From Jesus to You: You Are Mine Forever

By David Ettinger

Desperately Needed Assurance
These are frightful days we are living in. Planet Earth is heading to a showdown with its Creator, a showdown which will be decidedly one-sided. But until that climactic event occurs, the human race continues to spiral ever further out of control.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, however, there is nothing for you to worry about. The fate of your body is unknown, but not that of your soul. Eternity with Christ is your destination, and nothing can invalidate that. This desperately needed assurance comes from the lips of the Lord Jesus Himself, His way of saying: “You are Mine forever!”

The First Assurance
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

The key to this verse is the word “has.” If you have confessed the name of Jesus Christ and truly believe He is the Messiah and Savior of your soul, then you are saved. Not were saved. Not will be saved. But are saved.

What is it you are saved from? You are saved from “death.” Biblically speaking, “death” refers not to the cessation of physical life, but the condemnation of the soul to eternal damnation. This condemnation is something all people are born with, and it can only be lifted by accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. At that moment, the believer “crosses over” from “death” (eternal damnation) to “life” (eternal bliss in the presence of God). Such an assurance is cause for rejoicing.

The Second Assurance
“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).

The context of John 10 is Jesus as Shepherd. Just as a shepherd would lay down his life for his precious charges, so Jesus did for you. And there are plenty of thieves (v. 8) and wolves (v. 12) who would love to separate the sheep from the Shepherd. The foremost is Satan who “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

The reference here is spiritual. Though Satan may physically kill Christians, he cannot destroy our souls. Satan will try everything in his power to conquer your soul, but once in Jesus’ hands, it is there forever; it is snatch-proof and secure. To make sure you get it, Jesus assures you that not only can you not be snatched out of His hand, but that of the Father’s as well. Such an assurance is cause for gratitude.

The Third Assurance
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

Jesus is in Heaven, at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33), which may make you feel distant from Him. No need to feel that way. One of Jesus’ assignments is to oversee the establishing of the abode you will one day inhabit.

Not only is Jesus looking after this matter, but He will one day escort you to your eternal quarters. Notice that He will personally “come back” to earth and “take” you to be with Him. And what is the purpose of this? That “you also may be where I am.” How unimaginable and magnificent! Such an assurance is cause for tears of exultation.

The Fourth Assurance
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:9).

Remember we said that Jesus is in Heaven at the right hand of God? Well, He is also down here on earth with you. How can this be? Proverbs 15:3 says God is everywhere: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.” And, of course, Jesus is God. Colossians 1:17 tells us: “He [Jesus] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Because Jesus is everywhere, He is with you at this very moment. He is with you in this present age, where Satan still possesses a substantial realm of influence. One day that influence will end, but until it does, Satan will go on destroying. Jesus, however, tells you not to worry; after all, He is with you, and will be with you for all-time. Such an assurance is cause for elation and confidence.

Summing It Up
No need for long-windedness here. The bottom line is this: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). What an assurance!

Tagged: Eternal Salvation, God's Love, God's Peace, God's promises, Life After Death, the New Testament, theology

Posted in: Apologetics, Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christ's Deity, Christianity, Commentary, Comort, Culture, Dedication to Christ, Devotional, Editorial/Blog, God's Faithfulness, God's promises, God's Provision, Grateful to God, Heaven, Jesus My Savior, Life After Death, New Testament, Old Testament, Resting in Jesus, The Afterlife, The Return of Christ, theology