Perseverance of the Saints

Many friends of mine are at odds with me about my position on salvation as it pertains to genuine saving faith. The age-old argument about “once saved always saved” or that you can lose your salvation, can never seemed to be discussed calmly. I believe in what is called the perseverance of the saints, a doctrine that is stated in the Westminster Concession:

I believe in the perseverance of the saints or the eternal security of all the redeemed. That once genuinely saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. John 5:24 6:37-40 10:27-30 Rom 5:9-10 8:1, 31-39 1 Cor 1:4-8 Eph 4:30 Heb 7:25 13:5 1 Peter 1:5 Jude 24

They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalence of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins and, for a time, continue therein: whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves. (adopted from the Westminister Confession)

I would add here that the believer in Christ as a child of God will incur divine discipline for such above actions resulting in fruits of righteousness so that they would be chastened by God and not condemned with the world. Prov 3:11-12 1 Cor 11:32 Heb 12:5-11 1 Pet 4:1 Prov 15:10 Rev 3:19 Lev 26:27-28 Psalm 118:18

Audio Messages on the Perseverance of the Saints

Trouble To Triumph by John MacArthur

 Assurance of Salvation by Dr. Edward Dalcour