![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/jesus_the_good_shepherd_2-249x300.jpg\")
Jesus, the Good Shepherd John 10:14<\/p><\/div>\n
I believe a similar process is at work in the way that many Christians handle John 10:28. This is a famous Calvinist proof text. They argue that it teaches the doctrine of eternal security, that once someone is saved, it is impossible for them to fall away. Most in the churches of Christ have significant problems with this claim and point to the host of passages that imply or state explicitly that falling away is possible.<\/p>\n
However, in the course of so doing, they strip the passage of much of its comfort. They spend so much time dwelling on what the text doesn\u2019t mean (\u201cYes, we can fall away! See Hebrews 6:4-8.\u201d) that they minimize what it does mean. As a result of this and similar exegetical failures, countless Christians are uncertain of their salvation and live in fear that they have fallen away without realizing it.<\/p>\n
The solution to the problem is to focus less on Calvinism and to focus more on the words of Christ. John 10:28 isn\u2019t a disconnected proverb. Instead, it\u2019s part of an argument, and all we have to do is read one verse up to see who the \u201cthey\u201d 10:28 is. According to 10:27, Jesus is talking about the sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. Those are the sheep who cannot be snatched out of His hand. He makes no promises concerning the sheep who have stopped listening and following.<\/p>\n
Thus, if we want to know whether the guarantee of 10:28 applies to us, all we have to do is ask whether we have met the conditions of 10:27. Do we hear His voice? This does not demand perfect comprehension of us, because no one understands God\u2019s revelation perfectly. It does require, though, that we are interested in His voice and are seeking to understand it.<\/p>\n
Second, do we follow Him? This does not require perfect obedience. As we learn in 1 John 1, even those who walk in the light still sin. It does mean, though, that in the overall course of our lives, we are striving to be obedient.<\/p>\n
If these things are true of us, guess what? We\u2019re safe! Jesus has promised to protect us, not because we\u2019re perfect (if we were, we wouldn\u2019t need Him) but because we aren\u2019t. So long as we are with our Shepherd, the devil cannot snatch us out of His hand.<\/p>\n
Of course, if we abandon our Shepherd, we place ourselves in deadly danger. However, by definition, that\u2019s what faithful Christians haven\u2019t done. So long as we remain faithful, then, we can be assured of inheriting eternal life, not because of ourselves, but because of the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Matthew W. Bassford It is sad but true that often, the most emphatic refutation of doctrinal error is another error. Consider, for instance, Martin Luther\u2019s reaction to the Renaissance Catholic practice of selling indulgences. He objected, and rightly so, to the notion that we could purchase our salvation, whether with money or with righteous…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[757,756],"class_list":["post-24569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-assurance","tag-security"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39225,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/faith-only\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":0},"title":"Faith Only","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 31, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Mark Russell published in\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 7, July 2005 Even Martin Luther didn't deny baptism as an expression of faith and as necessary to salvation. There were five Latin phrases, known as the \"Five Solas\" that became the mantra of the Protestant Reformation. These five ideas developed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/10\/luther.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15058,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-believe-that-the-only-way-to-heaven-is-by-accepting-jesus-as-your-savior-and-not-by-good-deeds-or-grace\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":1},"title":"Do you believe that the only way to heaven is by accepting Jesus as your Savior and not by good deeds or grace?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 4, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does the church of Christ believe that the only way to heaven is through the Lord Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as your Savior and not by good deeds or grace? Thanks. Answer: \"If you love Me, keep My commandments\" (John 14:15). You cannot claim to accept the Lord\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":94027,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/faith-a-gift-not-given\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":2},"title":"Faith: A Gift Not Given?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gary Henry via WordPoints.com \"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life\" (John 3:16). One of the most wonderful things about the gospel is its openness. The promise of salvation is open\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":96126,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/praying-for-the-dead-an-error-thats-creeping-into-the-lords-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":3},"title":"Praying for the Dead: An Error That’s Creeping into the Lord’s Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by James P. Needham via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 21 No. 3, September 1995 More and more, we are hearing brethren at funerals pray for the dead. I recently heard a young preacher pray that God would receive the soul of a dead brother into paradise. Later, a sister who attended the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":713,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-mark-1616-say-that-someone-not-baptized-is-lost\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":4},"title":"Does Mark 16:16 say that someone not baptized is lost?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 6, 2003","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I think I have a parallel that explains Mark 16:16. Suppose I state, \"All people who are enrolled and live in the dorm are students in the college. If John is enrolled but doesn't live in the dorm, does that mean he is not a student?\" Similarly, Mark 16:16\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92566,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-proper-explanation-of-john-316\/","url_meta":{"origin":24569,"position":5},"title":"The Proper Explanation of John 3:16","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Carl O. Cooper The fact is, John 3:16, when taken in its proper context, teaches that salvation is by works of obedience when accompanied by proper faith. It's true! 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