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The author will refer to the doctrine of perseverance. This is one of the petals of Calvinistic TULIP, though the author will never mention Calvin. TULIP is
- Total Depravity
- Unconditional Election
- Limited Atonement
- Irresistible Grace
- Perseverance of the Saints
The last one is the one he intends to explain. However, he doesn't explain, he simply asserts his doctrine without explanation. The verses he appeals to are the ones theologians have debated for centuries, and could go either way.
But the biggest problem with perseverance is that is impossible to know if one is saved and therefore will persevere. After all, false converts believe they're saved. False converts study the Bible, try to live holy lives, and yet fall away. In fact, false converts can be false yet live their entire lives thinking their Christians.
Therefore, perseverance is fruitless theological debate. There is no way to know who is a false convert and who isn't.
Lastly, the author will never quote a single Bible verse about perseverance. Astonishing. We must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.
There are some theological questions that arrive in the study quietly, and there are others that arrive with tears. This is one of the latter.
Can a true Christian finally fall away and be lost forever?
For some, the question is deeply personal. A believer battles ongoing sin and wonders whether repeated failure has exhausted the patience of God. A parent grieves over a child who once professed faith but now rejects Christ entirely. A pastor watches someone once active in church life slowly drift into unbelief and asks, “What happened?”
And beneath all of it lies a deeper concern: how secure is the grace of God, really?
The Reformed tradition has historically answered with clarity and confidence: all whom God truly saves, he keeps. (Yes, or course. But what does the Bible say?)
Can a true Christian finally fall away and be lost forever?
For some, the question is deeply personal. A believer battles ongoing sin and wonders whether repeated failure has exhausted the patience of God. A parent grieves over a child who once professed faith but now rejects Christ entirely. A pastor watches someone once active in church life slowly drift into unbelief and asks, “What happened?”
And beneath all of it lies a deeper concern: how secure is the grace of God, really?
The Reformed tradition has historically answered with clarity and confidence: all whom God truly saves, he keeps. (Yes, or course. But what does the Bible say?)
True believers persevere because God preserves them.
Yet that answer is often misunderstood. (Calvinism is easy to misunderstand, since it requires "difficult" verses to be redefined. The confusion comes from trying to harmonize the Bible with doctrine. It needs to be the other way around: Harmonize doctrine with the Bible.)
Some hear it and assume it produces carelessness: “If salvation cannot be lost, then holiness no longer matters.” (A legitimate point. Will the author answer it?)
The doctrine does not tell struggling Christians to relax in sin. It tells trembling Christians to rest in Christ.
Jesus Speaks of a Secure Salvation
Perhaps the clearest words come from Jesus himself in a John 10:27-28 “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.” (The careful Bible student would ask, "who are Jesus' sheep?" The obvious answer is the Jewish nation, specifically, the remnant. We discuss this in great detail here.
Jesus then grounds this assurance not in the strength of the sheep but in the grip of the Shepherd.
This matters enormously because Christians are often painfully aware of their weakness. The believer who has walked with God for decades knows something the immature Christian often does not – that the depth of remaining sin is frighteningly real.
Yet the security of salvation does not rest upon the believer’s flawless consistency. It rests upon Christ’s unbreakable faithfulness.
The same truth appears in Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Hmm. The author deceives us by quoting only part of the verse. It actually reads,
Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. The Father elects. (Undefined term. This is the second petal of TULIP.)
Yet tasting is not the same as feeding. (Arbitrary determination.)
Perseverance Is Not Passive
One of the most damaging misunderstandings of this doctrine is the idea that perseverance means spiritual passivity.
Scripture never speaks that way.
The same apostle who rejoices that nothing can separate believers from the love of God (Sigh. This is Romans 8:35.)
Christians persevere through:
The Difference Between Struggle and Apostasy
This distinction needs emphasis in our churches today. Many sincere Christians fear they have fallen away simply because they struggle. (Maybe they have...)
They battle intrusive doubts. They fight recurring temptations. They experience seasons of spiritual dryness. They feel weak in prayer. (Um, yeah. So do those who fall away. They all thought they were saved, they prayed, they wrestled with temptation, yet they were false converts.
The Pastoral Beauty of This Doctrine
Ultimately, the doctrine of perseverance magnifies the glory of God.
If salvation finally depended upon the believer’s ability to maintain himself, none of us would survive. (No true Christian believes that it's up to us to maintain ourselves. The author falsely characterizes the other side of the debate.
A Final Word
The doctrine of perseverance should never be wielded carelessly. It is not a licence for worldliness. It is not an excuse for complacency. It is not a shortcut around self-examination. (Hmm. Bare denials. We noted at the beginning that we would see if the author demonstrated these things. Well, he didn't.)
But neither should it be surrendered.
In an anxious age filled with instability, this doctrine reminds believers that salvation rests upon the covenant faithfulness (Undefined phrase.)
Yet that answer is often misunderstood. (Calvinism is easy to misunderstand, since it requires "difficult" verses to be redefined. The confusion comes from trying to harmonize the Bible with doctrine. It needs to be the other way around: Harmonize doctrine with the Bible.)
Some hear it and assume it produces carelessness: “If salvation cannot be lost, then holiness no longer matters.” (A legitimate point. Will the author answer it?)
Others caricature it as cold theological determinism. (Another legitimate point. Will the author answer it?)
But biblically understood, the doctrine of perseverance is neither casual nor mechanical. It is one of the warmest, most pastoral truths in the Christian faith. (Very odd descriptors. A doctrine is warm?)
The doctrine does not tell struggling Christians to relax in sin. It tells trembling Christians to rest in Christ.
Jesus Speaks of a Secure Salvation
Perhaps the clearest words come from Jesus himself in a John 10:27-28 “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.” (The careful Bible student would ask, "who are Jesus' sheep?" The obvious answer is the Jewish nation, specifically, the remnant. We discuss this in great detail here.
This verse is not about us.)
Notice how comprehensive Christ’s promise is.
His sheep hear his voice. He knows them personally. He gives them eternal life. And then comes the staggering promise: “they will never perish.”
Not “they will probably not perish.” Not “they will not perish unless they fail badly enough.” Not “they will not perish provided they maintain themselves spiritually.”
“They will never perish.” ("They." The author assumes who "they" are. They are not us. They are the "children of the promise," [Romans 9:8]. We are not the remnant.)
Notice how comprehensive Christ’s promise is.
His sheep hear his voice. He knows them personally. He gives them eternal life. And then comes the staggering promise: “they will never perish.”
Not “they will probably not perish.” Not “they will not perish unless they fail badly enough.” Not “they will not perish provided they maintain themselves spiritually.”
“They will never perish.” ("They." The author assumes who "they" are. They are not us. They are the "children of the promise," [Romans 9:8]. We are not the remnant.)
Jesus then grounds this assurance not in the strength of the sheep but in the grip of the Shepherd.
This matters enormously because Christians are often painfully aware of their weakness. The believer who has walked with God for decades knows something the immature Christian often does not – that the depth of remaining sin is frighteningly real.
Yet the security of salvation does not rest upon the believer’s flawless consistency. It rests upon Christ’s unbreakable faithfulness.
The same truth appears in Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Hmm. The author deceives us by quoting only part of the verse. It actually reads,
Ph. 1:6 ...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Paul was telling what he thought of them. "Confident" is the Greek word peithó, which means agree, assure, believe, have confidence. It is to hold a position or an opinion about something, thinking it to be true. The same word is used here:
Mt. 27:20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Which suggests that peithó does not mean Paul was making a statement of fact or doctrine. Rather, it was his ambition and hope that God would bring to completion what He started. He was speaking encouragement, not doctrine.)
Salvation is God’s work from beginning to end. The Father elects. (Undefined term. This is the second petal of TULIP.)
The Son redeems. (Undefined term.)
The Spirit regenerates and sanctifies. (Undefined terms.)
And the God who begins this work does not abandon it halfway through.
What About the Warning Passages?
Any serious engagement with this doctrine must wrestle honestly with the warning texts of Scripture.
Hebrews 6:4–6, for example, is often raised in discussions about falling away “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened… and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance…”
Similarly, Hebrews 10 warns against those who “go on sinning deliberately” after receiving knowledge of the truth. (Where in Hebrews 10? Is it a secret? [It's verse 26-27.]
Any serious engagement with this doctrine must wrestle honestly with the warning texts of Scripture.
Hebrews 6:4–6, for example, is often raised in discussions about falling away “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened… and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance…”
Similarly, Hebrews 10 warns against those who “go on sinning deliberately” after receiving knowledge of the truth. (Where in Hebrews 10? Is it a secret? [It's verse 26-27.]
Let's quote:
He. 10:26-27 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.This could go either way as far as the topic at hand. "Received the knowledge of the truth" seems like salvation. If that is true, this verse is about forfeiting one's salvation.
But the author has no discussion, once again. Is he going to explain anything?)
These are sobering passages. They should sober us.
I don’t think that these warning passages should be treated as hypothetical decorations, they are real warnings addressed to the visible church.
But we must read them carefully. (Translation: we must adjust them carefully in order to conform with our preconceptions.)
The author of Hebrews describes people who have experienced remarkable exposure to the blessings of the covenant community. (Undefined phrase.
These are sobering passages. They should sober us.
I don’t think that these warning passages should be treated as hypothetical decorations, they are real warnings addressed to the visible church.
But we must read them carefully. (Translation: we must adjust them carefully in order to conform with our preconceptions.)
The author of Hebrews describes people who have experienced remarkable exposure to the blessings of the covenant community. (Undefined phrase.
By the way, the author is back to Hebrews 6:4-6.])
They have been enlightened. (The Greek word is phótizó, which means to enlighten spiritually, imbue with saving knowledge...)
They have tasted. They have shared externally ("Externally." The author presumptively adds an editorial characterization.)
in the life and privileges of the church. (There is no mention of the church in this passage.)
Yet tasting is not the same as feeding. (Arbitrary determination.)
One can experience the nearness of Christian things without possessing saving faith. (This is the matter prove, not simply reassert.)
Judas Iscariot preached, witnessed miracles, and walked with Jesus himself. There is a category in Scripture for people who associate deeply with the covenant community (???) and yet remain unconverted. (So this is the author's opinion, that this verse is referring to unsaved people. But that's the matter to be demonstrated.)
John addresses this directly in 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” (The author assumes that "they" are unsaved people. This may be true, but the matter at hand is if one can lose or forfeit one's salvation. This verse doesn't speak to this issue.)
John does not say they lost salvation. He says their departure revealed that genuine conversion had never occurred. This distinction is crucial. (The word "salvation" does not appear in this verse.)
Not every profession of faith is possession of faith. (Again, the issue is if one can lose or forfeit salvation, not if salvation really happened.)
The New Testament recognises temporary faith, superficial faith, emotional enthusiasm, and external religion. Jesus himself teaches this in the parable of the soils. (Where do we find this parable? Is it a secret? [It's Matthew 13.])
Judas Iscariot preached, witnessed miracles, and walked with Jesus himself. There is a category in Scripture for people who associate deeply with the covenant community (???) and yet remain unconverted. (So this is the author's opinion, that this verse is referring to unsaved people. But that's the matter to be demonstrated.)
John addresses this directly in 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” (The author assumes that "they" are unsaved people. This may be true, but the matter at hand is if one can lose or forfeit one's salvation. This verse doesn't speak to this issue.)
John does not say they lost salvation. He says their departure revealed that genuine conversion had never occurred. This distinction is crucial. (The word "salvation" does not appear in this verse.)
Not every profession of faith is possession of faith. (Again, the issue is if one can lose or forfeit salvation, not if salvation really happened.)
The New Testament recognises temporary faith, superficial faith, emotional enthusiasm, and external religion. Jesus himself teaches this in the parable of the soils. (Where do we find this parable? Is it a secret? [It's Matthew 13.])
Some receive the word with joy and yet endure only for a season. ("Temporary" faith? Or is it "temporary" salvation?
Jesus tells us in verse 19 that the seed is the "message about the Kingdom." There are four different responses to the seed:
- It's not understood [the seed on the path, verse 19]
- Receives it but falls away when there's trouble [Rocky soil, verse 21]
- Receives it but the cares of life make it unfruitful [thorns, verse 22]
- Hears and understands, and bears fruit [good soil, verse 23]
But since the author only devotes a single sentence to this parable, we don't know anything about it except perhaps that the author thinks only the good soil represents a saved person. We don't know this from the verses, but this seems to be the author's opinion.
We wish he would explain something.)
And yet the warning passages remain vitally important because God uses warnings as one of the means by which he preserves his people. (In the author's theology, what is the Bible warning against? The author stated at the beginning that "true believers persevere because God preserves them." So if God preserves His saved people, what exactly is is the danger being warned about? Saved people can't lose their salvation.)
A cliff-edge warning sign is not evidence that the road definitely ends in disaster. The warning itself helps keep travellers safe.
In the same way, God warns believers against apostasy, complacency, unbelief, and hard-heartedness, and true believers heed those warnings. (Indeed, but how can believers become apostate if God preserves them to the end? What is the purpose of the warning?)
A cliff-edge warning sign is not evidence that the road definitely ends in disaster. The warning itself helps keep travellers safe.
In the same way, God warns believers against apostasy, complacency, unbelief, and hard-heartedness, and true believers heed those warnings. (Indeed, but how can believers become apostate if God preserves them to the end? What is the purpose of the warning?)
Perseverance Is Not Passive
One of the most damaging misunderstandings of this doctrine is the idea that perseverance means spiritual passivity.
Scripture never speaks that way.
The same apostle who rejoices that nothing can separate believers from the love of God (Sigh. This is Romans 8:35.)
also commands Christians to “put to death the deeds of the body.” (Colossians 3:5.)
The same God who preserves his saints also commands them to persevere. (The author has yet to quote a Bible verse that tells us this. In fact, he never will.
The same God who preserves his saints also commands them to persevere. (The author has yet to quote a Bible verse that tells us this. In fact, he never will.
One such verse is 1Ti. 4:16. Another is He. 10:36 and 12:1. James tells us how to develop perseverance [1:2-4, 12]. Peter tells us that perseverance is in sort of a chain of holiness [2 Peter 1:5-9].
Why do we have to do the author's work for him?)
Christians are kept by God’s power “through faith.” (Ooo. That's good. Please explain.)
God’s preserving grace does not bypass means; it works through them. (??? What odd sentence. How can God bypass means? That is, the method God might use to do something is the method God might use. That is, the means. Everything God does is accomplished by some sort of means.
This is very nearly a tautology.)
Christians persevere through:
- the ordinary ministry of the Word,
- prayer,
- repentance,
- fellowship in the local church,
- the sacraments,
- and ongoing dependence upon the Spirit.
(Why is the ministry of the Word described as ordinary? Is there some sort of ministry of the Word that is more special?)
This is why assurance should never produce laziness. The person who says, “I prayed a prayer years ago, so it does not matter how I live now,” fundamentally misunderstands the gospel. (Hmmm. Are they saved or not saved?)
Saving faith is living faith. (Undocumented claim. It might be true, but we require the author to demonstrate his claims from the Bible.)
This is why assurance should never produce laziness. The person who says, “I prayed a prayer years ago, so it does not matter how I live now,” fundamentally misunderstands the gospel. (Hmmm. Are they saved or not saved?)
Saving faith is living faith. (Undocumented claim. It might be true, but we require the author to demonstrate his claims from the Bible.)
The believer may stumble grievously. David did. Peter did. But believers do not settle comfortably and permanently into rebellion against God. (Again, this is the matter to demonstrate. And the author has yet to do that.)
Why?
Because God disciplines his children.
Hebrews 12 reminds us that divine discipline is not evidence of rejection but of sonship. (Hebrews 12:6.)
Why?
Because God disciplines his children.
Hebrews 12 reminds us that divine discipline is not evidence of rejection but of sonship. (Hebrews 12:6.)
A father who loves his children does not abandon them to self-destruction. Neither does God. (Undocumented claim. It might be true, but we require the author to demonstrate his claims from the Bible.)
The Difference Between Struggle and Apostasy
This distinction needs emphasis in our churches today. Many sincere Christians fear they have fallen away simply because they struggle. (Maybe they have...)
They battle intrusive doubts. They fight recurring temptations. They experience seasons of spiritual dryness. They feel weak in prayer. (Um, yeah. So do those who fall away. They all thought they were saved, they prayed, they wrestled with temptation, yet they were false converts.
There is is no actual way to tell one from another.)
And because modern Christianity often prizes triumphalism and emotional intensity, struggling believers can wrongly conclude that their weakness proves they are unsaved. (It's certainly possible.)
But Scripture paints a more realistic portrait of the Christian life. (Presumption. "Christian" life is the matter to prove, not just assume.)
The apostle Paul describes an ongoing war against sin in Romans 7. The Psalms are filled with cries of spiritual exhaustion, fear, and confusion. Peter needed restoration. Thomas wrestled with doubt. (Yes. All ended up being saved [to the best of our knowledge]. But false converts do all these same things. The author is attempting to create a scenario based on something we cannot know. No one but God knows our salvation status.)
The presence of spiritual conflict is not necessarily evidence of spiritual death. In fact, dead hearts (The Bible does not use this phrase.)
And because modern Christianity often prizes triumphalism and emotional intensity, struggling believers can wrongly conclude that their weakness proves they are unsaved. (It's certainly possible.)
But Scripture paints a more realistic portrait of the Christian life. (Presumption. "Christian" life is the matter to prove, not just assume.)
The apostle Paul describes an ongoing war against sin in Romans 7. The Psalms are filled with cries of spiritual exhaustion, fear, and confusion. Peter needed restoration. Thomas wrestled with doubt. (Yes. All ended up being saved [to the best of our knowledge]. But false converts do all these same things. The author is attempting to create a scenario based on something we cannot know. No one but God knows our salvation status.)
The presence of spiritual conflict is not necessarily evidence of spiritual death. In fact, dead hearts (The Bible does not use this phrase.)
generally do not wage war against sin at all. ("Generally?" The author equivocates.)
The Christian who grieves over sin, longs for Christ, and continues returning to God in repentance, even through tears, is not displaying the marks of apostasy but the marks of spiritual life. (But they might still end up apostatizing...)
Apostasy is not struggling toward Christ weakly. Apostasy is decisively abandoning Christ. (Which still begs the question, were they saved or not?)
Those are not the same thing.
The Christian who grieves over sin, longs for Christ, and continues returning to God in repentance, even through tears, is not displaying the marks of apostasy but the marks of spiritual life. (But they might still end up apostatizing...)
Apostasy is not struggling toward Christ weakly. Apostasy is decisively abandoning Christ. (Which still begs the question, were they saved or not?)
Those are not the same thing.
The Pastoral Beauty of This Doctrine
Ultimately, the doctrine of perseverance magnifies the glory of God.
If salvation finally depended upon the believer’s ability to maintain himself, none of us would survive. (No true Christian believes that it's up to us to maintain ourselves. The author falsely characterizes the other side of the debate.
Christians persevere because the Holy Spirit, not because of their own strength. The author has had almost zero to say about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian.)
Left to ourselves, we would wander.
But the gospel announces better news – Christ not only saves sinners, he keeps sinners.
He intercedes for them. He shepherds them. He disciplines them. He restores them. He completes what he begins in them.
This doctrine gives profound comfort to ordinary Christians.
The exhausted mother trying to raise children in the fear of God. The pastor labouring through discouragement. The elderly saint nearing death. The believer painfully aware of remaining sin.
Our hope is not that we hold tightly enough to Christ. Our hope is that Christ holds tightly enough to us. And he does.
But the gospel announces better news – Christ not only saves sinners, he keeps sinners.
He intercedes for them. He shepherds them. He disciplines them. He restores them. He completes what he begins in them.
This doctrine gives profound comfort to ordinary Christians.
The exhausted mother trying to raise children in the fear of God. The pastor labouring through discouragement. The elderly saint nearing death. The believer painfully aware of remaining sin.
Our hope is not that we hold tightly enough to Christ. Our hope is that Christ holds tightly enough to us. And he does.
A Final Word
The doctrine of perseverance should never be wielded carelessly. It is not a licence for worldliness. It is not an excuse for complacency. It is not a shortcut around self-examination. (Hmm. Bare denials. We noted at the beginning that we would see if the author demonstrated these things. Well, he didn't.)
But neither should it be surrendered.
In an anxious age filled with instability, this doctrine reminds believers that salvation rests upon the covenant faithfulness (Undefined phrase.)
of God. The believer’s assurance rises and falls emotionally. Circumstances change. Temptations intensify. But Christ remains the same.
And because he remains the same, all who truly belong to him will finally be brought home. As Jesus said “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me.” (John 6:39) (The author closes by misrepresenting a Scripture.
And because he remains the same, all who truly belong to him will finally be brought home. As Jesus said “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me.” (John 6:39) (The author closes by misrepresenting a Scripture.
Too many Christians want to insert themselves into every verse. but Jesus was talking to Jews about Jews:
Not one. Not ultimately. Not forever. The perseverance of the saints is, in the end, the perseverance of the Saviour.
Jn. 6:31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."
These are the forefathers of the Jews, they are not our forefathers. We need to keep in mind Jesus' audience and purpose. He was making statements about the Elect, specifically, the remnant of Jews [Romans 9:27] who were preserved as firstfruits [Romans 11:16]. They are the children of the promise [Romans 9:8], because not all who are Israel are Israel [Romans 9:6].
We gentile believers were previously preordained for destruction [Romans 9:22], but are now grafted in to the promise [Romans 11:17]. We are included when we believe [Ephesians 1:13].)
Not one. Not ultimately. Not forever. The perseverance of the saints is, in the end, the perseverance of the Saviour.
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