Every child of God, every member of the body of Christ, the church, has God’s divine assurance of HIS seal, in that “the Lord knows those who are His.” It is not an exact quotation, but it appears to be from the book of Numbers. You may remember when some Israelites were leading a rebellion against the Lord and His appointed leaders Moses and Aaron, Moses declared to Korah and the other rebels in Numbers 16:5 "he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself."
In John chapter 10 God's children are blessed with a similar sense of intimacy in our relationship with our Heavenly Father! You have to love when Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me,” Jesus is emphatic; “and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand?” (John 10:27–28). False teachers and those ignorantly teaching error can cause great confusion and anxiety among God’s people, but they cannot steel the sheep out of the shepherds hand! For those that have been born again, those that have been born from above, born of the Spirit, we know HIM and HE knows us...we are safe in the Masters hand because “?God has chosen [us] from the beginning for salvation?” (2 Thess. 2:13). HE chose us in HIM before the foundation of the World (Eph 1:4). HIS children know that this was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began (2 Tim 1:9).
Earlier in the gospel of John Jesus says, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:37–40). Who can forget Paul words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 8..."those ?whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified?” (Rom. 8:29–30).
Keep in mind I am keying in on 2 Tim 2:19...specifically the words, “the Lord knows those who are His.” One of my passions it to know God as HE is not as I want HIM to be! You cannot deny HIS election and predestination of the saints in scripture unless you are ready to deny HIM! PUT DOWN YOUR ROCKS PLEASE:) AT THE SAME TIME I LOVE AND EMBRACE EVERY WHOSOEVER WILL MAY COME in God's Holy Word! I passionately love John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. I love Revelation 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost."
I confess that this leaves me with a clear tension in God's Word...someone asked Spurgeon how he reconciled this tension and he responded you don't have to reconcile friends. It may be an apparent contradiction for you and I, but it is not for God!
Consider the freedom this give you and I to live a radically abandoned life for Jesus Christ! Because HE KNOWS ME I am safe in the Shepherds hand and I have a relationship with the Good Shepherd, I have eternal life, I cannot perish! Jesus called me, HE justified me and glorified me...I confess I don't feel glorified, but that is my position in Christ! WE MUST LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF OUR FUTURE AND NOT BE BOUND AND CHAINED BY OUR PAST!
I am out of time and I am not done and undone...rejoice, delight, find incredible radical freedom in HIM knowing that “the Lord knows those who are His.”
love,
m