Things New and Old: Perseverance of the saints in the State of Grace

Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things" 2Ti 2:7.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Perseverance of the saints in the State of Grace

What is guaranteed?
Kept in the state of grace, or
kept in a life of faith and holiness to the end?

- Those whom God, by His power and grace alone, has called out of their native state of sin and death to that state of grace and eternal salvation in Christ Jesus, He shall also, by the same power and grace keep them in that state of grace.

- Such "can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere (i.e. remain) therein [i.e. the state of grace] to the end, and be eternally saved."

- "This perseverance of the saints in the state of grace 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 and union with Him, the oath of God, the abiding of His Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof."

The perfections of God guarantee the saints remaining in the state of grace unto eternal glory: (Gill, BoD book 6, chapter 15)

- The immutability of God guarantees it
- The wisdom of God guarantees it
- The power of God guarantees it
- The goodness, grace and mercy of God guarantees it
- The justice of God guarantees it
- The faithfulness of God guarantees it

The perseverance of the saints in the state of grace is guaranteed by God.

The perseverance of the saints in the state of grace is DIFFERENT from the perseverance of the saints in a life of faith and holiness. Too many - both calvinists and their cousins arminians - do not know the difference. Biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.

The former is guaranteed, the latter is not. Saints are exhorted to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Many saints fail to do so... choosing a wide-gate/broad-road discipleship... thus making shipwreck of their faith but none fall from the state of grace.

To deny the perseverance of the saints in the state of grace is a repudiation of God's perfections.

To insist on the perseverance of the saints in a life of faith and holiness to the end is a fiction that denies the facts of Scriptures, and is injurious to God's saints!

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913 + 1828) on Perseverance (Page: 1069)
3. (Theol.) Continuance in a state of grace until it is succeeded by a state of glory; sometimes called final perseverance, and the perseverance of the saints. It is 'continuance in the state of grace... unto glory'! This has been perverted into 'in a life of faith and holiness to the end.'

God's children have the evil propensity for degrading the gospel of grace alone into a gospel of grace PLUS works. "Grace ALONE" in its purity is so contrary to man. They must somehow sneak in their works somewhere in connection with their ...eternal salvation. They would not have their eternal salvation by free grace alone... though they rave and rant about it!

Perverting the perseverance of the saints in the state of grace into the perseverance of the saints in a life of faith and holiness to the end is a classic example of that.