My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:27-29 (ESV)
Jesus said that no one can remove his sheep from his Father’s hand. The implication is that even we cannot take ourselves out of the Father’s hand. No one means no one. No one is stronger than God.
Everyone who is called by the Shepherd, the Father saves. Everyone whom the Father saves he glorifies. There are no exceptions. Paul made this point perfectly clear in his letter to the Romans. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30 ESV) We can rest secure in our salvation knowing that God will glorify us. He will keep us from stumbling and present us blameless before his throne (Jude 24-25 ESV). He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV)
In fact, God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him and determined beforehand or predestined us to be his adopted children (Ephesians 1:4-5). This being true God is certainly capable of bringing it to past. Paul wrote to the Philippians, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6 ESV)
Not only did God predestine our salvation, he sent his son Jesus to reconcile us to himself thus making a way for God to complete what he began before creation. Colossians 1:21-22 says, And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him. (ESV) One reason that Jesus shed his blood on the cross was for the purpose of presenting us blameless before God. Christ’s blood bought our eternal security.
Peter wrote that we were not ransomed by perishable things like silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ. This implies that the blood of Jesus is imperishable. He further states that we were born again not with a perishable seed (the word of God) but with an imperishable seed (1 Peter 1:18-22). Since we were ransomed and born again by imperishable things our salvation is imperishable as well.
The writer of Hebrews says that Old Testament priests did not continue because they died. However, Jesus is a priest permanently because he continues forever (Hebrews 7:23-24). The writer continues, Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 ESV) The writer of Hebrews also notes that we share in Christ if we hold our original confession firm to the end (Hebrews 3:14). Our great confidence and hope is that Jesus is interceding for us which, along with Holy Spirit abiding in us, is our guarantee that we will hold our confession firm to the end (Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We are exhorted to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and to make our calling and election sure (Philippians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:10). Yet we are reminded how this is possible, For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13 ESV)
Do you doubt your salvation? Are you trusting in God to complete the work he began?
Scriptures for meditation:
Psalm 138:8; 139:16