5. Perseverance Of The Saints
What God begins, he finishes
Psa 138:8 “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
Ecc 3:14 “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”
Isa 46:4 “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”
Jer 32:40 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”
Rom 11:29 “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”
Phi 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
2 Tim 4:18 “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Of all whom he has called and brought to Christ, none will be lost
John 6:39-40 “And 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. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
Rom 8:28-31 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
Rom 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 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.”
Heb 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Heb 10:14 “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
God’s preservation of the saints is not irrespective of their continuance in the faith
1Cor 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
Gal 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Eph 5:5 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
Heb 3:14 “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
Heb 6:4-6 “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Heb 10:26-27 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.”
Heb 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Rev 21:7-8 “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Rev 22:14-15 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
However, it is God who sanctifies us and causes us to persevere
John 15:16 “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
1Cor 1:30-31 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
1Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
1Cor 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”
1Cor 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Gal 3:1-6 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Eph 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Phi 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
1The 5:23-24 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
Heb 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
1John 2:29 “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.”
Jud 1:24-25 “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
This is a test comment from Tom
Is there some way to ask a question and not get people angry?
I believe that God is in total charge of all that happens. I also believe that He gave us the Gospel to reach sinners. Once they hear the Gospel the Holy spirit brings them under conviction.
It is then up to them to accept or reject the calling of the Holy Spirit. If they continue to reject Him they are given over to a reprobate mind.
My question: If God has already chosen those to be saved, why was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross?
Sin came into the world through satan, until then there was no sin. So, ALL were made sinners because Adam chose to follow satan. Through no fault of their own ALL mankind was condemned to death. Surely, a Loving, caring God would provide a way for ALL men to be redeemed, if they chose to.
This is a response to the above comment.
Sir Richard, you have said – ‘It is then up to them to accept or reject the calling of the Holy Spirit’.
The whole point of Benorourke’s post above is to Scripturally prove that fallen, dead sinners cannot and will not accept the calling of the Holy Spirit.
“Now let it be clearly understood that, when we speak of the sinner’s INABILITY, we do not mean that IF men DESIRED to come to Christ they lack the necessary power to carry out their desire. No; the fact is that the sinner’s inability or absence of power is itself DUE TO LACK OF WILLINGNESS to come to Christ, and this lack of willingness is the fruit of a depraved heart. It is of first importance that we distinguish between NATURAL inability and moral and spiritual inability. For example, we read,
“But Abijah COULD NOT SEE; for his eyes were set by reason of his age”(1 Kings 14:4); and again,
“The men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but THEY COULD NOT: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them” (Jonah 1:13).
In both of these passages the words “could not” refer to NATURAL INABILITY.
But when we read,
“And when his brethren saw that their father loved him (Joseph) more than all his brethren, they hated him, AND COULD NOT speak peaceably unto him” (Genesis 37:4), it is clearly MORAL INABILITY that is in view. They did not lack the NATURAL ability to “speak peaceably unto him”, for they were not DUMB. Why then was it that they “could not speak peaceably unto him”? The answer is given in the same verse: it was because “they HATED him.” Again; in 2 Peter 2:14 we read of a certain class of wicked men “having eyes full of adultery, and that CANNOT CEASE FROM SIN.” Here again it is MORAL INABILITY that is in view. Why is it that these men “cannot cease from sin”? The answer is, Because their eyes were full of adultery. So of Romans 8:8.—“They that are in the flesh CANNOT please God”: here it is SPIRITUAL INABILITY. Why is it that the natural man “cannot please God”? Because he is “ALIENATED from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). No man can choose that from
which his heart is averse—
“O generation of vipers HOW CAN YE, being evil, speak good things?” (Matthew 12:34).
“No man CAN COME TO ME, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” (John 6:44).
Here again it is MORAL AND SPIRITUAL INABILITY which is before us. WHY is it the sinner cannot come to Christ unless he is “drawn”? The answer is,
Because his wicked heart LOVES SIN and HATES CHRIST.
We trust we have made it clear that the Scriptures distinguish sharply between natural inability and moral and spiritual inability. Surely all can see the difference between the blindness of Bartimeus, who was ardently desirous of receiving his sight, and the Pharisees, whose eyes were closed,
“lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted” (Matthew 13:15). [A.W. Pink]
Again, you have asked – “If God has already chosen those to be saved, why was it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross”?
Scripture affirms that “God will by no means clear the guilty”! [Exo 34:7] Here, then, is the problem. How can God justify the willful transgressor of His Law without justifying his sins? How can He receive him into His favor without being the Patron of a rebel? How can God deliver him from the penalty of His broken Law without going back upon His word that He, “will by no means clear the guilty”? How can life be granted to the culprit without repealing the sentence, “the soul that sinneth it shall die”? How can mercy be shown to the sinner without justice being flouted?
The Gospel provides a plain, satisfactory, and glorious solution to that problem, and therein evidences its DIVINITY. That solution may be summed up in one word, namely, SUBSTITUTION!
God decreed that salvation should be provided for transgressors and, in order that His righteousness might not be compromised, determined that Another should take their place, and in their stead make a full satisfaction to the Divine Law, by rendering a flawless obedience to it.
Therefore it was necessary that the Lord Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God should die for the sins of God’s elect that he might bear their iniquities and the punishment that was their due. So that now God can be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.[Rom 3:26]
Finally you have said -”Through no fault of their own ALL mankind was condemned to death”.
IF what you have said is true then we are dealing with an unjust God! If all mankind are condemned to death for no fault of their own then God is a Monster!
But we know that the judge of the earth will do right. ‘The Lord is upright and their is no unrighteousness in Him’ Psalm 92:15.
We were “in Adam” by federal representation—we share his fallen nature because WE SHARE in his guilt and punishment. We are born into this world neither as innocent creatures nor to enter upon our probation. Rather we come into it as culprits condemned to death by the divine law.
If, then, death was “passed upon all men,” it must be because all are guilty, ALL PARTICIPATED LEGALLY in Adam’s offense. The apostle is not here saying that all men sinned personally, but representatively. The curse of the law falls on us not because we are sinful, but because we were federally guilty when our covenant head sinned.