In John 10:27-30, Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, 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. I and the Father are one.” It is easy to misread the Scripture above and conclude that Jesus taught eternal security for Christians no matter how they choose to live after they are born again. But that is not what the text says.
It is without a doubt that when we believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord, we experience salvation (Romans 10:10). Yet Jesus gave this warning to those who call Him Lord: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23).
On the contrary, Jesus taught that it is those who hear His voice and obey Him who are His sheep. These are the ones who have the assurance of eternal security in Christ (Read John 10:27-30). Following Jesus does not mean that we may never sin. But if we are indeed following Him, then we shall surely obey His Word to confess our sins in order to receive His forgiveness when we sin ( 1 John 1:9, Matthew 6:12). Not only that but we will, through the grace He gives, repent from our sins (Proverbs 28:13) and pursue righteousness (2 Timothy 2:22, Titus 2:11-14) and holiness, without which no one will ever see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
August 26, 2019
Important Notice:
If you do not know the Lord Jesus as your personal Saviour, this is the time to surrender your life to God, and accept Jesus as your Saviour. This is the only way to eternal life and salvation from hell and eternal torments when this life and this age is over. You can pray this prayer sincerely from your heart to receive Jesus as your Saviour: “I come to you God in Jesus name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask that You forgive me of all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.