And other sheep I+ have,
which are not of this fold:
them also I+ must bring,
and they shall hear My+ Voice;
and there shall be one fold, and One SHEPHERD+.
Therefore doth My+ FATHER love ME+,
because I+ lay down My+ Life,
that I+ might take IT again.
No man taketh IT from ME+,
but I+ lay IT down of Myself+.
I+ have power to lay IT down,
and I+ have power to take IT again.
This COMMANDMENT
have I+ received of My+ FATHER.
John 10:16-18
+ + +
Those “other” sheep. Those are the persons who WILL believe in JESUS when they hear the Gospel message.
That is, when they hear the COMPLETE GOSPEL message, as in John 3:16 - 17.
For GOD so loved the world,
that HE gave HIS Only-Begotten SON+,
that whosoever believeth in HIM+
should not perish,
but have Everlasting Life.
That complete Gospel of Salvation message is OH, SO HARD to deliver . . . if we are sharing ONLY part of the verse.
We readily share the GOD’S “Love” message of the FIRST PART of John 3:16.
BUT … How many times have we shared the Salvation message and omitted the “perish” part that awaits those who reject GOD’S Love as given to us THROUGH JESUS’ death and Resurrection ?
The complete Gospel message needs to be shared and lovingly expounded upon with the un-Redeemed, as well as the LOVE Gospel.
Perish ?
Where ?
In the Lake of Fire created for the devil and his angels, according to JESUS’ Words in Matthew 25:41.
Then shall HE+ say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from ME+, ye cursed, into Everlasting Fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Did JESUS die in vain ?
If we are not sharing HIS LOVE , plus HIS+ WARNING, no-one will be able to see exactly what JESUS has saved us from !
Conviction is hindered because we have shared only half of the Salvation Message .
Undoubtedly, it is FAR MORE RISKY to share the “perish” part of John 3:16 than it is to share the LOVE part. The Un-Redeemed do not like to feel that they are “bad” nor unclean in GOD’S eyes.
BUT THE TRUTH IS: THEY are both !
John 3:17 provides a necessary follow-up when the complete Salvation message is shared:
For GOD sent not HIS SON+
into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world
through HIM+
might be saved.
John 3:17
Then, we can explain to the Un-Redeemed that Salvation through JESUS is NOT sent as a “condemnation” but as the ONLY path to Salvation that exists.
+ + +
The CROSS itself carries an excellent Salvation Message:
The vertical stake, the “stauros” in the Greek New Testament,
is man’s climb upward towards GOD the FATHER.
The crossbeam, however, provides a BARRIER, a WALL.
Man is not able to cross that BARRIER on his own.
IF, however, man embraces JESUS in Spirit and in Truth.
THEN that crossbeam becomes
the OPEN ARMS of JESUS.
Instead of a BARRIER
to The FATHER,
JESUS carries us in HIS+ Open Arms
directly UP into The Presence
of Our Heavenly FATHER !
+ + +
THAT is the COMPLETE Salvation message that we ought to be sharing… sharing only half of that message depletes it of the Convicting Power which is needed to SAVE MEN’S SOULS.
