Perseverence of the Saints

Scriptural Evidence

According to Grudem Perseverance of the saints means that a person who is truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere until the end of their lives, and only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again. This basically means that when you are saved it is impossible to lose your salvation.

There are many scriptural passages that support this:

John 6:38–40 NASB95

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

The will of the Father is that Jesus lose none of the people who come to faith in Him. The Father desires that Jesus give all that believe in Him everlasting life. Jesus will always do the Father’s will.

What this means is that a person that comes to faith in Jesus, Jesus will raise them up on the last day. When a person is saved by Jesus they will endure for the rest of their life. This does not mean they will be perfect, but is does mean that Jesus will not allow them to fall away.

John 10:27–29 NASB95

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Once again Jesus promises eternal life, they will never perish, and no one can snatch them out of His hand.

A person that hears the voice of Christ, develops a relationship with Him, and follows Him has been born again. This person is promised eternal life. it id further substantiated in the words of Jesus in John 3:36

John 3:36 NASB95

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

This passage of scripture also indicates that a person who believes obeys Christs commands. We know that this obedience is motivated by love which indicates a relationship. Obedience also is an indicator of following Him.

A born again Christian is also promised that they will never perish. This means that they will not be cast into the lake of fire. A true believer has all their sins atoned for in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is why Paul writes in Rom. 8:1

Romans 8:1 NASB95

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

A true Christian is justified by the blood of Jesus and has no condemnation for his sin. Jesus took the condemnation on Himself.

The third this Jesu promises is that no one can snatch them out of his hand. Some will say that is true but a person can voluntarily remove himself from the hand of Christ. The fact that Jesus says “no one” would even include ourselves.

Ephesians 1:13–14 NASB95

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

This passage of scripture shows that a born again believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. That means that God’s promises towards the believer are sealed up by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We will receive an inheritance, we belong to God, and we will praise Him eternally.

Philippians 1:6 NASB95

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Jesus who started the good work (salvation) will complete it (glorification)

Addressing Hebrews Passage in 6:4-8

Hebrews 6:4–8 NASB95

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

Those that hold to a person losing their salvation typically hold to this passage of scripture to justify their position. Their points are that a person is enlightened, tasted of the heavenly gifts, been partakers in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good word of God and the powers to come must be saved. I would agree that on the surface that appears to be the case. However on closer observation of the text and that fact that it contradicts so many other passages of scripture we must examine this text very closely.

As we do you will find that there are people that have many of the external signs of conversion, but never have true salvation. This does not mean that they are servants of Satan, but that they are in the process of considering the claims of the gospel but have not come to the point that they have genuine belief in the gospel.

We see this in Matt.7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 NASB95

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

We see people that did many of the works of God such as prophesy, cast out demons, and even perform miracles. Even though they did these things the one thing they lacked is a relationship with Jesus.

They have been enlightened means that they have come to a mental understanding of the gospel. The Greek word is hapax, which means that it happened once and could happen again. A person that is saved is saved once and it des not happen again.

The fact that they have “tasted the heavenly gift”. Just because they taste it doesn’t mean they received it. You can taste something and spew it out of your mouth. This means that they can taste the heavenly gift and the goodness of the words of God and still not receive them unto themselves. My son had a great way of getting his desert. He knew that the only way he could get desert was to eat his dinner. If he didn’t like something that we had for dinner. He would hide it in his mouth and then excuse himself to go to the bathroom to spit it out. This is what some people do with Jesus. They want the blessings of Jesus, so they appear to do all the things they are suppose to do: Go to church, occasionally read their Bible and pray, do kind services, but never surrender their lives to Jesus and enter into a relationship with Him.

Finally, they conclude if you are a partaker in the Holy Spirit then you must be saved. The word partake in the Greek is Metochos. This simply means to associate with. This means that they are associating with Holy Spirit in such a way that it influences their behavior but does not mean that they have surrendered the entirety of their life. This seems to be the case in some of the Hebrews that this book is written to. They participated with the people of the church and looked like the people of the church, but never gave their lives to Christ.

How Can you Know If You Are Saved?

3 questions we must ask of ourselves to prove that we are Christians.

Do I have present trust in Christ for my salvation?

A true believer has PRESENT trust in the gospel. This means that we do not depend on an event that happened 20 or 30 years ago when we walked an aisle, said a prayer and got baptised that we are saved. Do you know right now that what Christ did on Calvary is sufficient to save you? Do you have confidence that if you were to die this evening you would depend on what Christ did for you rather than your good works for Him to get into heaven?

Is their evidence of a regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in my heart?

Galatians 5:22 NASB95

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Do we have the evidence of these fruits of the Spirit growing in our hearts. Not that we have perfected them, but they are growing in our lives. Do I have sense these attitudes in my heart? Do others see these qualities in my life? These are not characteristics that a person can fake in their lives.

These fruits of the Spirit will produce fruit for the kingdom. Are you producing fruit for the kingdom?

Are you abiding in Christ?

Do I see a long-term pattern of growth in my Christian Life?

2 Peter 1:5–7 NASB95

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

2 Peter 1:10 NASB95

Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Discuss these traits.