Eric

Jesus has sheep. They are His sheep. They were chosen by Him and He paid for them. He calls out to them when it is time to start the trek home and they hear, recognize, and answer Him from their wanderings away stupidly (as sheep are want to do) into the stolen pasture of a very different “herder”. Turning back, they walk toward Him to return to Him along the good way Home. There are those who are not His. They are called goats. They are not His because He didn’t choose them or pay for them to be His, and doesn’t call them His. The goats belong to their father, the Devil. Though they can try to act like sheep, and wander amongst the Good Shepherd’s sheep for a time, they will not listen to the Shepherd’s voice to follow Him to His home because they don’t recognize His voice. If they try to sneak in to the sheepfold, the Good Shepherd will recognize them as not one of His Sheep and cast the goat out. They also cannot become sheep, for that is not their nature. As well, sheep can act like goats and displease their Shepherd with their wanderings for a time, but they cannot become goats, for that is not their nature. The Lord’s sheep do not ‘choose’ their shepherd. They ARE His. Already. They were chosen and paid for before they were ever created (before or from the foundation of the created order). The Shepherd calls them to return from wanderings away and THEN and only then do they recognize His voice and turn towards Him to follow after Him, for they have gone astray and been led astray by strange shepherds. Do His sheep stray into the pasture of briars and thorns and goats? Oh yes they do. Do they hear their Good Shepherd’s voice when the Shepherd finally calls them to follow Him home? Oh yes they do! When their Great Shepherd calls, they WILL recognize His voice and head toward Him. And though the other herder keeps calling, and the goats bleat after them, and the sheep may stumble on the way back to the good path, the Shepherd keeps calling and seeking out and carrying His Sheep until ALL the Sheep he paid a great price for have at last come home to rest in His Father’s pasture, for He IS the Good Shepherd and He LOVES His sheep. He then closes the door of the sheepgate (which is only for the sheep) separating the goats and the goat herder and the goatherder’s other herdsmen from Him and His beloved sheep forever.