After Adam sinned, all the world was separated from God. Christ provided the remedy to that separation by the sacrifice of His life as a substitute for sinners and by His glorious resurrection. All who accept Him as their Saviour and Shepherd are adopted into the family of God. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1, NIV.
" . . . when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4, 5, RSV.
By being adopted, we become heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus our Shepherd, and through Him we are entitled to all the privileges and blessings of sons and daughters of God. We lost our claim to be children of God by the fall of Adam, but we can gain it back by adoption and be restored into God's spiritual family.
God as our Father, Jesus as our elder brother, angels as companions, a new earth created just for us, an eternity to live and enjoy forever--all these are ours through our adoption! Our Shepherd loved us so much that He paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us in the fold.
he shepherd knows his sheep by name and they know his voice. He knows the characteristics of each sheep and the needs of each individual lamb. The sheep follow no one but the shepherd, for they know that he provides for all their necessities.
Jesus said, "I am the good Shepherd;
I know my sheep." He knows each of us by name. He knows our individual characteristics and needs. If we accept Him as our Shepherd, we will be His sheep, and we will know His voice and follow where He leads. Then we belong to Him and He belongs to us.
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"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:2, NIV.
