The Sheep were never goats, but always Sheep !

[Nanja]

Those who are Christs Sheep, which Sheep went astray in their natural covenant head Adam, since thy were Christs Sheep prior to being in Adam, having been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world Eph 1:4, it was Christs mission to recover them back to God. Lk 19:10

¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Cp Lk 15:3-7

³ And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

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?

⁵ And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

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.

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.

So Peter credits Christ as the One who returns the Sheep. 1 Pet 2:24-25

²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

²⁵ For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. The word returned Peter uses here is ἐπεστράφητε which means:

1. to turn to
   1. to the worship of the true God
2. to cause to return, to bring back

Its also in the passive voice which means:

Represents the subject as being the recipient of the action. e.g., in the sentence,

So the Sheep are being caused to return ! They are being brought back to God. Now how was this done ?

As the Great Shepherd of the Sheep Heb. 13:20, Christ's Death effects or brings them all back to Him: Causing 100% of them to return by Giving them His Spirit in New Birth which passively turns them back to Him Jer. 31:18-19. And this is effected by what transpired in 1 Pet. 2:24, that they should live [Spiritually] unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

 

[Nanja]

Jesus is the author of ringing them back to God. Hence we read in Jn 10:16

¹⁶ 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.

Notice as He takes the responsibility upon Himself, saying of the Sheep He Must Bring !

Amen Brother ! Jesus as the Author and Finisher of the Faith of every Sheep of His Heb. 12:2, brings or causes them to come back to Him by giving them both Faith and Repentance; causing them to Hear Prov. 20:12 His voice; whereas the goats hear not His Voice Mat. 13:13.

 

[beloved57]

Amen Brother ! Jesus as the Author and Finisher of the Faith of every Sheep of His Heb. 12:2, brings or causes them to come back to Him by giving them both Faith and Repentance; causing them to Hear Prov. 20:12 His voice; whereas the goats hear not His Voice Mat. 13:13.

Sure you right Sister !

 

[DAN P]

Even though the Sheep were never goats, they were however at one time lost sheep. Remember the Parable Lk 15:1-6

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

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?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

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.

This Parable portion here applies to Christ who came to seek and to find and to save everyone of His Lost Sheep Lk 19:10

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

See even though the sheep arent goats, they are naturally first in this world estranged and alienated from God like other lost people, the goats. Eph 4:18

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

Eph 2:2-3


2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

However because were Sheep gone astray, Our Shepherd finds us and puts us into a right fellowship with Himself and the Father 1 Jn 1:3

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

While in a lost state by nature, we dont have this fellowship !

Hi BL and your context of #10 , is not only BAD THEORY but BAD CONTEXT !!

In Matt 25:33 we see SHEEP and GOATS !!\\

In verse 34 the SHEEP will INHERIT THE KINGDOM !!

In verse 35-46 are judged and go into EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT !!

In verse 34 , all should notice the Greek word FROM /APO and Israel is already KNOWN after the creation of the world !!

In Eph 1:4 the B O C BEFORE /PRO the foundation and creation of the world 11

dan p

 

[7djengo7]

According to you, are the goats lost, or not?

What do you make of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:3?

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.....

To whom, say you, is Paul referring by his phrase, "them that are lost"?

 

[DAN P]

According to you, are the goats lost, or not?

What do you make of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:3?

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.....

To whom, say you, is Paul referring by his phrase, "them that are lost"?

Hi and what is being HID is the Gospel that Paul preached , Eph 3:2-6 !!

dan p

 

[God's Truth]

The misconception these days from many people is that Christs Sheep, those He laid down His Life for Jn 10 were prior to faith or believing they were goats. Couldn't be further from the truth ! Nor was the Wheat ever a tare. Remember Jesus words Matt 13:12-30. Neither were the Children of God ever the children of the devil.

When Jesus came, he came for those who were already saved and belonged to God by faith.

They were God's and now they had to go through Jesus to remain God's.

The Jews under the old law didn't HAVE TO HAVE faith, but some did, and some did not.

It did NOT take faith to come into the covenant with God according to the old covenant.

All it took was to be circumcised and later to do all the purification works for which circumcision is the sign.

JESUS CAME TO GIVE A NEW COVENANT.

It was a new covenant that was BASED ON FAITH, unlike the old covenant that was not based on faith.

God cut off all the Jews who did not already have faith when Jesus came.

They were cut off and hardened and could NOT hear and believe Jesus while he walked the earth---they were bound over to the SAME PLACE AS THE GENTILES, the Gentiles who did not obey the purification works, even though they might have had faith.

Jesus came first for the lost sheep of Israel, and then when he was crucified, then ALL CAN COME TO HIM TO BE SAVED, the faithless Jews if they start having faith, and the disobedient Gentiles if they start obeying.

Jesus told us ALL how to be saved.

He told us all how to be sheep.

As you can see from the scriptures that when Jesus walked the earth, he told the disciples NOT to go to the Gentiles or Samaritans.

There were pigs and dogs and all kinds of animal references for the non sheep of Israel---but all can do what Jesus says to do and become sheep and be saved too.

 

[God's Truth]

When Saul was doing the work of satan, was he a lost sheep, a goat or a child of the devil?

Paul was one of the cut off Jews.

He was bound to disobedience and had to be saved like the Gentiles.

 

[God's Truth]

A Lost Sheep

The lost sheep believed in Jesus when he walked the earth.

EVERYONE, JEWS AND GENTILES have to come to God the same way now by becoming sheep by doing what Jesus says to do.

Paul was no sheep destroying the church and having men and women dragged off to jail and they were tortured and killed.

We become sheep by believing and repenting of our sins.