[Biblemat] S) THEY CAN'T BE SNATCHED FROM HIS HAND

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

THEY CAN'T BE SNATCHED FROM HIS HAND

     Speaking of Himself as the good Shepherd, Jesus declar-
ed that no man could snatch His sheep from His hand (Jno. 10:28).  To assure 
His listeners of this truth, He said, "My
Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no
one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.  I and My
Father are one" (Jno. 10:29,30).  How secure are the Lord's
sheep?

     To understand the security promised the sheep, we must
understand what is meant by "snatch."  The term means to
seize or to carry off by force.  It is the word Jesus used to
describe the action of a man entering a house, tying up its
owner, adn then spoiling or robbing the owner of his goods
(Matt. 12:29).  On one occasion, we are told Jesus perceived
some would come and "take Him by force" to make Him king,
so He departed to the mountain alone (Jno. 6:15).  The pass-
age under consideration means none can overpower God and
take the Lord's sheep by force.  Why?  God is "greater than
all" (Jno. 10:29; 1 Jno. 4:4).

     While none can take the Lord's sheep from Him by force,
there are other means by which one may separate himself
from God.  Perhaps we can illustrate our point this way:
Jesus said not one could take His life...(Jno. 10:18).  While
"take" is a different word than "snatch," here the meaning is
much the same.  Jesus was saying no one had the power to
force Him to give up His life or the power to take it by force.
Jesus made this plain in the garden when His enemies came
to arrest Him.  He said He could call down legions of angels.
However, the fact that Jesus said none could take His life did
not mean that Jesus ould not die.  Having said no one could
take His life, He went on to say, "But I lay it down of Myself"
(Jno. 10:18).  What people could not do by force, Jesus could
and did surrender, voluntarily.  Thus, while none can pluck
one from the hand of God by force, one can separate himself
from God.  (He does this by his own sin, Isa. 59:1,2 JWS).

     Satan cannot "snatch" one from the hand of the Lord, but
he is allowed to tempt us, and we can yield ourselves to him.
Becoming a disciple of the Lord does not take away our free
will, and God does not force us to remain faithful.  James,
writing to Christians, said:

     "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God 
cannot be tempted of evil, nor does He Himself
tempt anyone (to do evil).  But each one is tempted when he
is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when
desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, brings forth death" (Jas. 1:13-15).

     Jesus said His sheep hear His voice and follow Him (Jno.
10:27).  Surely all who continue to listen to His voice and foll-
ow H8m are "safe in His arms."  But, what happens if one
stops listening to His voice or ceases to follow Jesus?  Sheep
do sometimes go astray on their own.

     We rejoice to know that none can snatch, or take us by
force, from the Lord.  However, we must not think this means
we cannot fall from grace or apostatize.  Paul warned, "let him who thinks he 
stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:12)
Only by continuing to hear the voice of Jesus and following
Him can we know we have eternal life.   ----- Harold Hancock
in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 11, Nov. 2006.   </HTML>
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