#DailyDevotion You’re In Better Hands Than Allstate
Joh 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. (28) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. (30) I and the Father are one.”
There are two great articles of faith taught in this passage. One is the perseverance of the saints and the other is the divinity of Jesus and unity of God.
The perseverance of the saints is not a broad sweeping doctrine including all people. It is an individual teaching meant to strengthen individual saints who are in the faith right now. It is there to comfort us when we are troubled, when we are in doubt, when our sins cause us alarm and when there are those trying to tear us away from the faith. The Formula of Concord says, “That He will also strengthen, increase, and support to the end the good work which He has begun in them, if they adhere to God’s Word, pray diligently, abide in God’s goodness
[grace]
, and faithfully use the gifts received.”
We might note the “if” here. This promise is for those who adhere to God’s Word. It is being in the Word the Lord preserves us. Pray diligently, that is regularly and praying what God’s Word tells us to pray for. Abiding in the God’s goodness and faithfully use the gifts received means gathering together with the rest of God’s saints and partaking of the means of God i.e. preaching, absolution, baptism, the Lord’s Supper and the mutual conversation and consolation of fellow Christians. If you despise these things, you certainly aren’t hearing voice of Jesus and following him.
But those who hear and voice and follow Jesus we have these promises especially when it seems as if God is against us and hates us—no one will snatch us out of Jesus’ hand and no one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. Paul says as much and confirms this: Rom 8:33-35 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (34) Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?… (38) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, (39) nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus’ hand and the Father’s hand are one. They are one because they are One God, One Lord. If you are in Jesus’ hand, you are in the Father’s hand. Jesus is distinct but not separate from the Father. Nothing and no one is greater than them. They are a unity. Nothing and no one can overcome the Creator of all. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have his divine protection of persevering in the faith unto life everlasting. Even when it seems God is against you you have his sure and certain word and he is able to carry it out. He does not lie and does not change like us. He says what he promises to do. He will make you persevere unto the resurrection of eternal life.
Heavenly Father, Jesus promised that we who follow him are in his hand and in your hand and no one can snatch us from it. Grant us faith to believe this particularly when we are at our lowest points in life so we may not lose hope but be strengthened in it by your promise. In Jesus’ name we pray.