“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:29-30)
Here our Lord anticipates one more objection. . . . There would be some who would be foolish enough to say, True, the Devil is unable to pluck us from the hand of Christ, but we are still “free agents,” and therefore could jump out if we chose to do so. Christ now bars out this miserable perversion. He shows us how that is impossible for a sheep to perish even if it desired to–as though one ever did! The “hand of Christ” (v. 28) is beneath us, and the “hand” of the Father is above us. Thus are we secured between the clasped hands of Omnipotence!
No stronger passage in all the Word of God can be found guaranteeing the absolute security of every child of God. Note the seven strands in the rope, which binds them to God. First, they are Christ’s sheep, and it is the duty of the shepherd to care for each of his flock! To suggest that any of Christ’s sheep may be lost is to blaspheme the Shepherd Himself. Second, it is said, “They follow” Christ, and no exceptions are made; the Lord does not say they ought to, but declares they do. If then the sheep “follow” Christ they must reach Heaven, for that is where the Shepherd is gone! Third, to the sheep is imparted “eternal life:” to speak of eternal life ending is a contradiction in terms. Fourth, this eternal life is “given” to them: they did nothing to merit it, consequently they can do nothing to de -merit it. Fifth, the Lord Himself declares that His sheep “shall never perish,” consequently the man who declares that it is possible for a child of God to go to Hell makes God a liar. Sixth, from the Shepherd’s “hand” none is able to pluck them, hence the Devil is unable to encompass the destruction of a single one of them. Seventh, above them is the Father’s “hand,” hence it is impossible for them to jump out of the hand of Christ even if they tried to. It has been well said that if one soul that is in Christ should be missing in Heaven, there would be one vacant seat there, one crown unused, one harp unstrung; and this would grieve all Heaven and proclaim a disappointed God. But such a thing is utterly impossible.