Lost Sheep Are Sheep

Lost sheep are sheep. This is unavoidably true but the theological ramifications of this truth are almost universally overlooked in Christendom today:

  1. Gospel ministry is the act of gathering sheep, not the act of changing the species of goats.

  2. God has promised to deliver ALL of his sheep unto eternal salvation (Matthew 25:41, John 10:11,28).

  3. The explicit NT gospel (I Corinthians 15:3-4) does not reach all of God's elect sheep during their natural lives (Hebrews 11).

  4. Gospel ministry is for the temporal salvation (timely deliverance) of the sheep unto the Lord's NT church as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not for the impartation of eternal life.

This is true of necessity. Indeed, if they are already sheep when we are looking for them, they are already guaranteed the blessings of eternal life.

- Elder Daniel Samons

Daniel Samons