The Perseverance of the Saints
0 Amens
John 10:22-30
May 27, 2007
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at
Introduction
If you want to get into a debate with another Christian then just bring up the subject of the perseverance of the saints. With that title they may not know immediately what you are speaking of but if you use this terminology; eternal security or once saved always saved then the debate will probably begin.
I had a friend in college that was from a more charismatic tradition and he and I spent hours debating the gifts of the Spirit and the hot button issue, eternal security.
Let me say with all humility that ten years ago as I was arguing this doctrine I came down on the right side, the biblical side, but my journey to that conclusion was the wrong road entirely.
Historically there have been two streams of thought concerning perseverance of the saints. The first thought is that a true believer will continue in the faith not by their own effort but by God’s preserving grace. The second stream states that just as a person chose to believe and be saved they can likewise choose either by outright choice or by sinning to disbelieve the Gospel and plunge themselves into eternal perdition.
But over the last one hundred or so years a third hybrid has reared its head. This hybrid is found today in most evangelical churches. They believe in a doctrine that is called once saved always saved. How they arrive at “saved” is very strange theologically speaking. Calvinists and Arminians do not appreciate this hybrid theology. The folks who hold to this probably taught you this same doctrine.
These folks whom RC Sproul has called, probably correctly, semi-Pelagians do not believe in Total Depravity. Like the Arminians they believe that man has been wounded in the Fall but still has some spiritual life and vitality to choose to do good. They do not in any way, shape, or form believe in Unconditional Election. You will hear these preachers say things like, “I don’t believe in election” or “Everyone is elect.” They are not Universalists and for the most part believe in eternal punishment in Hell for those who reject the Gospel. They do not hold to Limited Atonement. They believe that Christ’s death only made it possible for men to be saved. They do not hold to Irresistible Grace and believe that anyone can reject the most overwhelming advance by the Holy Spirit. At this point most of you are thinking that these people just sound like classic Arminians but wait.
These believe that it is an act of man’s will to accept Christ or to reject Christ and that it is ultimately up to that person to choose or reject salvation. They believe in a free will. But once that person, acting upon their own free will, accepts Christ they are eternally secure in Christ and can not lose their salvation even if they wanted to. In their theology God would never infringe upon human freedom and as 1 Peter 1:3 says “cause us to be born again.” God would never overstep the boundary of the free will of man and violate that will by irresistible grace. Here is the illogical proposition of this theology. Once a person is saved by choosing to accept Christ then there is no way that God will allow that person to be lost even if they desire it or show no spiritual fruit. God does in “once saved always saved” violate human free will in keeping someone saved. This is how most of you have probably been taught. But this is a very illogical system of theology.
At least the Arminians are logical. They hold to the freedom of the human will throughout their theology. Man chooses to be saved or to be lost apart from an act of God. God would never cause anyone to do anything that would violate their will, not even in eternal security. That is logical.
Calvinism or the Doctrines of Grace teaches that God is ultimately and fully sovereign over the entire universe including the affairs of man. Man is totally depraved and unable to do any spiritual good because they are dead in sins and trespasses as a result of the Fall. God, in His sovereign goodness, has unconditionally elected some individuals to salvation. Unconditional election means that God did not foresee any inherent goodness in these people but chose them out of His own good pleasure. Because God elected them in spite of their depravity, the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and offered Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of God’s elect people of all time. The Atonement is limited not in its worth but in its God intended effectiveness.
Because God chose and Christ secured the salvation of God’s elect people, the Holy Spirit of God applies that salvation to the elect by regenerating a dead sinner to life giving him or her the ability to repent and believe the Gospel message. We saw that last week in 1 Corinthians 1:17-25. To the lost the message of the cross is foolishness but to the elect the message is the power and wisdom of God. It is in this chain that we come to the doctrine of the perseverance or preservation of the saints.
It would be helpful here to say what this doctrine is not. This doctrine will offer no help to a person who is resting on some spurious confession of faith. Put no trust at all in a time where you may have walked to the front of a church building to make a decision for Christ. We are not and can not be saved by any decision that we make in or out of church. Our salvation is ultimately God’s decision and we must look to Him for our security. Listen to Romans 8:12-17.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Notice that the text said nothing about making a public decision or walking to the front of the church and hearing a pastor or evangelist proclaim you saved eternally. It did not say that if you prayed a prayer and meant it sincerely from your heart that you should have security. It did not say, children, that if your mom and dad are Christians you can be secure. This verse teaches that security of salvation is a supernatural gift. It is the Spirit of God bearing witness with our spirit and telling us that we indeed are God’s children. A mere profession of faith does not guarantee a possession of saving faith in anyone.
The Spirit must bear witness with us that we are children of God and Paul makes it clear in that passage that if you are walking in the flesh and not putting to death the deeds of the flesh then you can make no real claim to Christ. But if God is doing the work of ongoing sanctification in your life then you can make a claim to salvation. I said in a previous sermon that the best way to know if you are truly elect is to ask yourself whether or not you are still desirous of God’s mercy offered in Christ. If you feel that you have no need of God’s continual mercy then you can not be truly saved.
So understand that as we dive into this doctrine this morning that Perseverance of the Saints, by its very name, implies that it is only the saints who will persevere. This is not the modern idea of once saved always saved. The Bible is chocked full of people who made a profession of faith but when the rubber met the road their conversion did not last. Aninias and Sapphira come to mind who lied to the Holy Spirit. Simon the Sorcerer whom Peter baptized offered money to be able to lay hands on someone and give them the Holy Spirit. Peter told him that he and his money should perish together. We have Demas who was with the Apostle Paul and he tells us later that Demas, having loved this present world has left him for another city.
Plus we have a plethora of passages that teach us to walk carefully in this life. The reality is this: There are many in our day and in church history who make professions of faith who do not actually possess faith. Jesus made it clear that there would be tares among the wheat. So we have warning passages aplenty.
We are told in several passages that we are to stand firm in the faith. Others tell us that we are to continue in the faith. We are to show the utmost care and determination in making our calling and election sure. Listen to Colossians 1:21-23.
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,
2 Corinthians 13:5 says, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
Purpose
So this morning as we embark on understanding this doctrine of perseverance of the saints you will not only test this doctrine against the revelation of Scripture but will also test yourself to make sure that you indeed are a saint.
PNP
This morning from our text, I want you to see two reasons that we believe in the perseverance and preservation of the elect of God.
1. Because of Christ the elect will persevere unto salvation.
2. Because of Christ the elect will be preserved unto salvation.
Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ the Bible can speak in several places of our eternal salvation being eternally secured in Christ in the past tense. Romans 8 immediately comes to mind. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Romans 8:29-30 (NASB)
So look with me at these two reasons we believe in the perseverance and preservation of the elect of God.
1. Because of Christ the elect will persevere unto salvation.
Notice verses 22-27.
22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at
The Feast of Dedication is the modern day Hanukkah celebration. It commemorated the regaining and cleansing of the temple by Judas Maccabeas on the 18th of December from the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanies. He defiled the temple by sacrificing a pig on the alter of God and then making a broth from the flesh of the pig that he sprinkled all over the temple instruments.
Last week we looked briefly at this passage and we saw the question that the jews asked the Lord. Look at verses 24-26.
24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.
All of the miracles that the Lord had done should have been plain to them that this was the Messiah. But they did not believe and the Lord Jesus makes it very clear why they did not believe. Look at verse 26 again.
but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.
These are the ones who heard the Gospel message and tripped over it. They rejected the idea of a suffering meek Messiah. They wanted another Judas Maccabeas to come in and deliver them from
When we embark on understanding the doctrine of perseverance of the saints it helps greatly to understand what we saw last week in irresistible grace. Irresistible grace teaches that the elect of God will be irresistibly drawn to Christ for salvation by the Holy Spirit and in that process of effectual calling they will have a changed heart and come most willing and happily. The stubborn sin depraved will of the elect of God is changed to a heart that is willing to believe and repent and live for the Lord because the elect see the beauty, goodness, wisdom, and power in the Gospel. The unelect do not see that because they cannot see it because it is spiritually discerned or probably better understood as God given understanding.
So these who did not believe were not the Lord’s sheep. Look again at verse 26.
but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.
Now for the distinction. Look at verse 27.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
We must ask the question here, why do some hear the voice of the Lord Jesus and others do not? It is because of God’s sovereign decree of unconditional election. These hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and they follow Him. They are drawn sovereignly to the voice of the Lord and they willingly come.
There are three present active verbs in verse 27. These verbs describe those who will persevere. First they hear the voice of the Lord. Then they are known by the Lord. And finally they are following the Lord. Here is where the doctrine of persevering comes into play.
No one said it would be easy to follow the Lord. As a matter of fact the Lord Himself said it would be very difficult. Hold your place here in John 10 and turn over to Luke 14.
Look starting in verse 25.
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
To follow the Good Shepherd can be very difficult. It will cost you everything. He takes up His rightful ownership over His sheep and because He is the Good Shepherd His enemy, Satan, will attack His sheep.
Satan will attack the sheep to try to carry them away. It could be through sin and it could be through trial and persecution. The enemy seeks to destroy our faith in Christ and cause us to fall away. Demas, Anninias and Sapphirah, Simon the Sorcerer all fell victim to the wiles of the devil.
Remember 1 Peter 5:8-9?
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
This is why it is so important for us to stick close to the shepherd. The Shepherd is our protector and our master and if we rebel against the Shepherd and try to go our own way, that is when we get in spiritual trouble. This is the human side of perseverance. We are commanded by Scripture to not neglect ourselves in the process of salvation. We are to follow the Lord in humble obedience. We are to endure trials and tribulation. We are to cast of sinfulness and mortify or put to death our flesh in ongoing sanctification. We are to hear the voice of the Lord continually through His Word.
What about when we fail? What about when we mess up so bad we think, “God could never forgive me!” What about when the trials of life overwhelm us to the point where we just want to die? How in the world can we really on the weakness of our own faith in the Lord when the tsunami of life pours in on us? How can we resist the temptations that we all face that seem to be tailor made to our personalities? How can faith survive the onslaught of the enemy?
We have seen that because of Christ the elect will persevere unto salvation. Now I want to answer the question that I just raised. How can our weak faith survive the onslaught of the enemy? And that is point 2.
2. Because of Christ the elect will be preserved unto salvation.
Look at verse 28.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
There are three promises in this passage.
1. We are given eternal life. We did not earn eternal life we are granted eternal life. So when the onslaught of the enemy comes we rest and trust in the fact that we have been given eternal life by the Lord. Why can we trust this statement? After all, anyone can make this statement. I could say to you that I give you eternal life but if eternal life is not mine to give then it means nothing. It is mere words.
Remember Matthew 9 where the paralytic was brought to the Lord? Listen as I read verses 2-7.
And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son ; your sins are forgiven." 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes." 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'? 6 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—then He said* to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." 7 And he got up and went home.
The Lord Jesus proved his ability and authority to forgive sins by healing this man so he could walk. He proved his authority and ability to grant eternal life by dying on the cross and rising again on the third day. All the miracles, work, and claims that the Lord Jesus made are tied to the truth of the resurrection. That is why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15 that if Christ is not raised from the dead then we are men most to be pitied.
Those in the First century world would have understood what Jesus was saying completely. They knew that the safety of the sheep was inseperable from the character and ability of the shepherd. If a shepherd was worthless and lazy then many sheep would die at the fangs of predators or disease. But the Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the one who will protect His flock. He is the one who heals His flock from diseases. He is the one who watches over His flock and here he says he gives them eternal life.
Then the Lord strengthens His statement. Look at verse 28.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
2. We will never perish.
Here in John’s text we have an emphatic double negative. In Southern English this should translate, “and they ain’t never ever going to perish no way no how.” The elect are His sheep and the Lord laid down His life for the sheep. That is why the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:31-39.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised , who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And then the kockout punch comes in the third promise. Look at verse 28 again.
3. We will never be snatched from the Lord’s Hand.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.Why can the Lord Jesus be so sure of this? Look at verses 29-30.
29 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. 30 I and the Father are one.”
My Father, the One that is the creator, the one who is over all and sovereign has done some amazing things in this verse. Don’t miss this.
1. The Father has given these sheep to His Son.
2. The Father is greater than all.
3. No one, and the Lord means no one can snatch these sheep from His hands. Satan on his best day is no formidable opponent to the Lord. As Luther wrote in “A Mighty Fortress” one single word shall fell him.
4. Here is where it all ties together. Jesus says, “I and the Father are One.”
They will not be taken or removed from the Lord Jesus because they are His and He and the Father protect them.
How much more security can you possibly need? You can’t be a car, home, life, or health insurance policy with this type of guarantee.
Conclusion
We can persevere and we are preserved unto life eternal because of Christ and only because of Him. Our security has nothing to do with us. Our security rests in Christ. That is why the Scripture commands us to believe in Christ. To look to Christ. Because there is no salvation anywhere else. There is no security in looking at yourself and your holiness. It is looking at Christ and His holiness. That is your only hope. That is the hope of the world.
So what if this morning you have bee trusting in a decision that you made at some point to accept Christ? Do you trust that decision? No. You trust Christ. You continue to look to Him for your security. You can not be some sort of spiritual bean counter where you measure what you used to do by what you now do.
So what are the benefits of this doctrine? Is it so we can willfully sin and do what we want because we can be assured of our salvation? Absolutely not and if anyone thinks that they have serious reason to doubt their eternal salvation. This doctrine is so we will be confident in Christ. This doctrine is so we can walk through this life and be pressured from the attacks of the evil one. It is so we can endure trial, tribulation, persecution, and temptation. It so we who often stumble can be renewed by confession to Christ and receive again the joy of our salvation.
So what if you are not sure if you are truly a believer? Can you be sure? Yes, but maybe not today. Seek the Lord until He has granted you security. It could take hours, days, weeks, or even years but security of salvation will be worth every second you invest.
So look to Christ and find your security. But look nowhere else.
Let’s pray.
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