Grace Revealed: Perseverance of the Saints

Thus, with the Totally Depraved man Effectually Called out through Unconditional Election, the question of that man’s eternal home is permanently directed heavenward.

Understanding that the call is Effectual, in that it is irresistible, and that it is also unconditional, meaning that we neither earned it nor “chose” it, this can be the only answer.

While often perverted into a very shallow, unbiblical, easy-believism way of thinking, this doctrine teaches us the true nature of saving grace, when properly presented in all its parts. Through the window that perseverance provides into the grace of God, one sees whether a person’s repentance and faith have been prompted failingly by the fright of the moment or desire for “your best life now”, or rightly by the sovereign effectual working of the Spirit. This window also casts a beam of light on the deceitfulness of the human heart and – conversely but consequently – reflects the beautiful colors of the power of God’s grace.

There are three areas to the perseverance of the saints: God’s activity in preserving the believer, the believer’s activity in persevering, and the reality of the believer’s continued sinfulness or “perfectionlessness”.

Consider John 3:16. What kind of everlasting life is anything but everlasting? Does a believer gain everlasting life that is destroyed in a while? How absurd. Other passages imply the same perseverance. John 5:24 so combines the sequence of hearing, believing, possession of eternal life, avoidance of condemnation, and passing from death to life that no other conclusion than that of final perseverance can be drawn.

Paul also writes of “no condemnation” for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). If that verdict could ever be changed, little assurance would be given. Ephesians 2 pictures the saved person as the object of the movement of resurrection and ascension power. Only the reversal of Christ’s resurrection and ascension could reverse this salvation. Obviously, the doctrine of perseverance follows from unconditional election and effectual call. Jesus tells us that those who drink the living water will never be thirsty, and those who come to him as the bread of life will never go hungry. He tells us that he will lose none that the Father has given to him (John 6, and John 10).

The life of the believer is also one of perseverance. It is perseverance because life is a struggle against sin, even for believers, and it is perseverance because the believer never abandons their faith. Romans 8:1-17 and Ephesians 4:17-32 show the spiritual lifestyle exhibits by true disciples of Christ. The grace of God teaches us to live godly lives (Titus 2:11-12). In Colossians 3:5-10:

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The message is clear – the life of sin which once characterized every man is no longer a possibility for the new man. Paul could not conceive of a Christian who did not progressively pursue the way of the Spirit.

The idea of Struggle is also pervasive in Scripture, as Paul describes how he must keep his flesh under subjection and live the life of one who has the Spirit of Christ (1 Cor. 9). Fleshly, lusts continue to war against the soul (1 Peter 2:!1)
Finally, the human heart is deceitful, and concluding that true faith exists cannot be drawn from any apparent sincerity, fervency, or emotion at the initiation of a supposed Christian life. Although the first moments of repentance and faith may have all the marks of genuineness, they may fail to produce a continued harvest of righteousness – thus the parable of the sower. Remember, in the parable of the sower, three of the four plants sprung up – but only on lived to bear fruit. The other two were false converts, who appeared to receive the gospel but in fact did not. A true biblical understanding of saving faith must always include the element of longevity – for the faith that ends never really partook of the nature of true saving faith.

This element of perseverance, then, allows for the deceitfulness of the human heart. Men fool others, and even fool themselves, that they are saved, but their actions or renunciation of Christ show that they were never among the elect. 1 John 1:6 and 1 John 3:9-10 make it clear that a Christian is evidenced by their life, as do Galatians 5 and Ephesians 5:5-6. James’ discourse on false faith shows that faith is proved in action, not in sincerity or knowledge, especially in James 2:14-26.

Finally, while living in the light we are not that light, but reflections of Him. Thus, we are never made perfect while living in the world. The evidence of saving faith is not perfection, but a striving for perfection in word, deed, and doctrine.

In conclusion, the grace of God is made manifest in his Unconditional Election of specific Totally Depraved people, whom he Calls Effectually out of their bondage to sin and ensures their Perseverance in life – both in a life of obedience and a life eternal.

To be continued...