READING TIME: 2 MINUTES
Sept 4, 2019
Dave, does John 10:27-28 teach that obedience is a condition for eternal life?
SUMMARY: Those who hear Jesus Christ are those who believe in Him and they follow Him and are given eternal life.
The condition for being in the true Shepherd’s flock is hearing His voice (being a believer). The natural result of the hearing is following Him (discipleship). It is important to make this distinction in the passage and keep conduct out of the gospel of salvation through faith alone. Following, or obedience, is a natural result of trusting someone, but it is not what determines the initial relationship. Hearing (believing) the gospel positions one in the flock, while following (obeying) is the expected practical result (cf. Luke 6:47; 8:21). Hearing is used elsewhere in the Bible to picture faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life because hearing is often used in the sense of perceiving and agreeing, which is essential to believing (Matt 10:14; 11:15; 13:23; Luke 10:16; John 5:24; Acts 28:27-28; Rom 10:14-17; Ga. 3:2, 5; 1 John 4:6). In verse 26, the result of hearing Christ (believing in Him) is that He knows these people. This implies their salvation and explains their subsequent choice to follow Him. Again, it is important to note that hearing and following simply describe what the sheep are doing; they are never stated as imperatives for conditions for eternal life.
We know our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and He knows us when we hear His voice, or believe in Him. Why would we not follow the One we trust with our eternal destiny, who is truly the Good Shepherd who cares about us? Unfortunately, not all of us are always good sheep. Thank God that our eternal destiny does not depend on our obedient following!
Source Used
Bing, Charles C. Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship: How to Understand Some Difficult Bible Passages. Grace Theology Press, 127-128.
