Christ Knows His Sheep, They Were Everlasting Beloved of His Father

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.— John 10:27.

All our mercies in time and eternity flow from Jesus' knowing us as his sheep. To all such salvation is certain; both as to present grace and future glory. As a shepherd knoweth every sheep committed to his care; so doth our good shepherd. All his sheep were everlastingly beloved of the Father, "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world," and given to Jesus in the eternal counsel. He became surety for them, he redeemed them to God by his own blood. Hence he calls them "MY SHEEP,"—mine by gift—mine by redemption. Thus he hath a distinct knowledge of them, and special property in them. For "died Jesus as a fool dieth?" spilt he his precious blood at uncertainty? paid he the dreadful debt of law and justice at a peradventure, whether any soul would receive the eternal benefit or not? Surely no: for his undertaking was in infinite wisdom and counsel, as well as wonderful in grace and love. Jesus well knew the nature-state of his sheep. They were all gone astray and turned every one to his own way. They would all count their shepherd an enemy and fly from him as a destroyer, if left to themselves. But Jesus saith, I am the good shepherd. He inclines their ears to hear, and their hearts to believe in him; to come to him as such; and to follow him. They have the properties of his own sheep; they give evidence of it. They live upon his word and feed upon his love. O alas! what deplorable circumstances were we all in when this sweet voice first reached our ears! when this powerful voice affected our hearts! It was a sound of glad tidings, love, and salvation to lost sheep indeed. It proved effectual to recall our souls from the dangerous and destructive paths in which we had lost ourselves. Truly we also may say of Jesus, "never man spake like this man." The power of his voice begets obedience; and, like the blind man restored to sight, we follow Jesus as the shepherd and bishop of our souls. We know he hath the words of eternal life. To whom then should we go but to him? and it is the delight of our souls to see the footsteps of our shepherd, that we may tread therein. Though, O soul, thou canst not see whether thy name is wrote in the Lamb's book of life; yet in the light of the Spirit thou mayest read thy name in the book of grace, if thou hast heard the voice of Jesus, and art following him. Thou mayest safely conclude, "the Lord is MY shepherd, I shall not want."—Psalms 23:1.

The Lord my shepherd is,
I shall be well supply'd;
Since he is mine, and I am his,
What can I want beside?

He leads me to the place
Where heav'nly pasture grows,
Where living waters gently pass,
And full salvation flows.

- William Mason, A Spiritual Treasury for the Children of God, Volume 1, July 3

 

When did God the Father elect His sheep and give to Christ to be their Surety? Before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

Yep. Sheep do not become goats and goats do not become sheep.