Perseverance of the Saints
(ONCE SAVED - ALWAYS SAVED)
INTRODUCTION:
This is the final point of Calvinism's TULIP. This doctrine is still held by many groups -even though they may deny the other points of Calvinism. The Baptist church is probably the one that you have met most often that want to discuss this point. I still believe that logically this MUST be associated with the other points of Calvinism. If God will save only the elect, and ALL those whom Jesus died for MUST be saved, and the Holy Spirit irresistibly converts ALL,of these "elect" - then God must "guarantee" their salvation. If God is the only one that has anything to say about their salvation (excluding even themselves) then it would seem sure that they would be saved - God said so. What is overlooked in this is the concept of man's responsibility and ability. Calvinism denies BOTH. Man not only is said to have no ability to hear and obey the gospel (apart from the irresistible work of the Spirit) - but he has no ability to ever turn from such after being saved. Since then it is the work of the Spirit that decides his action, he also loses his responsibility for his actions. How is this doctrine taught? Let us again read some of their statements.
1. "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." (Westminister Confession of Faith, Chapter 17)
2. "Or in other words we believe that those who once become true Christians cannot totally fall away and be lost, - that while they may fall into sin temporarily, they will eventually return and be saved.
"This doctrine does not stand alone but is a necessary part of the Calvinistic system of theology. The doctrines of Election and Efficacious Grace logically imply the certain salvation of those who receive these blessings. If God has chosen men absolutely and unconditionally to eternal life, and if His Spirit effectively applies to them the benefits of redemption, the inescapable conclusion is that these persons shall be saved. And) historically, this doctrine have been held by all Calvinists, and denied by practically all Armenians" (Loraine Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, p. 182).
3. "We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul. The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul....All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay) all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger....the way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul....The way I live has nothing whatsoever to do with the salvation of my soul" (Sam Morris, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Stamford, Texas, in a tract entitled, "Do A Christian's Sins Damn His Soul?").
4. "Baptists teach that a child of God can do anything he wants and go to heaven anyhow" (Dr. Albert Garner, Baptist Editor, Former President of Baptist Seminary, Lakeland, Florida, Kelly-Garner Debate, p. 116).
One of the dangers of denying this doctrine is that we are thought to be teaching the PROBABILITY of apostasy. Let us be careful here - for while we deny the IMPOSSIBILITY of one falling away, we also deny the PROBABILITY of one falling away. What I affirm is the POSSIBILITY of apostasy.
There are also some things that we are accused of when teaching against this doctrine.
1. We are accused of denying the power of God. This is not true. The power of God to save is said to have been put in the gospel (Rom. 1:16). We are then kept "by the power of God" -but that is said to be "through faith" (cp. 1 Pet. 1:5) - and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Such faith may fail - 1 Tim. 1:5,6; 1:19; 4:1; 5:8,12; 6:21; 2 Tim. 2:18; Lk. 22:32).
2. We are accused of denying God's faithfulness. That is not the question. He is faithful - 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Tim. 1:12). His faithfulness however does not negate the responsibility of man nor does is guarantee man's faithfulness (2 Tim. 2:12,13; Rev. 2:10; Jas. 1:12).
3. We are accused of denying God's love. His love will not die (Rom. 8:38,39). However, we
must "keep ourselves in the love of God" (Jude 21). God loved us WHILE WE WERE SINNERS (i.e., before we were saved) - but we were still lost due to sin. God will continue to love us - but we may yet be lost because of sin!
We recognize the power of God, the faithfulness of God, and the love of God. What we are pointing out is that man still has not only the responsibility of serving God - he has the ability to either continue serving or quit serving. This doctrine removes both his ability and his consequent responsibility.