The Three Sheep - Part I By Cortney Donelson

Source: Unknown

I have written and then rewritten this devotion four (ok, maybe six or seven) times.  I have prayed over it and have lay awake in bed thinking about it – perhaps for months now. It is that important to me that I get it right and that it is a challenging message that doesn’t twist words or sound too harsh. I just want it to be pleasing to God.  

In the past, I have struggled with a precarious balancing act: wanting to avoid judgment, knowing I must take the (many) planks out of my own eye first, and longing to minister to those who were engaging in life apart from their publicly professed beliefs. My heart is burdened for those who consider themselves Christian believers but who do not really have a deep and personal relationship with Christ and have not experienced first-hand what that relationship and living to follow God can bring to their lives. 

When I write, “living apart from professed beliefs,” I am specifically thinking about idleness and a lack of authentic Christian living. These seem prevalent in our society, particularly here in the United States. Idleness is not the same as rest. It is a habitual choice to avoid working or engaging in meaningful activity (in this case, for Christ). The key word is meaningful. I was guilty of such things not too long ago. In fact, I still fall short at times. So please, as you read this devotion, consider my heart. I struggle often with James 1:22 - drawing close to hear God and then living in accordance with everything He wants for (and from) me. After all, it’s a hard course to follow. Sometimes I run the other way, much like Jonah. Other times, I twist what I know to be true to fit my own selfish desires. My goal is not to finger-point but to provide (albeit unsolicited) advice to those with a similar burden for others and to maybe even provide a small way to allow God to convict and lovingly open the eyes of those living in spiritual idleness. My desire is that no one reaches Heaven and hears, “But I never knew you.” Because sadly, I believe many will, in fact, hear those words.

I recently heard second-hand about how someone classified those who call themselves Christians in three ways, and I took this individual’s perspective and changed it slightly and molded it respectfully so that I could understand it as it related to my own balancing act. As professing believers, we are often biblically described as sheep. Perhaps, we sheep fall into one of three categories. Let’s call us Masquerading Sheep, Wandering Sheep, or Sharpening Sheep. 

Masquerading Sheep are the pious dynamos that are so arrogantly focused on the religious “dos and don’ts” of Christianity that when Jesus steps into their world, they completely miss Him. They are the wolves in sheep’s wool that profess to be spiritual and upright but whom, in fact, are not. They are hypocritical and intentionally speak one way but act another way with little or no remorse. As Gill’s Exposition of the Bible puts it, “It was the way of deceivers, and profane men, to cover themselves with their talith, or long garment, as if they were righteous men that persons might receive their lies. All which agrees very well with the Pharisees, who would have been thought to have been holy and righteous, humble, modest, and self-denying men; when they were inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity, of rapine, oppression, and covetousness; and, under a pretense of religion, ‘devoured widows' houses." Masquerading Sheep want people to think they have it all together, when in reality, they don’t really love Jesus; they love themselves. 

Authenticity is the degree to which our inner selves (our beliefs, values, feelings, opinions, and spirit) match our outer selves (our actions, decisions, and where we park our priorities). It can also be described as how much we “walk the talk.” The Masquerading Sheep have no authenticity. They claim to have spiritual insight and perhaps engage in ministry, but their relentless positioning for power and influence, their egos, and a hunger to achieve a positive appearance outshine their love for God and others. 

Masquerading Sheep may attend church, but they don’t really believe they are in need of a savior. They have a distorted understanding of their own goodness. They may talk about their faith in superficial ways and profess to be believers, yet there seems to be no genuine or profound conviction. Good works may be evident, but true love is not. Their relationships skim the surface, never diving deep, down where the Spirit dwells. Their words say, “Yes, I believe,” but their actions shout, “I am first.” Boasting and gossiping are likely hobbies. Sunday is the only day reserved for God. The rest of the week is filled with worldly pursuits.

They stand at the edge of the river professing God’s greatness and faithfulness but never put their toe in because the water is too quick or deep for their liking. Comfort and safety are paramount. They tend to make everything about them, unless it’s time for honest self-reflection and seeking forgiveness for their own sins. During those times, they become silent.

There are seasons in our lives when we may attempt to spend a lot of effort and energy in relationships with Masquerading Sheep. We want to help, to point them to True North. I know I have desperately tried to tear masks off only to find I don’t have the ability to do so. These relationships are frustrating – and dangerous. It is difficult to watch someone who has so much potential for God’s kingdom to repeatedly choose comfort over humility or worse – the world over an eternity with God.  

Jesus modeled for us a solution for interacting with these wolves in sheep’s clothing. I never realized how simple it was until I studied Jesus in some of these circumstances. He (and later the apostles) did not typically spend time with these individuals. In fact, they actively avoided them. Admittedly, they were trying to take their lives, but Jesus and His disciples also knew their hearts were hardened. Their eyes were veiled. They wasted little time, if any, trying to teach or reach them. In most cases, Jesus verbally reprimanded them or told parables to teach others how these Pharisees were living apart from God. Most times, He turned his focus to those who were authentic. The Lost. The Broken. The Seeking. The Humble. The Teachable.  

Masquerading Sheep are not living out authentic Christianity, and if you watch and listen carefully, their actions and words prove it. It is for our own protection that we seek to discern and set apart these “sheep” from others. I believe Jesus teaches us to distinguish them from others to avoid them. “By their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:20) For, there is no true fruit. There is no selfless love, no true compassion, and no taking up their crosses for the Kingdom’s cause. “Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright?” (Proverbs 20:11) I have learned that spending much time with these individuals leaves me weak, fatigued, and spiritually drained. My walk is hindered, and I’m sure that is not part of God’s plan for me.

Thankfully, God has clearly described what relationships we are to pursue – those with Wandering Sheep and Sharpening Sheep. Stay tuned for Part II.  

Prayer - Father God, thank You for Your word, for Jesus as our perfect role model, and for spiritual mentors. Thank You that we can navigate every relationship by studying and following Jesus’s teachings and the lessons found in the Bible. I pray for those who are masquerading, those living apart from You even as they profess their love for You. I pray that some day their hearts are broken open and Your love and grace flow in to change them forever - from the inside out. For, You won’t give up on them because that is perfect love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Influenced by Matthew 7, particularly verses 15-23 (in the NIV).


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