February 5th: The Perseverance of the Saints
Speaker: Duncan Wyncoll
The last of the doctrines of grace. Can believers be sure of Heaven at last - and why?
BCoF - ‘They whom God has accepted …& has called & sanctified by His Holy Spirit & given faith can neither totally (completely) nor finally fall from grace, but will certainly persevere to the end & be eternally saved… because of the immutability of election, the love of God, & the merit & intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ.’
This is the Calvinistic doctrine people have least problem with…
Although there’s a practical question: Can a true believer fall from grace?
· Confession of faith teaches ‘no’, but experience seems to say ‘yes’…
Various helpful definitions of ‘Perseverance of the Saints’
1. Once saved, always saved – shortest, simplest description
· Once you believe – you can never be lost
· Christ will always be your Saviour – you can never go to hell
2. Perseverance of the Saints
· Saints – will persevere in trusting in the Saviour
· Won’t turn on/turn off – continue to believe for ever
3. Perseverance of God
· It depends upon God – He perseveres in His love to the Church – so then the church perseveres…
· Similar to the Providence of God – God creates & upholds/sustains…
· If He withdrew His power for a second, the Universe would go crashing back into non-existence
4. Preservation of the Saints
· Perseverance emphasises the activity of believers
· Preservation emphasizes the activity of God
· Does man do it? Or does God do it? We are kept guarded, so no-one snatches us out of His hand. (Keep of a castle – strong central tower)
5. Persistence in the state of Grace
6. Eternal Security – perhaps the best definition?
· Those who trust in Christ are eternally secure; for all time
Arminianism teaches the opposite:
In/out of favour, spiritually alive/then dead – what will be the final state?
What’s the scriptural basis for this doctrine?
1. It follows naturally from Unconditional Election
The 5 points hang together – follows naturally from Unconditional Election
· God has chosen some from eternity to be saved… with divine certainty
· It’s foreordained (predetermined) that the elect will be saved – they can never perish = perseverance of the saints
Rom 8.29,30 – ‘For whom he did foreknow (= foreloved), he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: & whom he called, them he also justified: & whom he justified, them he also glorified’
· If a person could fall away, then there is no foreordination/foreknowledge!
Rom 8.38,39 – ‘For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’
· All of this coming from God – Unchangeable/Immutable – the same yesterday, today & forever…
· CH Spurgeon – ‘My pocket is immutable’ – there is no change in it
Phil 1.6 – ‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform (= finish) it until the day of Jesus Christ’
· (cf modern-day confidence) Confidence = convinced by persuasive arguments
2. It follows naturally from Limited Atonement
· Did he actually take away the guilt of His people? Or did he just do it theoretically?
(Beware modern-day teaching creeping in on the atonement: Christ ≠ real substitute)
Gal 3.13 – ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:’
· If a real substitute for His people; past, present & future – then those people cannot go to hell & be punished
· His people have to go to Heaven – this is perseverance of the Saints
Rom 8.33,34 – ‘Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died…’
· So, the atonement is another basis for the Christians’ confidence in P of the Saints
3. Eternal Life/Everlasting life
· One of the most potent arguments for eternal security
John 3.16 – ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
John 3.36 – ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life…’
John 5.24 – ‘he that heareth my word, & believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, & shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death into life.’
· >40 times eternal/everlasting mentioned in the NT. Greek: Aion = Eon, perpetuity
· Not that a believer will get it in the future, but he/she has it right now (‘Earnest’)
· Once we are saved, we are always saved – now & forever
Arminian cannot truly say that they have Eternal life… only temporary life
4. Other important texts
· I am the Bread of Life passage
John 6.39 – ‘& this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day’
· Good Shepherd passage saying he will lose none – Eternal Security in two verses
John 10.28,29 – ‘& I give unto them eternal life; & they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; & no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand’
a. Eternal life – alone the term is sufficient
b. Never perish – could it be clearer
c. No snatching – Not a single one will be lost…
d. The Father is Omnipotent – ‘My Father is greater than all…’
CH Spurgeon - ‘If anyone does not believe in Eternal Security – he is blind!’
1 Peter 1:4,5 – ‘To an inheritance incorruptible, & undefiled, & that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’
Kept – protect, (military word), keep of a castle. Lit: ‘to be a watcher in advance…’
Objections to this doctrine
A. What about those who do seem to fall away?
· Occasionally members of churches fall into neglect, & sadly even antagonism
1. Christians
· Can backslide; sadly all experience this to some degree – coldness…
· Perseverance of the saints does not mean sinless
· The Christian life is not a straight-line upwards – Pilgrims’ Progress
Illus: Man on board a ship may be knocked down by the waves, but never washed overboard
Rom 6.14 – ‘For sin will not have dominion over you’
· Temporary defeats in fighting against sin
· Setbacks – yes, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit, will eventually come back
2. Non-Christians
· Denying persons may not have been Christians at all…
2 Tim 3.5 – ‘Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof…’
· Some may even preach the gospel – like Judas
2 Cor 11.14 – ‘& no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light’
Matt 7.22,23 – ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? & in thy name have cast out devils? & in thy name done many wonderful works? & then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’
· Some seed falls on shallow ground… scorched by the heat
· Some hear an evangelistic message, aroused, respond, but then turn away – perhaps attracted by something else
2 Peter 1.10 – ‘Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling & election sure: for if you do these things, ye shall never fall’ – Self-examination
B. Won’t this doctrine give license to bad living?
· “Once saved: always saved, so I can do what I like!”
· Such a person is demonstrating that he is not a believer
· Impossible for a genuine believer to take that attitude
Rom 6.14 – ‘For sin will not have dominion over you’
1 Jn 3.3 – ‘& every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure’
Eph 1.4 – ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy & without blame before him in love’
‘Once saved, always saved’ – not just saved from guilt of sin, & wrath of hell, BUT also power of sin
· When a believer realises Biblical truth of perseverance of the saints, he/she will not be inclined to sin, but live in holiness:
o This doctrine should lead to the completely opposite view…
o Thank God for keeping him/her in the faith
Conclusion
· Perseverance of the Saints/Eternal Security – ‘grandest of biblical truths’
· The reassurance of knowing that the Lord will guard & guide through all
· Guarded by the God of power – unto salvation
· Doesn’t mean that life will be an easy game – as opposed to a battle!
· But the knowledge of this doctrine gives enormous encouragement to persevere
