Never Left Alone-Christ Our Shepherd:Part 2

 
a)" I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep"-John 10:11

Christ not only identifies Himself as Our Savior-the only way through which humanity can be saved (John 10:9 ) but  as One who deeply cares for us and seek our good.

 We see this in Christ's life on earth.Not only did He live a life of self-denial on our behalf (Romans 15:3;Hebrews 12:3-4); He even died for us that we may be saved.

Herein is love , not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and gave His Son as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10)

"In Christ is the tenderness of the shepherd, the affection of the parent, and the matchless grace of the compassionate Saviour.'-DA,p.826

b)" I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."-John 10:14


"Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, "Follow Me," and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.

"He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. . . . And the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice." The Eastern shepherd does not drive his sheep. He depends not upon force or fear; but going before, he calls them. They know his voice, and obey the call. So does the Saviour-Shepherd with His sheep. The Scripture says, "Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." Through the prophet, Jesus declares, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." He compels none to follow Him. "I drew them," He says, "with cords of a man, with bands of love." Ps. 77:20; Jer. 31:3; Hosea 11:4.(DA,p.480)

Lastly:

"As the shepherd goes before his sheep, himself first encountering the perils of the way, so does Jesus with His people. "When He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them." The way to heaven is consecrated by the Saviour's footprints. The path may be steep and rugged, but Jesus has traveled that way; His feet have pressed down the cruel thorns, to make the pathway easier for us. Every burden that we are called to bear He Himself has borne.

Though now He has ascended to the presence of God, and shares the throne of the universe, Jesus has lost none of His compassionate nature. Today the same tender, sympathizing heart is open to all the woes of humanity. Today the hand that was pierced is reached forth to bless more abundantly His people that are in the world. "And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."

 The soul that has given himself to Christ is more precious in His sight than the whole world. The Saviour would have passed through the agony of Calvary that one might be saved in His kingdom. He will never abandon one for whom He has died. Unless His followers choose to leave Him, He will hold them fast. "-DA,pp.480-483

Never Left Alone:Part 1

Christ has promised,'lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.'-Matthew 28:20



Through God-The Holy Spirit, we are NOT left alone, without care and comfort.




¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you-John 14:16,17




The Holy Spirit is Christ's representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.-DA,p.669

At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of
faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.-DA,pp.669,670

Furthermone, we receive assurance of not only the Holy Spirit's presence but Christ's love for us.

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.-Romans 8:35-39



Choice alone can separate us from Christ.

"Unless His followers choose to leave Him, He will hold them fast."-DA,p.483

"When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself." -SC,p.72

Christ is touched by every struggle we face and He can truly identify with us for He himself  'hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted'(Hebrews 2:18). More comforting is this thought: 'For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in ALL points tempted as we are; yet without sin'(Hebrews 4:15).

He knows rejection
He knows how it feels to be reviled
He knows what it feels to be misunderstood-family,friends etc


He knows what if it feels like to be falsely accused
He knows every circumstance and more



Of Christ's home experience we are told:

So pained was Christ by the misapprehension in His own home that it was a relief to Him to go where it did not exist. There was one home that He loved to visit,--the home of Lazarus, and Mary, and Martha; for in the atmosphere of faith and love His spirit had rest. Yet there were none on earth who could comprehend His divine mission, or know the burden which He bore in behalf of humanity. Often He could find relief only in being alone, and communing with His heavenly Father.

Those who are called to suffer for Christ's sake, who have to endure misapprehension and distrust, even in their own home, may find comfort in the thought that Jesus has endured the same. He is moved with compassion for them. He bids them find companionship in Him, and relief where He found it, in communion with the Father.-DA,pp.326,327

An Authentic,Tender,Ever-lasting Love

Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His “little ones,” dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human.~DA,p.327

Such wondrous love!!! I think this has just become my favorite quote--way too precious.

When we accept Christ as our personal Saviour:

• We are not left without regard and care (orphans) to face trials alone
• We are received as members of the heavenly family
• God-the Father becomes our Father
• He regards us as His little ones
• Dear to the heart of God
• Connected to God by tender and everlasting ties
• God  loves us with a love greater than that which our parents have felt in our helpless state
• God loves us with a divine love 

We will explore each (most) bulletin point  in the next blog posts. I would do an injustice to God's love, if I'd write a long blogpost including all these points.

You are loved!

 

Comfort for You & I

At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.~Desire of Ages,pp.669,670