CLOGHER VALLEY CLOGHER VALLEY BIBLE CLASSBIBLE CLASS

THE REFORMED FAITHTHE REFORMED FAITH

A STUDY IN

THEOLOGY AND DOCTRINE

TULIPT otal Depravity of Man

U nconditional Election

L imited Atonement or Particular Redemption

I rresistible Grace or

Effectual Calling

P erseverance of the Saints or

Eternal Security

TULIP

P ERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS

THE MEANING OF THIS DOCTRINE

Professor Louis Berkhof

“The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is to the effect that they whom God has regenerated and effectually called to a state of grace, can neither totally nor finally fall away from that state, but shall certainly persevere therein to the

end and be eternally saved”

Systematic Theology, Banner of Truth, Page 545

IMPLICATIONS OF THIS DEFINITION

1: Election and regeneration are irreversible

2: Those who are effectually called cannot fall from that grace

3: They will persevere in their profession of faith

4: They will be finally and eternally saved

DANGERS OF MISUNDERSTANDING THE DOCTRINE

1. That this perseverance is dependent upon the activity of man in holiness.

2. Berkhof points out that Reformed theologians argue “that the believer would fall away if left to himself” (Page 546)

3. The work of man is neither the sole nor fundamental factor in this perseverance.

BERKHOF’S CAREFULLY GUARDED DEFINITION

“It is strictly speaking, not man but God whoperseveres. Perseverance may be defined as

that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit inthe believer, by which the work of divine

grace that is begun in the heart, is continuedand brought to completion. It is because God

never forsakes His work that believers continue to stand to the very end”

Systematic Theology, Banner of Truth, Page 546

1: God perseveres with man

2: This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the elect

3: God’s people need this perfecting and purifying influence because they will never be sinless in this life

4: Without the continual operation of the Holy Ghost we could persevere and would therefore be lost forever

5: The faithfulness of God is the basis of this doctrine

CLARIFYING THE DOCTRINE

THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION CHAPTER 17

Section One

“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”

(John 10:28, 29; Phil.1:6; 1Peter1:5, 9; 2Peter 1:10; 1John 3:9).

THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION CHAPTER 17

Section 2“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 (Jer.31:3; 2Tim. 2:18,19); upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of

Jesus Christ (Luke 22:32; John 17:11,24; Rom. 8:33-39; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 9:12-15; Heb. 10:10, 10:14; 13:20, 13:21); the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them (John 14:16, 17;

1John 2:27; 3:9); and the nature of the covenant of grace (Jer. 32:40): from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility

thereof (John 10:28; 2Th. 3:3; 1John 2:19).”

THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION CHAPTER 17

Section 3“Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the

world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins

(Mat. 26:70,72, 74); and, for a time, continue therein (Psalms 51:14 and title): whereby they incur God’s displeasure (2Sam. 11:27; Isa.

64:5, 7, 9), and grieve His Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30), come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts (Psalms 51:8, 10, 12; Son. 5:2-4, 6; Rev. 2:4), have their hearts hardened

(Isa. 36:17; Mark 6:52; Mark 16:14), and their consciences wounded (Psalms 32:3, 4; Psalms 51:8), hurt and scandalize others

(2Sam. 12:14), and bring temporal judgments upon themselves (Psalms 89:31, 89:32; 1Corinthians 11:32).”

P.B. POWER ON JOHN 6:37“Can we imagine the blessed Jesus thus deliberately thrusting any earnest soul intothe very Jaws of Death? Can we imagine His deliberately giving the devil such a

terrible and eternal triumph as this? Oh! If Jesus were to cast out a single soul thatcame to Him, in repentance and belief; I can well believe that that soul wouldhenceforth be the greatest phenomenon of the land of perdition-the strangest

curiosity of hell. All would understand, how the murderer and adulterer fell into the land of woe; how the impenitent and unbelieving dropped into the lake of fire;

but how came this man there? Who can solve the riddle of his being damned? There is not a devil that would not look upon him with wonder; the archfiend himself would

confess, that this man’s being lost, was a greater mystery than all others being saved; the devil’s choicest treasure would be this rejected soul.

And cannot we imagine the use he would make of it; how he would make himself master of all the circumstances of its rejection; how he would chronicle carefully all its sighs and tears; its timid trial;

and its fierce repulse; and then, how he would go forth topoor perishing sinners, and tell them, that he knew for a fact that Jesus did not receive

everyone that came to Him.” (The I Wills of Christ, page 57,58)

PERSEVERANCE NOT SECURITY

• The Perseverance of the Saints does supply the believer with eternal security

• The term eternal security minimises the persevering which is an essential characteristic of Christianity and plays into the hands of the enemies of this precious truth

THE CHALLENGE OF THIS DOCTRINE

• Those who are elect will manifest the marks of holiness, Eph. 1:4-6

• Those who possess the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5:16-26

• The Spirit’s persevering work gives us desires for godliness and the ripening of this fruit

• These desires produce assurance in our hearts, 2 Peter 1:3-10

• In so doing we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, working out what God by his grace has already worked in, Philippians 2:12-13

ROME’S VIEW OF THIS DOCTRINE

“If anyone maintain that a man once justified

cannot lose grace, and, therefore that he who

falls and sins never was truly justified let him

be accursed”

Council of Trent

THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF THIS DOCTRINE

Arminian theology emphasises the will of manTherefore:

A Election is conditional upon man’s choiceB Man wills himself to commit acts of sin

C Man in his natural state is able to chose GodD The atonement makes salvation possible for those who

decide to exercise faithE The human will is one of the causes of regeneration

F There is no common grace, the same grace is extended to all men but is resisted by some and accepted by others

THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF THIS DOCTRINE

The theology of the will and perseverance

A regenerated believer may chose to:

A Become conformed to the divine life by becoming entirely sanctified

Or

B Fall from grace and be lost forever

THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF THIS DOCTRINE

Inherent problems with Arminianism1. The emphasis upon the will dethrones a sovereign God2. It blatantly flies in the face the multitude of promises extended to

the church3. The teaching on entire sanctification compels believers to look to

self as opposed to Christ and produces a terrible bondage4. To claim sinless perfection has the appearance of being proud and

absurd as well as being unscriptural5. As this teaching is dependant on the human will no-one can be

saved and heaven will be empty because no man could keep himself in grace even if he could attain such a blessed place by his own choice alone

THE ARMINIAN VIEW OF THIS DOCTRINE

Arminians Attack This Doctrine As Encouraging Antinomianism

1. Antinomianism is the teaching that New Testament Christians can live without the Law of God

2. Arminians therefore claim that if all Christians will be in heaven then there is no incentive to live godly in this world

3. This is a clear misrepresentation of this doctrine because those who are elect will persevere through the perseverance of the Spirit who produces his fruit in the heart and life

4. Therefore a professor of faith who thinks he has a license to sin does not have the Holy Spirit and is not converted

CAN CAVNINISTS LEARN FROM ARMINIANS?

1. The zeal and passion which some Arminians have displayed in their quest for holiness is most inspiring (eg William Booth, Oswald Chambers). We may not believe in absolute holiness but we should seek to be as perfect as it is possible for a sinner saved by grace to be (Robert Murray McCheyne)

2. In some instances Arminianism is an over reaction to a dead Calvinism which fails to extend its doctrine to the life. In a case such as this fellowship with a living Arminian would be more beneficial

3. Calvinists do not comfort the backslider with the hope of heaven. While people do backslide the genuine believer always repents because of the persevering spirit. We must not give false hope to an unrepentant backslider

4. Evangelical Arminians are our brothers in the Lord and while we reject their interpretation of doctrine we must at all times seek to exercise love and grace

ANSWERING THE ALLEGED ARMINIAN PROOF TEXTS

Galatians 5:4 “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you

are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”

1. Paul was addressing people who had rejected Christ2. They had espoused justification by works as opposed

to justification through faith in Christ3. Therefore they fell from the grace of the gospel that

was offered to them. They had never embraced the Saviour to begin with. If they professed then the profession was false

ANSWERING THE ALLEGED ARMINIAN PROOF TEXTS

Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have

tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an

open shame.

Hebrews 10:26For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the

truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

THE HEBREW WARNINGS

1. As apostates are people are people who have professed the faith and who repudiate their profession the people inthese verses were never saved

2. They were enlightened and they tasted but the gospel never made a powerful impact upon their lives

3. Putting Christ to an open shame would indicate that these people sinned in a way that was impossible for a true child of God

4. Sinning wilfully refers to a professing believer turning his back on his profession and transgressing without regard to conscience and conviction

THE HEBREW WARNINGS

1. As these warnings were given to the church we should take them seriously

2. We should seek the fruit of the spirit in our lives3. We should fear turning our back upon Christ4. These warnings were used by Paul to inspire

God’s people to pay greater attention to their perseverance

5. Taken within the context of the many verses which teach the perseverance of the saints this is the only scriptural interpretation

FINALLY1. Our perseverance is based upon the actions of a

sovereign and loving God

2. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to persevere

3. This doctrine teaches us that we must be serious about our Christianity in cultivating godliness in our lives

4. This doctrine supplies us with a great and glorious comfort and hope. We suffer for our perseverance in this life, but great will be our reward in heaven

5. This doctrine is a vital aspect of our assurance