Dynamic Doctrines of the Faith
Topic #11: Perseverance of the Saints
(The “P” in T.U.L.I.P.)
per·se·ver·ance Pronunciation Key (pûrs-vîrns)
n. 1. Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action, a belief, or a purpose; steadfastness.
2. Christianity. The Calvinistic doctrine that those who have been chosen by God will continue in a state of grace to the end and will finally be saved. [The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company].
ACT 13:44–48. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. [All Scripture quotes from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982]
Q: Who believed?
Q: Would some of these who believed end up being disappointed on Judgement Day?
GEN 15:8–17. And he said, “Lord God, how shall I know that I will inherit it?” So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. … And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.
EPH 1:11–14. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Q: How does God guarantee Abram’s inheritance?
Q: How does He guarantee ours?
Q: Might we lose it?
ROM 8:28–39.
Q: Will any be saved? Will there be some who are saved? (v29)
Q: Is it possible that someone who God regenerates and adopts, who receives the new life, can then fall away and be lost? (vv 28–29)
Q: What can remove us from the love of God?
Q: Will we — will all believers — last (persevere) past the judgement? (v33 ffl)
Q: What is Jesus doing right now for us? (Also, HEB 7:25.) Hasn’t Jesus entered into a Sabbath rest?
ROM 9:15–16. For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
Q: On what does our perseverance depend?
1JO 2:18–19. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
HEB 6:4–6. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
Luke 15:11–32. “The Prodigal Son.”
Q: Might some who profess Christ end up in Hell?
Q: What does this tell us about how God treats those who wander?
HEB 12: 18-29. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
“Let us have grace.” The exhortation is to us. God extends the offer by grace, you receive it by faith, and that faith is a gift from God, not of man, not of your choice, lest any man should boast.
If you think “I’m going to hang onto Christ, I’m going to hang onto God, I’m going to hang onto right worship, and I’m going to hang on until my knuckles turn white, and I’d better not let go” — that’s not having grace.
The issue is not whether you can hold onto God with your hand, but whether he’s holding on to you with His. This is what the grace of God is: God holds you. That’s the grace of God, God holds you. God invites you. God feeds you. God accepts you. God cleanses you. That’s grace. Let’s deal with it. God doesn’t apportion this grace based on anything we’ve merited, thought, done, good looks, nothing. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And He summons us to Himself on that basis. [Doug Wilson, from a sermon preached at Christ Church, Moscow, ID, on 3/10/02]