Perseverance of the Saints

Perseverance of the Saints as Eternal Security

What I want to do now is get straight into the final issue, the final day called P, Perseverance of the Saints. And let's get right into it. Perseverance of the Saints, also sometimes known as eternal security, is the teaching that all who are truly regenerated will, by God's grace, be kept in the faith.

They will never stop being a Christian. They will never stop persevering. They will persevere until the time they die. Christians persevere because of the grace of God, not because of their own ability to do good or remain faithful.

True Christians are, therefore, secure in Christ. They cannot fall away. They cannot lose their salvation. Now let me give you a quote from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. Quote, Close quote. All right.

So, you know, as I've said, and as I've been going through this, and you're probably recognizing if you've been paying attention, that there's a lot of verses that I repeat. And because they are foundational to a lot of the truths found in Scripture.

In this particular set of topics and Scriptures that we're dealing with, we need to review quickly that God is the one who grants that we believe, Philippians 129, and that He is the one who works belief in us.

Now this is important. John 6, 28, 29, they said to Jesus, what must we do to work the works of God? And Jesus says, this is the work of God that you believe. Your belief, if you're a Christian, is the work of God.

Don't take credit for it yourself. And I ask Christians that, do you take credit for your own believing? And I've had Christians say, of course I do. And we talk about what that means, and if there's any arrogance in that.

I believe because God has granted that I believe. Now our perseverance is not dependent on our ability to keep ourselves in the faith, whether it be by doing bad things, or not doing bad things, excuse me, or by doing good things, or by keeping ourselves right with God through our faith.

It's not dependent on our abilities. Instead our perseverance is dependent on God's faithfulness to us, not our faithfulness to Him. After all, we are never perfectly faithful. First Peter 1, 5 says that Christians have an inheritance in heaven, and that Christians, quote, are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, close quote.

That's what Peter says. We are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation. We're protected by God for salvation. That's what he says. That's First Peter 1, 5. Now this perseverance does not mean that Christians don't have a free will, or that they were forced to believe.

It doesn't say that they can't backslide either. We struggle against our sin. We don't live perfectly. But God is always faithful, and He disciplines us as a loving Father in order to bring us to repentance when we stray.

Even as the regenerate, well, you know, we do. We mess up, don't we, as Christians. We do commit sins. And I'm glad, excuse me, that God says He will never leave us or forsake us. Now Hebrews 13, 5 is an important verse.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, from being content with what you have. For He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. Now this is important for us to understand.

It's critical that we understand that we are kept by God's grace and not our ability. Otherwise, grace is not grace. If our salvation depends on our faithfulness in any way, then it most certainly means we'll be lost.

Now think about it. Are you that good, that perfect? Are you? I'm not. If my salvation depended on my faithfulness, I'm in trouble. If it depended on my ability to do good or not do bad, I'm in trouble.

Now if you think that you're good enough and you're faithful enough, man, go, I'm going to follow you out to the nearest lake. I want to see you walk on water. Are you better than Peter, better than John, better than Paul the apostle who struggled, who had issues?

I mean, I have encountered so much arrogance in the Christian faith for those who boast who claim that they are able to keep themselves right with God by not doing a set of things, by abiding faithfully with the Word of God, by continuing to believe, and that it's their effort that they believe.

And in so doing, well, they just keep themselves right with God. How wonderful for them that they're that good. I'm not. I need to depend on Christ completely. I must completely depend on Him. So our ability is based in Christ.

It's critical that you understand this. If we're kept by anything that we do in any way, then grace is not grace. You understand that? Would any of you stand before the throne of God and claim that you, by the effort of your own will, kept yourself in the faith by remaining faithful?

Would you stand on that day, Lord, I kept myself in the faith. By believing. Would you? Not me. But some will say that we must continue to believe and that we should be sincere. Well, yes, we ought to believe.

And we should also be sincere. However, remember, it is God who works faith in us, John 6, 28, 29. Our believing is the work of God. He grants that we believe, Philippians 1, 29. Who are you giving the credit to?

Yourself or God? Who's receiving the glory? Yourself or God? As far as your sincerity goes, the standard of God demands perfection. Not a sincere yet faulty effort. 1 Peter 1, 16. Because it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy.

And Galatians 3, 10. For as many as are the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them. And Deuteronomy 27, 26 is that quote.

That's what it's referencing. Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them. And all the people shall say amen. See, God's standard is perfection. Now, when people look at their sincerity, and I've had Christians tell me this.

Well, as long as they're sincere, God will accept them. And I say, why? Because they're sincere. They know that God knows that they're not perfect. And they're trying, but they're sincere. And so God will, you know, he understands that and it'll work out.

But if you're serious, God will accept you. And if you're not sincere, God will say, well, no, I don't get it. You're not just not doing it. So you have to be sincere. That God does not allow anything that you do not succeed.

He does not forgive what you do not succeed. And he does not say, God, we're going to do what we need to do. I try not to do what is bad. I'm not like that tax gatherer over there and just go to Luke 18 9 through 14 and you can see that the tax gatherer according to Jesus he was boasting look what he was doing he did not commit adultery he was faithful he tithed he was saying things he didn't do as well as things that he did do and yet Jesus condemned him in fact let me just read this and he also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt.

Two men went up to the temple to pray one a Pharisee and the other a tax gatherer. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself God I thank you that I'm not like other people swindlers unjust adulterers or even like this tax gatherer.

I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get and notice what what's going on here. The tax gatherer then says you know Lord be willing to me. I mean God be merciful to me. The sinner. And Jesus says that the tax gatherer was the one justified.

He was the one saved. The Pharisee was not. What is the Pharisee doing. He's a believer in God. He's not a swindler. He's not unjust. He's not an adulterer. He's not like the tax gatherer. He fasts twice a week.

He pays tithes. There are things he doesn't do. And there are things he does do as he's a believer in God. And Jesus condemns him because he's appealing to the goodness of his own effort. And there are a lot of churches out there that teach that very thing who teach pharisaical ideology and not complete and total dependence on Christ.

And so they look down their nose at others because the others aren't like the well them. It's either tax gatherers because the others that they're looking down at. Well you know they don't go to church like we do.

They don't dress like we do. They don't go to they go to movies like we don't. They don't dress like we do. Look what we do. We tie we this we that. And they boast in their arrogance and their self-deception.

But perseverance of the Saints is not based on our effort. It's based on God's truth and Christ's faithfulness. So I would urge you to go study Luke 18 9 through 14. Now this brings up an issue. Are we so secure in Christ that we're free to sin all we want.

People say well Matt look you know if we can't lose our salvation. Are you saying it's okay to be an adulterer. No I'm not. Are you saying it's okay to to to do bad things. No. You're saying it's that we shouldn't do good.

Not at all. Are you saying Matt we can sin all we want. Well hear me out. In one sense yes. And another sense no. You see as a Christian I can sin all I want. Here's the question how much do I want to sin as a Christian.

I don't want to I war with it. I struggle with it. I'm at war with my flesh because I'm regenerate. You see I'm a I'm a new creature. 2nd Corinthians 517 says unbelievers don't resist their sin. Unbelievers don't struggle.

This is not a license to sin because it's dependence on God. You see look Philippians 1 6. For I'm confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus who began the good work in you and who's perfecting it.

Are you keeping yourself right by your effort. Of course not. It's God who's working in you. In fact Philippians 2 12 and 13. So then my beloved just as you have always obeyed not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

That means manifest it. Work out what is in you. Okay verse 13. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. It's God working through you and in you. And of course as I've already said second Corinthians 517.

And this is important. We're made new creatures. And as new creatures we want to war against our sin. I've had so many people misrepresent the idea of eternal security of of perseverance of the Saints by saying oh it's just a license to sin.

No it's not. It's such a misrepresentation when they say that that means that they're believing that we're not regenerate that we're unregenerate that we don't have God dwelling in us. We're not new creatures.

And that we just won't want to sin because why. Hey look hey we're saved so we can go out and sin all we want. That's not Christianity. It's ignorance. It's misrepresentation. And you know I want to read something to you that's very interesting here and few people really look at these scriptures.

I'm going to read verses Romans chapter 5 verse 20 through chapter 6 verse 2. Now the chapter divisions are our inventions. So I'm just going to read this. This is where it is starting in Romans 5 20 through chapter 6 verse 2.

Now check this out. This is in the context of eternal life of being saved. Okay. Notice what Paul says. You pay attention about this about the issue of going ahead and sin. He says this. And the law came in that the transgression might increase.

But where sin increased grace abounded all the more. That is that as sin reigned in death even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then.

Are we to continue in sin. That grace might increase. May never be. How shall we who have died to sin still live in it. Now there is a theological term called antinomianism against the law namas law antinomianism.

And that means that we can sin all we want because we're saved. Well wait a minute. What's Paul addressing here. But that very thing Paul's teaching the issue of eternal life. And then he raises this issue.

Is okay to sin then. Of course not. We've died to sin. You see the teaching here that he's giving is that it's not okay to sin because we're secure in Christ. Paul negates that he teaches eternal life that we are secure in Christ.

Notice. He says we have eternal life through Jesus. He immediately then goes to Romans 6 1 and asks if it's okay to sin that God's grace may increase. Of course not. Why would he say that if we could lose our salvation.

He's only saying it because we can't. So eternal eternal security. This perseverance of the Saints it's not a license to sin. This is as simple as it is. And this is true because we have been predestined from the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1 4 5. And those whom he foreknew he also predestined Romans 8 29. We are the ones called by God chosen for salvation. Second second Thessalonians 2 13 God called us from eternity and so we can't be lost because we've been given to Christ.

Why Believing Is the Work of God

Now I'm going to go through some of the verses that are used to support perseverance of the Saints. And then want to go through some of the verses used to refute it and address them. And then we'll take callers.

So we have time. John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Notice that Jesus equates eternal life with not perishing.

That whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus equates eternal life with not perishing. There's no conditional statement here such as should not perish but have eternal life if they stay faithful or if they do enough good or unless they do enough bad.

There's no conditionals on here. In John 10 27 through 29 Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. Notice he says never perish in the context of eternal life.

This is what Jesus says. Never perish. They'll have eternal life. They will never perish. If you can have eternal life and lose it then how can is it. How can it be true that you will never perish. It would be you could have eternal life but you might end up perishing.

It's not what Jesus says. And I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish. That's what he says. And he says no one shall 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. So Jesus again equate eternal life with never perishing. That's what he does. Yeah we must believe. But we're granted the belief. Remember I keep telling you this.

Philippians 129. Our believing is the work of God. John 6 28 29. Therefore they said to him what shall we do so that we may work the works of God. Jesus answered and said to them this is the work of God that you believe in whom he is sent.

Also notice in John 10 27 29 that Jesus says no one is able to snatch the sheep out of his hand. That's verse 28. Or the father's hand. Verse 29. Think of two hands cupped together holding fast kept in the Christ keeping the Christian secure in his grip.

Remember it's the Christian who has been chosen from before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. Ephesians 1 4. It is the Christian who has been chosen for salvation. Second Thessalonians 2 13.

It's the Christians who have been predestined by God for salvation. Ephesians 1 verse 5. Verse 11. Romans 8 29. Well God make a mistake. Will he goof and lose those whom he's predestined from all eternity to be saved and who he has given to the Sun for safekeeping.

And they're gonna be lost. Does anybody think that's even possible. I'm just bewildered when people say yeah that's possible that God ordained from eternity that they would be saved and given to the Sun for safekeeping but they can lose themselves.

It makes no sense because the verse says no one not no one except yourself. And no one is able to snatch him out of your father's hand. No one. That means the individual who saved is included in the group.

No one you they belong to the group called no one. There is no condition no one except the Christian himself who can want to do this. As people add into the Word of God to make it say what they want so many times.

Let me turn to John 6 38 through 40. This is really important set of scriptures. For I've 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 excuse me 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. Notice what Jesus is saying in verse 38 he says that he came to do the will of the Father.

In verse 39 he says that the will of the Father is that Jesus lose none but raise us up on the last day. Then in verse 40 he again says that the will of the Father is that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in him will have eternal life.

And he says he'll raise him up on the last day. So Jesus is saying that the will of the Father is that Jesus lose none of whom the Father has given to Jesus and that Jesus will raise him up on the last day.

It is also the will of the Father that all who hold and believe in the Son will have eternal life and Jesus will raise him up on the last day. If it is possible for Christ to fail to do the will of the Father by losing some then it must also be possible that those who behold and believe in the Son don't have eternal life.

You see in verse 39 the will of the Father. If the will the Father is not always done then the will the Father is not always done in verse 40 because in 39 Jesus isn't to lose any. And in verse 40 if you believe behold the Son and believe in him you'll have eternal life.

But if 39 can't be true or might be falsified as so was first 40 the agreement is between the Father and Jesus not between the Christian and Jesus. You see Jesus was sent by the Father to redeem the ones given to the Son by the Father.

The covenant is between the Father and the Son not between the Son and the people. The issue is that Jesus says that the all that the Father is given to Jesus Jesus will lose none. That's the will of the Father.

And if anyone wants to say that people are lost then they're saying that Jesus failed to do the will of the Father that he did lose some. If that's what you're saying then you're accusing Jesus of sinning by failing to do the will of the Father.

It cannot be true. Now there's this phrase in Hebrews 1320. I'm gonna read Hebrews 1320 because I think it bears on this as well. May the God of peace who brought up from the dead the Great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant.

Even Jesus our Lord through the blood of the eternal covenant. First of all a covenant is a pact or an agreement between two or more parties. A marriage covenant. You know my wife and I are married. We have covenants signs a wedding rings.

We made a covenant with each other to be faithful to each other etc. And a covenant is a pact or an agreement made between two or more parties. Now in this case it's called the blood of the eternal covenant.

The eternal covenant seems to imply the inter Trinitarian covenant relationship in between the members of the Godhead that the Father would choose to redeem and give to the Son the ones chosen by the Father to redeem.

That's why Jesus says in John 6 37 through 40 all that the Father gives me this is the will of Father who sent me that of all he's given me I lose none because they've been given to the Son by the Father.

Second it says blood. This implies the sacrifice of Christ by which we are redeemed. Now we have to understand something that the blood of Christ the sacrifice was decreed from eternity past in the inter Trinitarian communion that the Father would choose people for salvation.

Second Thessalonians 2 13 give them to the Son John 6 39. The Son would always do the will of the Father John 8 29. And he would redeem them because he would bear the sins of the sheep. Okay that's what he said John 10 11.

And he canceled out their sin debt at the cross Colossians 2 14. Not when we believe but at the cross Colossians 2 14 it could only have been done for those given to the Son by the Father because it's talking about the blood of the eternal covenant.

So that's who they are. In fact in John 17 to Jesus says even as you gave him authority talking about himself over all flesh that you that to all whom you have given him he may give eternal life. Jesus gives eternal life to the ones the Father gives to the Son.

Now some people will say yeah. That's because God knows that they're gonna believe. I've already addressed this in the earlier teachings on this God does not look into the future to see who's gonna pick him and then give him to the Son.

Based on that that means God is reactionary. It denies the aseity of God his eternal independence of all things. And it implies that God is somehow learning in some degree and then reacts to what he foresees in different circumstances because of man's so-called free will which can't exist in the libertarian sense according to Scripture.

And that free will is not enslaved to sin in spite of what the Word of God says in Romans 6 20 and 1st Corinthians 2 14 it implies that man is somehow able to do good just of his own sinful nature which is refuted by Romans 3 10 11 and 12.

I've already gone over all this stuff but people find any way they can they look for any way they can to get around this. They don't like the idea. In my opinion many people do not like the idea of God's sovereignty.

They want their own. They want the blonde hair blue-eyed Caucasian surfer Jesus standing at the door of their heart asking permission to come in because it's up to us and our sovereign free will. Even though God grants that we believe Philippians 1 29 and our believing is the work of God John 6 28 29.

We're born again not of our own will John 1 13. And we're caused to be born again 1st Peter 1 3. Too many people want the sovereignty of God for their own. They want to make the decision. We've already gone through this in the earlier lessons.

Here's another verse. 1st John 2 19. They went out from us but they were not really of us. For if they had been of us they would have remained with us. But they went out in order that it might be shown that they're not all of us.

Now excuse me John is talking verse 18. He's referring to the entire Christian era. That's what it seems to be the last hour now. Peter talks about this as well in Acts 2 16 through 17 and 1st Peter 1 verse 20.

But the last days in these last days and in these last days are Antichrists. And many Antichrists as he goes on up to even through verse 26 to speak of now he tells us that they went out from us. This is the spirit of the Antichrist.

Those who are not true converts those who don't believe in the true living Christ that they went out from us because they not we're not really of us. If they had been of us they would have remained. They're saying they would have stayed.

They would have been here. They would have remained with us. But they left because they were never really of us. You see for truly a Christian you'll remain. People say well that's just not right. Well look at the context.

It's not it's about Antichrist. What the Antichrist. That they're really of God they're gonna remain doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense at all. Now there are many verses that I can go through.

I've already gone through a few. I don't want to hog all the pro verses. A lot of people are saying well you know Matt there are verses that you have to address that if you're gonna be saying we can't lose our salvation that we're eternally secure that God is the one who's faithful.

Let's go through a few of them. And I can't get to all of them. Okay. So if I don't get to your particular one that you think is the coup de gras. My apologies. Maybe we can talk another time. Matthew 24 13.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. The context is the time right before Christ's return. He isn't saying that you keep your salvation by enduring. It's not saying that it's little he's.

It's like him saying you endure to the end. You've been demonstrating that you're truly saved. We would have to ask questions. Well why does one person endure. Another one does not endure. And we get into this issue of wealth up to your will and back to total depravity and review that lesson.

So they endure because God works in them. He will perfect in them the work he's begun. Philippians 120. Excuse me 1 6. Don't take the credit for yourself. This is important. Don't take credit for yourself.

You know a lot of people Christians included want to take the place of God just as just as Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat good to the touch. She made her decisions and we fell when she gave the fruit to Adam and sin entered the world through him.

Romans 5 12. Now I'm gonna be careful here what I say. But I'm trying to wake people up. Are you in any way seeking to maintain your salvation through your wisdom and your effort to what you decree in your sovereignty and not God's.

This is something you got to think about and be careful about that you don't fall into sin in that. Let's go to John 15 1 through 6. Let me read all the verses. I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit he prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine.

So neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit for a part from me. You could do nothing if anyone does not abide in me.

He's thrown away as a branch and dries up. And they gather them and cast them in the fire and they're burned. Now did you know that Israel is referred to as the vine in Psalm 80 verse 8 you removed a vine from Egypt.

You drove out the nations and planted it. And Hosea 10 1 Israel is a luxuriant vine. There is covenant language here that the Jews are going to understand. There's a sense in which the people who are in the vine are spoken of as the way Israel was spoken of by God as a vine but doesn't mean everybody in there was saved.

Furthermore there are two kinds of branches mentioned the fruitful and the unfruitful. Now the in me that phrase in me can refer to the covenant aspect of Israel who is supposed to be in relationship and covenant relationship with God.

And they can say that they are in God and in the Messiah in that sense in a covenant sense just as Jesus said he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 15 24. The covenant language is here and it appears that Jesus is speaking about the nation of Israel and using the Old Testament imagery found in Psalm 80.

However verse 5 suggests some sort of individuality and connection on an individual level. Hence the idea of being baptized and professing Christians. But such is the case as many who were baptized and profess Christ.

John the Apostle actually speaks in a way that well shows that people claim to be Christian but we're not. Now Jesus taught this in Matthew 7 22 and 23. Many will say to me on that day Lord Lord that 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 they claim to be believers in Christ but they never were saved to begin with and they were doing some mighty things. You could even say they were bearing fruit because they're performing miracles.

They were casting out demons they were prophesying in the name of Christ but they were never saved. The fruit is not what saves you. True fruit comes from the Holy Spirit. You can go to Galatians 5 22.

The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace patience kindness etc. The word fruit there's in the Greek karpas masculine singular. The single fruit of the Holy Spirit is love joy peace patience etc. Now this is back to John here in John 2 23 to 25.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast many believed in his name observing his signs which he was doing. But Jesus on his part was not in trusting himself to them for he knew all men.

Wait a minute. They believed in him but he wasn't trusting himself to them because he knew people. Well what's he saying. Is he saying that they weren't really saved. The implication certainly seems to be that there is a sense in which people can believe but not truly be saved.

They can be in that covenant relationship so to speak. But they're not really regenerate. To begin with John 8 31. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in him. If you continue in my word then you are truly disciples of mine.

Yet Jesus goes on to speak of those Jews who are claiming to be Abraham's descendants and then they insult Christ saying they're not born of fornication like he was John 8 41. But Jesus is speaking to them.

If you continue in my word then you're truly disciples of mine. If he's speaking to them but continuing in the word what word the Old Testament in John 660 when Jesus is speaking about drinking his blood and eating his flesh many of the disciples left him.

John 6 64 he says. But there are some of you who do not believe for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe. So they were not true converts. Since they left Jesus they were well in covenant relationship with him.

But it doesn't mean that they were regenerated and saved. This seems to be the kind of language that is being spoken of in John 15. Now I can make a point here too you have to understand something. This is figurative language very figurative language when we have this is a principle of interpretation.

When we have a set of scriptures and they seem to be well let's just say not contradictory because the scriptures don't contradict. But we have one set that's very clear and another set on this topic that's not very clear.

The very clear set can only be interpreted one way and the other set can be interpreted two ways. Then you must interpret the second set. The ones that can be interpreted two ways or more in harmony with the ones on that same topic that can only be interpreted one way.