which he promised before through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 1:1-3a) Paul called himself a bondservant or slave of Jesus Christ. Why? Because God called him to be an apostle, meaning a delegate, ambassador, a messenger with the authority to speak for the one who sent him. And he tells us the message, the Gospel (meaning good news) of God. Which is Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection. Paul goes on to say that it was a fulfillment of the promises he had made through the prophets in the holy scriptures, meaning the Old Testament canon of scripture. Jesus has fulfilled many of those prophecies with his first coming, and the remainder will be fulfilled upon his second coming.

The apostle has laid the groundwork for this and sets forth many of the doctrines of the Christian faith to believers in Rome as well as believers now. In Romans 8:14 he writes, “For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God.” God does not herd us, or drive us, by the spirit, he leads us, we are willingly led by the spirit. This qualifies us as sons of God. If we as sons of God have to be herded, or forcibly driven by the spirit, are we truly sons of God?

I think we get the answer for that question in the gospel of John 10:22-27, “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, “How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my father’s name, they bear witness of me (verify who I am). But, you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep, (do not believe) as I said to you. My sheep (followers, believers) hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.”

He knows each one of his followers by name. Notice they follow willingly after hearing his voice. Verse 28 says “And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand” The sheep who follow Christ receive the gift of eternal life. Wow! That is a great promise!

For me, those verses answer the question asked above, namely