Blessed Assurance

 Read John 10:22-30

 How many people, even Christians, live their lives to the very end wondering about their final destination.  Am I saved?

How many people wonder if the blood of Christ did the trick?

How many people wonder if they can keep messing up and not get kicked to the curb?

How many people think that God is going to disown them this time for sure?

We have already looked at the first half of this chapter.  The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. Jesus came so we could have life and live it to the fullest extent possible. To do that we must know our Master’s voice and put his words into practice.

Jesus wants us to really live. That means that we will make a few or a lot of mistakes along the way but Jesus will never disown us.  Once we have truly professed Jesus is Lord, our eternal life has begun.

Not only will Jesus never disown us for we are faithful, he will not let anyone or anything take us away from him. We are his. That’s a done deal!

This promise is not for everyone but only for those who receive Jesus as Lord and have professed his name.  We are his faithful.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Our lives are not given to us to build a resume to see if we qualify for heaven. God himself has opened heaven to us. The blood of Christ has opened the door even though we were unworthy.  Christ has made us worthy.

And his promise is that he won’t let us go or lose us or that nobody is going to take us away from him.  Why don’t we meditate on this thought more than we do?

No one will snatch them out of my hand.

We are still trying to keep score. Jesus said that he wiped the slate clean.

We wonder if we will make it to heaven and eternal life with God. Jesus said, I’ve got you. It’s a done deal. Your eternal life is underway now

We wonder if we might have gone too far this time. We are told that God’s grace goes beyond our transgressions.

We wonder why we still have trouble in this life. Jesus told us that we would have trouble. We don’t hope in the world. We hope in Jesus, the one who has overcome the world.

If you have truly professed Jesus as Lord, why do we worry?

If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior, why do we worry?

If we believe that God not only created everything but gave us a way to reconcile the entire creation, just what do we have to worry about?

Why would we doubt?

Can we not live more fully than we do now? Is the life that I am living my best response to the grace of God that we know in Christ Jesus?

Do we have dissonance in our lives? Are there things that we can’t reconcile? Do we wonder if God will dispense justice upon the earth or just let all these yahoos get away with everything?

We should be the most confident people on the planet. Our eternity is secured. God will always love us. No one will take us from him.

But is that how we live?

We have already been counseled not to worry. We are told to be anxious for nothing. We are to be strong and courageous.

Do we live this way?

If you are struggling to step out in faith, remember, that nobody can steal you from God.

If you are worried that your best won’t be enough for God, remember, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. God didn’t wait for us to get better to claim us for eternity. He rescued us while we were still broken.

If fear is still restricting your faith, remember that fear is not from God. God did not give us a spirit of fear. We are to be strong and courageous!

God loves you.

Christ died for you.

God raised him from the dead as a promise of what is in store for us.

The Spirit of God lives within you.

Knowing these things, how can we be timid in our discipleship?

How can we not put the words of our Master into practice?

How can we not work at everything we do as if we are working for God himself?

The questions are easy. The answers that come by way of our actions are sometimes more difficult, but they are not impossible for we are told that nobody will snatch us away from Christ Jesus. We belong to him for now and forever.

We have no excuse for not listening.

We have no excuse for not putting his words into practice.

We have no excuse for not producing a return for our Master and good fruit for the body of Christ.

Whenever we have doubts, we should realize that God does not. He wants us. He made a way for us to be with him in right standing. He will not give up on us. He is finishing the good work that he began in us.

And he will let no one take us away from him.  We are his.

This is for all of us who have professed Jesus as Lord. This is for all who seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness. This is for all who know his voice—the voice of the Good Shepherd.

He knows us. We know him. We know his voice. We can’t be taken from him.

We are assured of our eternal life. We should live fearlessly now for we know that our eternity has begun and is secure.

·       Let us live more boldly because of this assurance.

·       Let us love more often and with genuineness.

·       Let us help those in need more often.

·       Let us speak the truth in a spirit of love in whatever we do.

·       Let us work as if we are working for the Lord and not for men.

·       Let us love one another not only as much as we love ourselves but as much as Christ loves us.

·       Let us be known as his disciples by our love.

We belong to Christ Jesus. No one can take us from him.

Live with confidence and boldness. Your eternity is secure.

Amen.