THE THIEF COMES TO STEAL, KILL & DESTROY (PART XXII)

“Now’s the Time to Make a U-Turn”

By Akin Ojumu

In the Bible, sheep is a metaphor commonly used to describe God’s people. It symbolizes membership in the Household of God and of citizenship the Commonwealth of the spiritual Israel. The sheep of God are the redeemed of the LORD who believe in Christ, who put their faith in Him, and who strive to please their Master every day of their lives.

Psalm 100:3

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Metaphorically speaking, the term, sheep, conjures an imagery of vulnerability and dependability. It’s also a picture of safety and security, provision and abundance. When the sheep put their trust in their shepherd, hear his voice, and follow him, they enjoy the benefits of safety, security, provision, and abundance that the shepherd provides.

Matthew 9:36

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Without a shepherd, sheep are helpless and rudderless. Because they are not equipped to defend themselves, they are an endangered species prone to all sorts of hazards, especially when they have no shepherd to guard, protect, and care for them.

Psalm 23:1-3

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…”

By their innate predisposition, sheep always follow their shepherd, no matter what. It doesn’t matter how treacherous the pasture to which the shepherd is leading them, the sheep would go where the shepherd leads, regardless. 

John 10:2-5

“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

The sheep’s notoriety to follow the shepherd is attributable to their high sense of trust and deep loyalty. Because of the strong bond that exists between them, the sheep would only recognize and respond to the voice of their shepherd and not that of another shepherd.

Christ Jesus is the Good Shepherd who owns a flock of sheep. The sheep of Christ are the called of God who have sincerely surrendered their lives to Christ. Just like the human shepherd has a strong bond with his sheep, so does Christ and His sheep. Christ’s sheep completely trust Him and are fiercely loyal to Him. They only recognize and respond to the voice of Christ. When strangers come along attempting to impersonate the Good Shepherd, the sheep of Christ, with their high sense of discernment are quick to sniff out the phony shepherds and turn down their illicit overtures.

The same deep trust and fierce loyalty to the shepherd are also found in sheep not belonging to the sheepfold of Christ. Just as the sheep of Christ, these alien sheep are also committed to following their own shepherd. Even when the Good Shepherd calls them to come and be part of His sheepfold, they will not answer because, as far they are concerned, Christ is a stranger they do not recognize. Since they are not of the flock of the Good Shepherd, and have no relationship with Him, they will never follow where Christ leads.

John 10:7-10

“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

In the metaphor used in John 10:7-10, Christ Jesus is the door of the sheep. The sheep belong to Him, and He alone has legitimate authority over them. It’s only through Christ that the sheep find green pastures and still waters where there’s safety, security, and rich spiritual nourishment. 

Christ is the only Way, the real Truth, and the true Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. All other doors beside Christ only end in barren pastures lacking spiritual nourishment and not suitable for consumption. Every other door that’s not Christ only leads to treacherous pastures full of all sorts of dangers and perils.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Before every man stands two gates, two roads, and two ends from which we have to choose. One is a wide door that opens to a broad road. This is the road that leads to the destruction i.e., the kingdom of Hell. The other gate is pretty small, and the road to which it opens is quite narrow. Yet, it is the narrow road that leads to life, i.e., the kingdom of Heaven.

Multitudes, multitudes are in the valley of decision, trying to decide which gate to take. Making this choice often presents a great challenge even to the best of us. The difficulty in choosing which entrance to take stems from the fact that both gates are marked Heaven even though only one actually leads to Heaven while the other takes you to hell. 

Because the road we take has consequential implications of eternal proportions, it’s incumbent upon everyone of us to make sure they take great care in choosing which gate they enter. Even though there are many signs announcing to travelers where the road is heading, many choose to ignore the road signs. And it’s not until they reach the end of the road that it suddenly dawns on them that they entered through the gate that opens to a road that leads to destruction. Sadly, at this point it’s too late to make a U-turn.

Christ is the door. Just like the single door through which Noah and his family entered the Ark, Jesus is the one and only doorway through which mankind is saved from the deluge of God’s. It’s through Him alone that we gain access to God. Because the sheep of Christ are of His flock and because they belong to Him, they will always enter through the door, which is Christ, and they will be saved.

Christ is the narrow gate. It’s by grace alone that we find this gate because there are few that ever find it. Those who enter through this gate set out on the narrow road that leads to life. Everyone who enters through narrow door and takes the narrow road often find it unattractive, unappealing, and unpleasant. There’s nothing about the narrow that one can humanly find appealing. It’s not a road paved with gold, and it’s definitely not lined with scented flowers. The road is rough and the passage is tough. It’s a road that takes its travelers through much pain and great anguish. Wayfarers on this road experience unimaginable hardship and unthinkable suffering. But for those who endure and make it through to the end, an eternal glory awaits.

Romans 8:18

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

2 Corinthians 4:17

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.”

1 Peter 1:6-7

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

May it not be too late for you to make a U-turn.

Stay tuned till next time.