3. “… and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. … No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).
So, young pastor, does the Bible teach the security of the believer or not? You will be required to have an answer to this question, no matter which side you come down on.
The clear teaching, the most consistent teaching, of Scripture is that once a person is born into the family of God, he/she can never lose that salvation. They can lose the fellowship, but not the relationship.
My sons or daughters may disappoint me, rebel against me, even disown me. But they cannot ever stop being mine. And the reason that is significant is that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). And, “the Spirit Himself bears witness that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16).
If we can have salvation and lose it, then get it back, God was using the wrong metaphor. He should have said believers are “friends,” since they come and go. But not children. Children are yours forever. And that brings up that little word, doesn’t it. “I give to them eternal life,” Jesus said. Eternal. Deal with it.
In my church for a revival, Pastor Adrian Rogers commented on John 10:28-29. “Someone will say, ‘Well, maybe no one can snatch us out of God’s hands, but the devil can.’ My friend, think about that. If Satan could get you out of the hand of God, he would. And if he doesn’t, then it’s because he doesn’t want to. And that makes your salvation based on the good will of the devil.”
Well put, as usual, from this dear brother, now in Heaven.
4). “Whom He foreknew, these He also predestined …” (Romans 8:29)
“What about predestination, pastor?”
Good luck with this, preacher, no matter which side you come down on.
We non-Calvinists have some explaining to do. But so do the Calvinists. Scripture seems to come down on both sides of this issue, at least according to our understanding.
We’ll have more to say on this in a moment, but let’s make the point that there are good reasons why faithful and godly believers disagree on these matters. Scripture “seems to say” both things on the surface. Only by digging deeper can we find a resolution of these texts that satisfies.
Am I saying there are contradictions in the Bible? On the surface, there appear to be. Properly understood, we think not.
