I. Introduction: While talking to a man one day about the Bible, he asked if I was saved. I said yes. He said that my answer suprised him because in his experience, “people from the church of Christ didn’t know if they were saved or not.” What a sad comment.
II. We can be confident in our salvation.
- 2 Timothy 1:12 - Paul had confidence in the one who saved him.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5 - We are kept by the power of God for salvation.
III. It is reserved for us.
- We are preserved by God’s power through faith (our part).
- 1 John 4:17 - We can have boldness in judgment
IV. Some may not have this confidence.
- 1 John 3:18-21 - Our heart may condemn us if we are not wholly serving God.
- 1 John 2:28 - We might be ashamed at His appearing.
- If we do not have that confidence, we need to examine our hearts and our lives
- and make the changes that would cause us to be assured in Christ.
V. False confidence: A child of God cannot sin, 1 John 3:6-9.
- A man in South Carolina used this verse in a study to try to show that the child
- of God cannot sin, therefore whatever he does, good or evil, is not sin.
- This is a misapplication of the passage and reveals a misunderstanding about
- the words of the text.
- First problem with the interpretation: The scriptures clearly teach that a child
- of God can sin.
- 1 Timothy 4:1- He is talking to Christians; depart from the faith.
- Hebrews 4:1, 11 - Some of them (Christians) might come short of the
- rest that was promised.
VI. Hebrews 10:35-39 - We are not ones who draw back.
- James 5:19-20 - Any “among you” wanders and is restored, a “sinner”
- is saved from death and his sins are forgiven.
- Second problem with the interpretation: Misunderstanding of “cannot.”
VII. The word “cannot” in other scriptures.
- Mark 2:19 - Bridegroom “cannot” fast.
- Luke 13:33 - A prophet “cannot” perish outside of Jerusalem. c. Matthew 27:42 - He saved others, Himself He “cannot” save.
- There are times when “cannot” is used of something impossible to do
- but it is not always used in this sense and it is an error to restrict it to
- this meaning.
- The implication of this is that a child of God can sin but, according to
- verse 7, he is not supposed to sin. He is not allowed or permitted to
- It should not happen.
- Third problem with the interpretation: John would contradict himself.
VIII. 1 John 2:1
- He writes to Christians that they may not sin, but if they sin they have
- an advocate with Jesus.
- This is not automatic, but we must confess our sins, 1 John 1:9.
- So we are not permitted to sin, we cannot sin, but if we do sin, we have an
- advocate, Jesus, who will forgive us of our sins if we confess our sins.
IX. False confidence: A child of God cannot be snatched from the hand of God.
- John 10:24-30 - The argument: No one can snatch the believer from the hands
- of Jesus, especially Satan. We would be more powerful than God if we could
- snatch ourselves from the hands of Jesus.
- This passage should cause us great comfort.
X. We are safe in the hands of Jesus.
- No matter how powerful the devil and his angels are, they cannot
- overpower our Savior and take us captive.
- We are kept by the power of God until our eternal salvation.
- Exegesis
- The Jews wanted Him to declare plainly if He was Christ.
- Jesus answers that He told them and they did not believe.
- They would not believe despite the miracles of the Father.
- Jesus makes a distinction between the Jews and His followers using the
- example of a sheep and a shepherd.
- Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, follow His voice, and He knows
- them, He protects them and gives them eternal life so that they will
- never perish.
- Who is the “them” of verse 28 that will not be snatched out of the hands of
- Jesus?
XI. Those who hear and follow , verse 27.
XII. What if one ceases to hear and follow?
- James 5:19-20 (read earlier) One among them (a Christian)
- wanders, he is a sinner and is going to perish unless he returns.
- He was not snatched by the devil.
- He ceased to hear and follow (wandered from truth).
- Philippians 3:17-19 - Ceased to hear and follow and became
- enemies of the cross of Christ.
- Even in the Old Testament: Ezekiel 18:24-27
- So if one hears and follows the Devil cannot snatch the believer out of
- the hands of God.
- James 4:7 - Notice this still involves action! We must resist.
- Romans 8:35-39 - Nothing can separate us from the love of
XIII. However we can leave the presence of God.
- James 4:7 - We can submit to God or resist the devil.
- James 1:14-16 - We are drawn away from what? Death is the
- result! The devil cannot snatch us but he can lure us away.
- Ephesians 6:11 - Do not be decieved; “lurings.”