50 Days of Wisdom

Why did Jesus come? Messiah came to call His sheep. And in John 10, we are given a picture of the shepherd coming for His own elect sheep. Now, Jesus knows His sheep, but do His sheep know Him? Yes, listen to verse 27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." So, when Jesus calls His sheep, they know His voice; they have been awakened by the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, and they follow Him. And verse 28 makes it clear that it's forever: "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one." How great is that? Your salvation is eternally secure. But there's more. In verse 7, Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep." What does this mean? That means He is the doorway to life and blessing—eternal life. You could say He leads them out of Judaism and paganism to become one flock, and that's where you see the church. So, what we have here is an incredible picture of the salvation and the sanctification of the elect. He drives them out of Judaism, out of paganism, and into the green pastures of God. He is the shepherd who leads them; He is the door who gives them access to all the blessings of the kingdom, all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. How marvelous is it to understand salvation this way: Jesus came to call His sheep. And that's what He did. And they hear His voice in every generation, and they follow Him. He goes ahead of them, they go behind Him, and they will never ever cease following Him. So this is the salvation that our blessed Lord came to provide: a salvation for His own people, a salvation for His elect. So personal, so intimate, so defined, so exclusive, that He actually came for specific sheep whose name He has known from eternity past, and He's still doing it, and He's still gathering them out of the fold in which they are held captive. He knows His sheep, and they know Him. This is the gift of salvation in its most magnificent fullness. They were chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined, and had their names written in the Lamb's book of life. And when we arrive in the world, we are in a fold—a Gentile fold, a Jewish fold, whatever it may be—only until the Good Shepherd shows up, identifies us, and speaks to us; and we hear His voice, and we understand His name. He knows us, we know Him, and we follow Him. Listen, salvation only comes to those who belong to God. And when He calls, they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to know Him as He knows them, to hear His voice, and to follow; and at that point He becomes the door to the Father's kingdom. And you might at this point say, "Well, how can He give us such a deliverance?" And the answer He provides Himself in verse 11; here's the key to everything: "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." He purchased us with His blood. You know, shepherds were a humble lot. But none was ever this humble. He who is rich became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich. It's all possible because He laid His life down. He died in our place. He died as a sacrifice for our sin. What an amazing Shepherd. All the way from choosing us in eternity past to securing us to eternity future: predestination, calling, salvation, sanctification, and final glory. Listen, no false teacher has ever offered that, ever. Jesus died for the love of His sheep, whose sheep we are forever. And that's why Jesus came. Repent and believe! GTY.org (81-134) – The Life-Giving Shepherd

Today's Wisdom

Day: 994

August 8, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen!