John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
This passage of scripture gives us the assurance that those who accept the Savior in all of His fulness will be saved when He comes again. The words are spoken by Christ in the affirmative, not leaving any room for doubt or questioning as to whether or not it will be fulfilled in the lives of all sincere believers. It's very important that our faith in the promises of God do not rest merely upon our own efforts to save ourselves, but rather on the efforts of God to save us. God is the one who provides the salvation, the faith, the forgiveness, the repentance, the Holy spirit, and the ongoing strength for us to keep walking the straight and narrow path with a steady and even tread. Let's read a few verses to confirm this sacred truth:
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Even the strength for us to cooperate with the Lord in this process comes from God. The only aspect of our salvation that really rests with us is the issue of choice, since God can only accept a free and willing service from His creatures. These sacred truths were brought to light in the last moments of life of the thief on the cross, who acknowledged Christ as Lord and Savior not long before expiring. After having lived his life as a bandit, he was finally arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the many crimes he had committed over the course of a lifetime.
As the Holy spirit brought to the forefront of his mind the enormity of his guilt, and the prospect of eternal doom, the same Holy Ghost presented to the thief, his one and only way of escape, Jesus Christ, whom it was his own choice to either accept or reject. Fortunately, he accepted God's salvation through Christ, and what followed next is one of the most profound manifestations of God's ability to save to the uttermost. Let's read:
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Note well that the thief on the cross did not have opportunity to restore to his fellowmen that which was stolen, a requirement that is plainly stated in the scriptures, nor did he have time to even be baptized, another prerequisite for entrance into God's kingdom. The perfection of Christ's life, and his righteousness stands for all, even those who unlike the thief have ample opportunity to make restitution and be baptized. However, by acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior, he was promised an abundant entrance into God's kingdom, for God is able to carry out the process of salvation in the nick of time for those who otherwise, had no previous opportunity to see and acknowledge the truth.
That's why the passage in John chapter ten is so powerful, for it guarantees salvation to all those who sincerely believe in Jesus Christ. In our day we have the scriptures at our disposal which show unto us the way of salvation. We have at our very fingertips the wherewithal to study and understand God's promise of eternal life, and thus the choice remains with us to choose life, while we have countless opportunities to do so every day.
We therefore end with a verse of scripture that should encourage us to avail ourselves of God's gracious overtures to save us without delay, and if we accept Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, the promise of eternal life will also be ours. Let's read:
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Let it never be said of us that the thief on the cross was saved, while we who have many opportunities were lost. May we accept God's promise of salvation today, for His hand is still opened wide to save. "Good night" and God bless!