I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father's hand. John 10:28-29
One of the ways that Satan works overtime with people is to introduce doubt. He makes us doubt the goodness of God, what the Bible says, and even if all that we hear at church is true. This doubt can then cause us to question if we have really been forgiven for all the wrong things we have done. Satan can twist things up, making us wonder if we have been good enough to be a recipient of God's grace. We think, "God couldn't forgive me for what I have done, a true Christian wouldn't act like this, or even am I really saved?" These questions can keep people up at night, and even worse, give them permission to live without any standards, believing they are too far-gone.
It is important that we understand that there is nothing we can do to earn the grace of God. It came only through what Jesus did on the cross. When a person receives Jesus Christ and makes Him their Lord and Savior, we believe that person has been born again. They have a new life and are given the Holy Spirit who lives inside of them. There is nothing and no one that can take this away. We get this understanding from John's Gospel when Jesus said, "No one can snatch them out of My hands." He was making the point that when a person gets in, the evil one has no power to take that person out. Jesus makes a further point by saying, "No one can snatch them out of my Father's hands." Once a person has given their life to Jesus Christ and becomes His child, they can't be removed. This work has been done as a gift of God to all who believe and put their trust in Jesus Christ.
When Satan tries to make you doubt whether you truly will go to heaven, remind him that your security is found in the grace of God. That grace came through Jesus. Remind him also that you are in the hands of both Jesus and the Father. Nothing can remove you from God's grip!
When was a time in your life where you doubted whether you truly were a follower of Jesus Christ? Take some time to journal about the circumstances that were taking place and how you got through it. If you are still wondering if your life in Jesus is secure, we would encourage you to talk to one of our decision counselors this weekend when you come to church. They can give you some more Scripture on what it means to be sure and confident as a follower of Jesus Christ.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. The people surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus replied, “I have already told you, and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name. But you don’t believe me because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
