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| It truly is ALL about the LORD JESUS CHRIST and what He did for the world (Kos-mos). I call it: “Christ’s 100 Fold” Today I will start on a triple lesson layout of three parables which Christ spoke all together to define a picture of Heaven. This group of three combined lessons is very important to understand for a clear view of the importance of each individual person here on earth. First, I would like to examine the parable of the shepherd and the fold and specifically who is represented by the sheep. Are the sheep the select few and/or the choice elect that are chosen for salvation? Well, yes and no. Let us briefly refer to our previous lesson where Christ said to Peter three times, “Feed my Sheep” (John 21:15-17). Obviously, His sheep are very important if He repeats His commandment to feed or take care of them three times. So to whom is the Lord referring when he cites the sheep of His fold? These are the righteous, right? The sheep are His faithful and obedient followers, His chosen people. Let’s go to Christ’s words in John 3:16-21; I underlined key words to focus on in this study. John 3:16: 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. John 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. It starts with, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Who is it that the Lord gave His life for? It was “the world”, not a “choice elect”. There are some who would have you believe that only a few predetermined souls will be saved. They contend that the option for eternal salvation is not an option that is open to all of us. But, have you ever noticed that nobody makes this claim without including himself as part of the “Chosen Few”. Doesn’t this sound like the pride of the Pharisees that Christ spoke about? Making the claim that you are better than everyone else is arrogant and unrighteous. There is not one example in the scriptures where Christ, who certainly was better than any of us, ever made that claim. In fact, the Lord made it clear that it is the meek who shall inherit the earth, not the elite. If we go to the Greek translation of the word “world” we see that it referred indeed to the whole world. Let us look at the Greek translation: Greek word- Κόσμος is pronounced as “kos'-mos” which defines as such: Kosmos: orderly arrangement, that is, decoration; by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively [morally]): - adorning, world. When Jesus was talking about the “Kosmos” (world), He was talking about all of mankind from the beginning of time until the end of time. Let us consider for a moment the crucifixion of Christ. For whom did He die? Did He give His life for just a chosen few or did He die for all mankind? And, if He died for all mankind, why can’t all mankind have the possibility of being saved? 1Corinthians 15:21-22 reads: Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. By just one man (Adam) sin came to all mankind. It was also by one Man (Jesus) that justification and salvation became available to all mankind, if they so chose to accept it. The Bible tells us that every man was condemned by Adam’s transgression and became subject to physical death and consequences of mortal sin. Only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who willingly took upon himself the sins of the world, can we be freed from the chains of death and hell and rise again to our heavenly inheritance. Adam’s fall applies to everyone today until we show our obedience and love for God by repenting of our sins. Only then can we be purified and justified through the Atonement of Christ Jesus. Only Christ could atone for our sins because He is the only man who has ever lived a sinless life. The Lord said that whosoever believes and repents shall be saved. The word “whosoever” is translated from the Greek as: Greek word- πᾶς pronounced as “pas” and defines as such:“pas”: Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever. The Greek word “pas” is all-inclusive—it encompasses all mankind. God has also told us how we can be saved when He points to those who believe and repent. The term “whosoever believeth” infers that choice must be made. If one chooses to believe… this is the start of repentance. We were all created the same (in the beginning) in God’s eyes. Romans 2:11: For there is no respect of persons with God. We are all given the opportunity to choose to be obedient to God’s commandments. One can choose to follow the world as the natural man (Goats), or choose to follow the Lord as faithful stewards (Sheep). But we were all born with the same opportunities. Remember, God is not partial to any man, He loves us all. He loves me and He loves you. We are all given the same chance to accept or deny the Lord’s offer. If we choose not to accept the Lord’s offer of salvation, we automatically deny it. It really is this simple. By requesting that His righteousness be applied to us upon our repentance through godly sorrow we can become His “Sheep” instead of the world’s “Goats”. The interesting point about the term “Goat” is the fact that it is only used to label some of mankind on the Day of Judgment. Matthew 25:31: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: Matthew 25:32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: Matthew 25:33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. All “Goats” are really “Lost Sheep”, because they still have a chance to become follows of Christ until that great and glorious “Day of Judgment”! Why did the Lord choose to come down and die for us? He “so LOVED the World” (each and every one of us) and we (all mankind) could not be saved any other way. It says we were “condemned already” (John 3:18) and we needed a “propitiation” for our sin by nature. John “the beloved” said: And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world(1John 2:2). In this scripture the word “whole” is added to the word Kos-mos “world” which we discussed previously., Let us look at the Greek word used to translate into “whole” in “whole world”. (Holos Kosmos). Greek word- ὅλος is pronounced as: “hol'-os” and defines as such: “holos” meaning: A primary word; “whole” or “all”, that is, complete (in extent, amount, time or degree), especially (neuter) as noun or adverb: - all, altogether, every whit, + throughout, whole. John was using the term “whole world” to emphasize that Christ died for all mankind—every single one of us. And He will continue to serve as our mediator with justice and take upon Himself all of our sins for as long as the world shall be, for as Peter said, But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you (1Peter 1:25). With this background, let us look at the parable of the “Lost Sheep” in Luke 15:4-7 and in Matthew 18:12-14. Luke 15:4: What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? Matthew 18:12: What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? The first thing I noticed was the number that our Lord chose to use. I do not think the use of 100 sheep was a random choice in this parable. In the Lost Sheep parable Christ started with, “An Hundred” (100), a number which has more than a numeric value. It is also used to represent totality or completeness as in 100%. In that context, God is the Creator of ALL sheep, or all mankind. All mankind has an opportunity to accept or reject the true Shepherd Jesus Christ, and be a part of His fold. We are the sheep He is talking about in this parable and sometimes we stray, just as one of the lambs in the story. The Greek word for “gone astray” literally means: “to roam away from (freely)”. Greek word πλανάω pronounced as “plan-ah'-o” defines as such:planaō: From G4106; to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue): - go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way. The lamb was not run off or forced to leave; it chose to do so. What comes next is the lesson we must embrace to be followers of Christ. Pay attention to the shepherd’s reaction. He did not say, “That ungrateful animal, why should I go after him? I have plenty of “good” sheep; I don’t need him. He’s not worth the trouble.” No, he left the “90 and 9” and searched high and low until he found the lost sheep and he could bring it back into the fold. What an example to follow! We as followers of Christ should be searching high and low for those poor Lost Sheep, to bring them to the Lord! Look what happens next… Luke 15:5: And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. Luke 15:6: And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.Matthew 18:13: "And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.Luke 15:7: I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Our Father in Heaven not only rejoices and celebrates when someone chooses to turn away from sin, but He carries them back on His shoulders! Wow!! The Jewish people referred to the Old Testament for all of their laws and for their way of life. Moses used sheep often in his lessons when teaching the children of Israel. Moses used this because the value of sheep as property was well known. In that day and age, as it was also in the time of Christ, many people made their living off agriculture and livestock, including sheep. It would be very easy for someone to see the significant value of “one lost sheep”. Ex 22:9: For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. The Psalmist wrote that he was “a lost sheep”, that had “gone astray”. Psalms 119:176: I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. Isaiah the Prophet wrote that “We all” have been led astray like lost sheep in Isaiah 53:6; Isaiah 53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Notice that he clearly states that Everyone has turned to his own way… “Selfishness” instead of “Selflessness”. The second part of this beautiful verse is a picture of Christ Himself. Jeremiah the Prophet prayed to the Lord calling his people lost sheep many times. Jeremiah 50:6: My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. {Hebrew meaning of “resting place” is: A place to lie down} In this example by Jeremiah, the sheep did not wander off. They are led astray by putting their trust in the wrong shepherd. Yes, they were deceived by their leaders, but they still had that choice to accept or deny their ways. In so they chose to follow an Idolatrous lifestyle instead of God. Mankind has to choose to turn to the Lord with a complete willingness to be and do whatever the Lord desires, repenting of their sinful nature and asking the Lord Jesus Christ to be the propitiation for them and He will forgive them. It really is this simple. Back to John; we learn that the Lord is the light and man is born in darkness, being of the world by nature. John 3:19: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:20: For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. John 3:21: But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. The number 100 denotes completeness or all inclusiveness. Christ is the Lord of the whole world (Holos Kosmos), and wishes that all mankind would turn from their sinful nature and follow His righteousness by their choice. His will is that none should perish and He will seek, lead, and persuade tirelessly in His efforts to return us back to the safety, and salvation, in His fold. However, just as He did not force Adam, He will not ever force anyone to obey. Christ said, Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (Matt 18:14). Although we are subject to temptation and sins and will all err in our journey through life, thus becoming subject to the darkness of Satan’s influence, Jesus Christ will never give up in His efforts to lead us back to the light, for Christ is the light of the world. He will wash away our sins and bring us back! Even if it is only one lost soul—even if it is our soul--Christ will never give up His mission to have us back in His fold, until the Great Day of Judgment when He separates the “Sheep from the Goats”. When the lost will be lost forever! My conclusion: As I opened this I wanted to express the important message Christ was giving here. One can now see that this first of three parables joined together was used to clarify the fullness of “Christ’s 100 Fold”. You will start to see the beauty of these three parables together. The fact that they each have such an important part to play in the fullness of His True Complete Message given as we come to a finish of the three lesson group. All mankind has the same opportunity to repent and be saved by Christ Jesus. Who will do so is the real question. I would like each of the people reading this to take into consideration the numbers that the Lord our God chooses to use in each great lesson. Remember, in this parable only one of all was lost. Yet that one was of such great importance that the Shepherd left all others to bring him back. What an example to follow! Next lesson we will continue with the “Lost Coin” to gain an understanding of significant value, bringing them together for Christ’s purpose. I pray that everyone will take the time to study this out for themselves, in prayer and submissive guidance from the Lord’s Holy Spirit. I pray that each of us will allow God to bring us into the light of Christ’s true message. I pray that each will be doing this by accepting His truths and teachings. Let His Spirit be the director without any personal bias interfering. I pray all these things in Jesus Christ’s Holy name. Amen. Your brother in Christ Jesus, J. Charles Roberts To God be/is the glory forever and ever. Amen. A note for all who need: We can produce many scriptures that show the connotative truths here, we would be glad to help out with your further studies. | |
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