John 10:10 “for the thief comes not but to kill, steal and to destroy.

If you think “the thief” is Satan you’re not alone. But Jesus tells us who the thief is.

John 10:1… “anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber”

and the gate?

John 10:7 “I am the gate”.

Jesus is the gate., whoever enters by Him will be saved.

And then, the famous verse 10.

The thief isn’t satan, the thief is the any kind of religion that is working to get to God. He was speaking to Pharisees specifically whose entire world was working to get to God and enforcing those works onto others around them.

I spent the first half of my Christian walk doing really well at things that didn’t matter all that much. I cussed less and tithed more. I didn’t drink alcohol and had flawless church attendance. There was a joke that the reason we didn’t believe in sex before marriage was that it led to dancing. It’s funny, because in some way it really is true.

Gods principles around being drunk or fornication are principles that really are a better way to live.

But when I learned to follow Jesus and not the rules, I started to experience the rest of verse 10

“But I have come that you might have abundant life.”

I was obeying Jesus because I was accepted. I wasn’t obeying Jesus in order to be accepted.

It’s not a small distinction.

One brings life.

The other one kills.