Our subject this morning is the Perseverance of The Saints. This last letter of the TULIP simply teachess that a Christian cannot lose their salvation. Once God saves a sinner, they are saved forever: “I will never cast out” (v.37) “I will lose nothing” (v.39). They will Persevere to the end, that is they will be in the faith till death. Observe how Jesus continuously speaks of raising them on the last day. This is certainty of salvation Now they will not persevere because they are so strong. But they will persevere because he who saved them preserves them. Dear believer, your life is in the hands of a powerful God who in the words of Jude “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
This morning, I will address this subject under three subheadings: The Source of Salvation, The Security of Salvation and The Surety Of The Saviour
The Source of Salvation
Basic Christian doctrine teaches us that God sent Jesus into the world to die to save sinners. In the words of Jesus, he came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). The word ransom is used to describe a payment for the release of a slave–manumit. In this sense, Jesus paid a ransom to release sinners from the slavery of sin. You will notice that the focus of the verses we read is salvation. Jesus says he came to do the will of the Father. And what is the will of the Father? The will of the Father is the salvation of sinners (v.40). This tells us then that God is the source of our salvation. God saved us. We didn’t save ourselves: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Clearly, God is the source and originator of our salvation. Jesus is described as the author and finisher of our faith.
The Security of Salvation
When sinners are saved, they are brought into a relationship with God. God becomes our father and we his children. And this God & humans relationship is an eternal relationship. It is an everlasting relationship. It is a never ending relationship. It is a secured salvation. This is the very nature of salvation, it is eternal–it never ends. That is to say, once a sinner is saved, they are saved for forever. They will never lose their salvation. God will not at any point in this eternal relationship Christian unsafe a Christian. See, the verses before us all shows the eternal or permanent nature of salvation. It begins from v.37. Jesus offers security to those who will come to him: “I will never cast out”. Again he offers security in verse 39: “I should lose nothing of all that he has given me”. Throughout these verses, salvation is presented to us as Eternal.
The original Greek word for eternal means perpetual or unending. What Jesus offers is life that never ends. It is everlasting. And you will see eternal life splashed all over the text. You can’t miss it look a vv. 40; 47). Observe also how Jesus contrasts Temporal Life with Eternal Life (vv. 49-51;58).
The Surety Of The Saviour
I personally say that God doesn’t do unfinished projects. He doesn’t do uncompleted buildings and leave it to deteriorate. He is not the man who begins a tower without considering if he has enough to complete it. God has enough resources to complete what he begins in the salvation of a sinner. The picture, if I have been able to paint it well, is that once God saves a person, he doesn’t drop them on the way. He doesn’t run out of power to completely save them. Salvation is a good work. Once God has began, he will finish it. No believer will lose their salvation: “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).
See, we are not going to persevere on our own. Left on our own none of us will survive. But he who has called you will preserve you. Look together with me at verse 57. The Life promised is hanged on the life of Christ. Now notice that everything spoken of in this text is Jesus giving his word. It is the promises of Jesus in full force. Observe how Jesus is constantly putting forward promises–what he will do. Look at all the “I wills” in the text: (vv. 40;44 54;). Jesus words can be trusted. He has promised to save eternally and he will save.
I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in his dispensation of grace; nor unless we exalt the electing, unchangeable, eternal, immutable, conquering, love of Jehovah; nor do I think we can preach the gospel, unless we base it upon the peculiar redemption which Christ made for his elect and chosen people; nor can I comprehend a gospel which lets saints fall away after they are called, and suffers the children of God to be burned in the fires of damnation after having believed. Such a gospel I abhor (Charles Spurgeon).
Conclusion
Salvation Not Based On Our Performance
What perseverance of the saints simply means is that God is faithful to His promises. If He saves a person, that person is saved with an eternal salvation. Not a salvation that vacillates on our performance. Christians, just like all fallen humans, sin. But our sins do not cut us from the love of God. Our Salvation doesn’t depreciate with our sinful human nature. Christ’s atoning sacrifice atoned for sins of our past, present and all sins we will possibly commit in future. Our sins are paid for and they will not tamper with our eternal security.
So Believers Can Live Anyhow?
Not at all! I stated earlier that one objection to the doctrine of eternal security is that it is a license for believers to live in sin. That objection however is a wrong conclusion from the doctrine. The doctrine is not a justification to indulge in sin. We are told that anyone who has the seed of God in him doesn’t make a practice of sinning (1John 3:6).
There are many imperatives in the Bible warning against ungodliness. However, these do not repudiate the truth of God’s faithfulness towards the eternal security of His elect. Those who call themselves Christians and live in sin without repentance and justify their sins may not truly be saved. But if they are saved, we can count on the faithfulness of God to bring them to repentance. God will not let go of any of His own that go astray. He pursues us to restore us back to fellowship. He pursues us with discipline and correction till we are restored. This is love: “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives…. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:6-11).
We are secured. Nothing can undo our salvation: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, 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. (John 10:27-29).
They, whom God hath 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 ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof. (Westminster 17:1-2).
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