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bearer' in joyous and profitable service. Here is the picture of Shepherd and pasture,
finding its intended goal.
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (II Pet. 2: 1).
Here Peter `tends as a shepherd' and warns of the wolves (John 10: 12) who with false
doctrine would confuse and scatter the sheep. Consider "Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7: 15).
One can see many such around today.
In II Pet. 3: he addressed the mature believers to `stir up' their remembrance of the
O.T., warning them that the judgment of God had fallen in the past and would fall in the
future (consider those who today scoff at the account of the universal flood and hence for
whom future judgment has no terrors). The dispensation of law changed with the death
of our Saviour to one of grace at the revelation of the dispensation of the Mystery
(Ephesians 3: 9 R.V.). May we make the most of the period before it ends and that of
judgment begins.
So then the pasture for the sheep (the believer--the new man) is the Word of God.
Spiritual under-nourishment throws us open to all sorts of dangers, just as physical
under-nourishment lowers the resistance of the body to the attacks of germs and other
ills.
Verse 3. The Porter openeth to the Good Shepherd. Verses 7 and 9 "I am the door".
Verse 30 "I and My Father are one". Here the work of Father and Son merge in a
mystical unity.
"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,
the same is a thief and a robber" (John 10: 1).
Today one would think it obvious that to be a Christian, the understanding and
acceptance of God's plan of life and redemption through the work of Christ on Calvary,
was an essential part and that there was `no other way'. But consider the witness and
statements of many professing Christians both lay and leaders, and one is taken aback by
what is considered sufficient for acceptance by God. God through His beloved Son has
not spoken lightly on this matter: "who climbeth up some other way is a thief and a
robber".
Who were these thieves and robbers that had come before Him (10: 8)? They were
indeed those who sought to enter the fold other than by the Saviour Himself (10: 1). The
one who attempts to by-pass God's plan of salvation is not only robbing his followers of
their salvation but more often than not is making personal gain in the process. Our Lord
discloses some aspects of this in Matt. 23: where He denounces the scribes and
Pharisees. Without naming names today consider the many rich religious cults which
have robbed the Lord Jesus Christ of His rightful place as the only Mediator between
God and men.