John 10:28

I give. The tense is present. The gift is bestowed now (see on chs. 8:51; 10:10).

They shall never perish. The negative is very strongly expressed in the Greek. In its fullest significance “perish” here has reference to the final, irrevocable death, the second death (Rev. 20:14; cf. Matt. 10:28; John 3:16). The first death is only a short sleep (Ps. 146:4; 2 Cor. 5:1-4; 1 Thess. 4:13-18), a brief laying to rest “from the evil to come” (Isa. 57:1, 2), during which time the life of the righteous is “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Physical death comes to the righteous and the wicked alike and from this the “sheep” are not protected. They are, however, given the promise that they will not be “hurt” by the second death (Rev. 2:11; cf. ch. 20:6). See on John 3:16; 5:25-29.

Any man. Literally, “anyone,” Satan included. There is only one way in which the sheep may be removed from the shepherd’s hand, and that is by their own voluntary choice. When the sheep depart they do so voluntarily, and have no one to blame but themselves. They cannot charge against Satan their defection, for though he may solicit he cannot force men to apostatize (see 5T 177). This verse lends no support to the fatal presumption that once a man is saved it is impossible for him to be lost. There is nothing to prevent the sheep from wandering away from the shepherd’s care if they choose to do so.