Perseverance of the Saints
Here I will be dealing with what we call the "Perseverance of the Saints." I actually prefer the term "Preservation of the Saints." The reasoning for this is that the saints only persevere because God preserves His elect. Regardless the fact is if one is elected by the Father (Eph. 1:4), atoned for by the Son (Eph. 1:7), and awakened by the Spirit (Jn. 6:63), he will continue in the faith. He cannot fall away from the faith because God keeps His people. (Jude 24) There are so many scriptures that teach this truth that we should be well aware of it. Let's look at some now.
Phil. 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Notice it say's "He" which hath begun the good work. Who is that He? It's God! God began the good work in you if you are one of His elect. You did not just wake up one day and think I'm going to follow Christ today out of your own will. God chooses whom He will save, then He saves them according to His will. (Jn. 1:13; Rom. 9:16) So we can be confident that God saves people. Not only that but it say's He "will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Not you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, but He will. He will work His will in you. (Phil. 2:13) He will not only perform it but He will perform it UNTIL the day of Jesus Christ. Now let's look at another verse.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
We have already looked at this verse for total depravity and irresistible grace. This verse clearly teaches 3 of the 5 doctrines of grace. First "no man can come to me" this is total depravity. Second, "except the Father which sent me draw him" this is irresistible grace. Third, "I will raise him up at the last day" this is perseverance of the saints. How is this perseverance of the saints? Well because it's a clear statement from Christ of something that WILL happen. Christ doesn't say that the one that the Father draws He might raise up at the last day but He will raise him up. There is no doubt about this in the mind of God. This is also clear in what we call the golden chain of redemption, Rom. 8:30.
Rom. 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Notice here that Paul declares that the one's God predestinates, He also calls, He also justifies, he also glorifies. Glorify means taken to Heaven or Glory. (see 1 Tim. 3:16) So in short, the one's that God predestinates are taken to Glory, no question about it. Let's look at a couple more verses though.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I really don't think that I need to expound on this very much. I think it's quite clear that nothing can separate us from Christ! If God places you in His Son you will stay there, there is nothing in existence that can separate you from Christ. Just as Christ declares, "And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." (Jn. 6:39) Also, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (Jn. 10:28-29)
Here are some other verses that teach perseverance.
Psa 138:8; Ecc 3:14; Isa 46:4; Jer 32:40; Rom 11:29; 2Ti 4:18; Heb 7:25; Heb 10:14
