John Calvin Commentary John 10:28

"and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." — John 10:28 (ASV)

And they shall never perish. It is an inestimable fruit of faith that Christ instructs us to be convinced of our security when we are brought by faith into His fold. But we must also observe on what foundation this certainty rests. It is because He will be a faithful guardian of our salvation, for He testifies that our salvation is in His hand. And if this were not enough, He says that they will be safely guarded by the power of His Father. This is a remarkable passage, through which we are taught that the salvation of all the elect is as certain as the power of God is invincible.

Besides, Christ did not intend to throw this word foolishly into the air, but to give a promise that should remain deeply fixed in their minds. Therefore, we infer that Christ's statement is intended to show that the elect are absolutely certain of their salvation.

Indeed, we are surrounded by powerful adversaries, and our weakness is so great that we are in imminent danger of death every moment. But since He who keeps what we have committed to him (2 Timothy 1:12) is greater or more powerful than all, we have no reason to tremble as if our life were in danger.

From this, we also infer how irrational is the confidence of the Papists, which relies on free will, on their own virtue, and on the merits of their works. Christ instructs His followers very differently, teaching them to remember that in this world, they may be described as being in the midst of a forest, surrounded by innumerable robbers.

They are not only unarmed and exposed as prey but are also aware that the cause of death is contained within themselves. Therefore, relying on the guardianship of God alone, they may walk without alarm.

In short, our salvation is certain because it is in the hand of God, for our faith is weak, and we are too prone to waver. But God, who has taken us under His protection, is sufficiently powerful to scatter all the forces of our adversaries with His breath alone.

It is very important for us to focus on this, so that the fear of temptations does not dismay us. For Christ even intended to point out the way in which sheep are made to live at ease in the midst of wolves.

And none can wrest them out of my Father’s hand. The word and in this passage means therefore. For since the power of God is invincible, Christ infers that the salvation of believers is not exposed to the ungovernable passions of their enemies, because before they perish, God—who has taken them under the protection of His hand—must be overcome.