Distance Devotions – April 28, 2020
John 10:26-28 – Eternal Life
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 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.
John 10 is a well-known chapter in the Scriptures. It has such poignant statements about the salvation God gives to those who trust His Son, Jesus Christ. Let me just point out one thing before we delve into the text for today’s devotional thought. Look closely at verse 26. Note how the Lord addresses the lost condition of those He was addressing. He says, you are not mine and because of that you don’t believe. He can say that for He is the Sovereign of the universe. The God who created all things also knowns all things in a manner that we simply cannot begin to comprehend. We would say it this way, because you don’t believe you are not saved. Think on this difference and give our Lord glory for His wondrous wisdom and power.
What is usually the theme when teaching or preaching from John chapter 10, and rightfully so, is the doctrine of eternal life. It is a gift that only God can give, but He is freely doing so to believers. Eternal life, not temporary life, not life eternal when we arrive in Heaven by and by, but now, in this present world and at this present time, eternal life. We sometimes see the term “everlasting life,” instead of eternal life. The terms are interchangeable, yet we can glean a little something from the distinction between the two. Everlasting is a reference to how long, or how much, of life we have. Eternal life refers to the quality of the life we receive from Him. We can say it this way, we have an everlasting amount of eternal life! We are not just going to live, but we are going to live in the present of the Everlasting Father.
Do you know that you have eternal life? It is the only kind God gives and once you have it you will never become unsaved. If it is truly eternal, it is not possible to have it and then to lose it. Some, however, who claimed to be saved, give little to no evidence of having been converted and hurt the testimony of Christ. If you fear that you cannot hold out to the end, cast your doubt away for it is the faithfulness of our Savior that matters. He will not fail. Today, examine yourself and see whether you are in the faith. If you find that you are not, come and welcome to Jesus. He has grace sufficient and more than we will ever be able to exhaust. His invitation is, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Pastor F. J. Weems III