Grace and Perseverance

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).

. . . Kept by the power of God . . . the Apostle Peter said. The biblical doctrine of perseverance states that those who are genuinely saved will remain saved until they are glorified in heaven. In other words, they can never become unsaved once they are saved. While many people say this is the doctrine of eternal security of the believer, I prefer to call it the doctrine of the security of salvation in the believer. I think there is a major difference between the two.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (along with many other texts) affirms that salvation cannot be forfeited by our sin. Because we are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13), we have no power that can save us. It is God who saves us through His grace, mercy, and love. Since that is so, why would we believe that if God saves us, it is up to us to stay saved? Ridiculous. Why would God give us His great grace that is able to cover a multitude of sins only to nullify that grace if we fall back into sin? Makes no sense. To what extent are we kept by the power of God? To the extent we override His grace by future sin? That makes our sin more powerful than God’s grace.

If God’s plan of salvation is guaranteed to succeed, then the perseverance of the Christian is assured. Our faith cannot fail because faith is God’s gift to us, as is His grace, as is His salvation. (Romans 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. As God’s grace leads us to faith in Jesus Christ through whom we have salvation, it is God’s grace that will keep us in Jesus Christ until that salvation is completed in us. (Philippians 1:6) . . . being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Those who reject the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints say it will naturally lead to moral lapse. They say, “If salvation is guaranteed no matter what I do, then how I live the rest of my life doesn’t matter.” Not so. Love received awakens love in return. (1 John 4:16-19) And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. Those who are truly saved will live a life loving Jesus Christ more than loving sin.

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the assurance of salvation that eliminates all fear of being lost in sin once again. Your grace that has saved me guarantees to keep me until that day when I will see You face to face. May Your name be praised forever, Amen.”

Pastor