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- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

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#DailyDevotion Jesus' Sheep Follow Him Joh 10:27-30 27My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, 28and I give them everlasting life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them out of My hand. 29My Father, Who gave them to Me, is greater than all others, and no one can tear them out of My Father's hand. 30I 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 , 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 God's goodness and faithfully using 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 the voice of Jesus and following him. But to 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 33Who will accuse those whom God has chosen? It is God Who declares us righteous. 34Who will condemn? Christ died, more than that, He rose, He is at the right hand of God, and He prays for us. 35Who will separate us from God's love? Will sorrow, hardship or persecution, hunger or nakedness, danger or a sword?... 38I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, nothing now nor in the future, no powers, 39nothing above or below, nor any other creature can ever separate us from the love God has for us 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. Amen Read the full article