A Thought On John 10:29

John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

I have often wondered why, if this is true, so many Christians live in sin. Why do so many walk around in bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, lust, and greed? If nobody can snatch us from God’s hand, why are many of us still struggling with sin, still feeling alone and apart from Christ?

I believe this verse is truth. We cannot be unwillingly taken from God’s hand. The word “snatch” (or pluck as it is in KJV), suggests something like kidnapping, someone being taken without them wanting it. The verse says nothing about us leaving God’s hand on our own.

I believe so many of us are living in sin because we choose to do so. The second we don’t want that sin to be part of our lives, we have the God given authority to send Satan away from us and run back to the Father. Problem is, sin is enticing. It draws us to the tempter, farther and farther away from our protector. The farther we are from Him, the quieter His voice will become, and the harder it may be for us to see the foothold Satan has in our lives. Only when we can acknowledge that foothold will we be able to send Satan away from us and run back to the Father.

When I was thinking on these things, I remembered my parents and how they were with us when we went to the stores. The ones we knew well we were allowed to wander freely. They taught us how to look for things to stay away from, and once we proved ourselves, were given the freedom to roam… usually with one of our parents/relatives nearby… close enough for us to hear them call, for us to see them. However, the malls and stores we were not familiar with my parents would tell us to stay close to them, not run off, and if possible hold their hand. As long as we were next to our parents, holding their hand, we were safe from anyone who may want to harm us. But there are such wonderful things to see and do in such big places, especially if you haven’t been there before. When we would leave our parents, we had a greater chance of getting lost. However, as children, we quickly saw our predicament and would search our parents out once again… now why is this so much harder for us as adults?

Satan knows exactly what things to tempt us with. Many of them he’s used before. He stands on the sidelines, just close enough for us to see him and whatever tool he is using to bait us with… bitterness, greed, selfishness, anger, entitlement, lust, wealth, beauty, belonging… the list goes on and on. So many of these things we should recognize, but he sugar coats them, gives them a fancy name that doesn’t sound “all that bad”, and then feeds them to us. Society has been helping him make his “tools” look “not so bad”, not only in the eyes of the unsaved, but also in the eyes of the saved. We are all in danger, not because God is not able to protect us, but because we, as human beings, have wandering eyes and never seem to be quite satisfied with what we have.

How many of us are currently holding the Father’s hand? How many of us have wandered off after something else? How do we know? I believe the only way for us to truly know where we stand is to pray, to ask God what we need to confess, what we need to change. To have a heart that is willing to give up the things that are keeping us away from the Father so that we will hear Him call us and tell us what is safe and what is Satan. I’m still learning. His word has so many gems in it that can help us when we are weak, when we need something else to fall back on. Here are a couple I’ve devoted some time to memorize each day.

Phillipians 4:8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”

Galatians 5:22-26
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Then there is Galatians 5:19-21. (I don’t think I’ll memorize this, but it is good to know for myself so I can see when I need to run to the Father)
“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

I find that some of these words, while I know a little bit about them, I’d like to see what they truly mean… so I’ve decided to include some definitions.

Debauchery: A formula for debauchery may be reduced to the single-minded pursuit of flagons, feasts, and fornication. Traditionally one who over-indulgences in the sensual appetites, particularly eating and drinking
1. Extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures; dissipation.
2. Debaucheries Orgies.
3. Archaic. Seduction from morality, allegiance, or duty.

Discord: To fail to agree, to harmonize. To clash. Dissensions are synonymous.
a. Lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things.
b. Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement; dissension.

Faction: Another word similar to discord and dissensions. Informal group of people operating within an organization and often opposing a larger group. Similar to clique, a faction is formed through voluntary membership by people who share common goals.
A group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious minority within a larger group.
Conflict within an organization or nation; internal dissension: “Our own beloved country . . . is now afflicted with faction and civil war” (Abraham Lincoln).

Orgies: Drunken, licentious revelries; Uncontrolled indulgences. (note that this does not restrict itself to sexual lusts and indulgences only… this can also mean drinking, eating, whatever indulgence you have that starts to control you)

Selfish Ambition: An eager or strong desire to do something that only benefits oneself. (this usually relates to the harming of others as well, but note that this is to the exclusion of all others, not necessarily to the harm of others. Pretty much, doing something to benefit oneself without thinking about how it relates to anybody else)

Interesting what these words really mean when you look at a definition of them.