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Answer
Perseverance of the saints is the term used to summarize what the Bible teaches about the eternal security of the believer. It addresses the question, “Once a person is saved, can they lose their salvation?” Perseverance of the saints is the P in the acronym TULIP, which is commonly employed to outline the five points of Calvinism. Due to the potential misunderstanding caused by the term “perseverance of the saints,” some individuals prefer phrases like “preservation of the saints,” “eternal security,” or “held by God.” Each of these expressions highlights different aspects of what the Bible teaches regarding the security of the believer. However, as with any biblical doctrine, the crucial aspect is not the label given to the doctrine but how accurately it reflects the teachings of the Bible on that subject. Regardless of the terminology used to denote this significant doctrine, a comprehensive examination of the Bible will demonstrate that, when properly comprehended, it accurately represents the teachings of the Bible.
The simplest way to explain this doctrine is the phrase: “Once saved, always saved.” The Bible asserts that those who are born again will continue to trust in Christ indefinitely. By His own power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God preserves the believer eternally. This marvelous truth is evident in Ephesians 1:13-14, where believers are described as being “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Upon being born again, we receive the promised indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which serves as God’s assurance that He who initiated a good work in us will bring it to completion «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: », (Philippians 1:6). To lose our salvation after receiving the promised Holy Spirit, God would have to break His promise or renege on His “guarantee,” which He cannot do. Therefore, the believer is eternally secure because God is eternally faithful.
Understanding this doctrine truly stems from recognizing the unique and special love that God has for His children. Romans 8:28-39 reveals that 1) no one can bring an accusation against God’s chosen ones; 2) nothing can separate them from the love of Christ; 3) God orchestrates everything for their benefit; and 4) all whom God rescues will be glorified. God cherishes His children (the chosen ones) so profoundly that nothing can sever their connection with Him. This same truth is evident in various other passages of Scripture. In John 10:27-30, Jesus affirms, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 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. I and the Father are one.” Similarly, in John 6:37-47, Jesus states that all those whom the Father entrusts to the Son will come to Him, and He will raise them up on the last day.
Another indication from Scripture of a believer’s eternal security is found in John 5:24, where Jesus declares, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” Note that eternal life is not a future acquisition but a present possession upon belief. By its very essence, eternal life must be everlasting, or it would not be eternal. This passage affirms that if we embrace the gospel, we possess eternal life and will not face judgment; hence, we are eternally secure.
There is scant scriptural support to argueAgainst the eternal security of the believer. While there are a few verses that, if not considered in their context, might give the impression that one could “fall from grace” or lose his salvation, when these verses are carefully considered in context, it is clear that is not the case. Many people know someone who at one time expressed faith in Christ and who might have appeared to be a genuine Christian but later departed from the faith and now wants to have nothing to do with Christ or His church. These people might even deny the very existence of God. For those who do not want to accept what the Bible says about the security of the believer, these types of people are proof that the doctrine of eternal security cannot be right. However, the Bible indicates otherwise, and it teaches that people such as those who profess Christ as Savior at one time only to later walk away and deny Christ were never truly saved in the first place. For example, 1 John 2:19 says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out from us, in order that it might be made manifest that they all are not truly of us.” The Bible is also clear that not everyone who professes to be a Christian truly is. Jesus Himself says that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-22). Rather than proving we can lose our salvation, those people who profess Christ and fall away simply reinforce the importance of testing our salvation to make sure we are in the faith “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”, (2 Corinthians 13:5) and making our calling and election sure by continually examining our lives to make sure we are growing in godliness .”Wherefore, brethren, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.” (2 Peter 1:10)., (2 Peter 1:10).
One common misunderstanding about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is that it may result in “carnal Christians” who think that because they are eternally secure, they can live however they please and still be saved. However, this is a misinterpretation of the doctrine and the teachings of the Bible. A person who believes they can live in any manner they choose simply because they have professed faith in Christ is not displaying genuine saving faith (1 John 2:3-4). Our eternal security is based on the biblical truth that those whom God justifies, He will also glorify (Romans 8:29-30). Those who are saved will indeed be transformed into the likeness of Christ through the process of sanctification “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” , (1 Corinthians 6:11). When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit breaks the chains of sin and gives the believer a new heart and a desire to pursue holiness. Therefore, a genuine Christian will seek to obey God and will feel convicted by the Holy Spirit when they sin. True believers will not live however they please because such conduct is incompatible with someone who has received a new nature “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”, (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Clearly, the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints doesTo accurately reflect what the Bible teaches on this crucial subject, it is essential to understand that if someone is genuinely saved, they have been brought to life by the Holy Spirit and possess a new heart with new desires. It is impossible for someone who has been “born again” to later be “unborn.” Due to His exceptional love for His children, God will safeguard all of His children from harm, and Jesus has assured that He will not lose any of His sheep. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints acknowledges that authentic Christians will always endure and are eternally secure because God ensures their preservation. This doctrine is grounded in the reality that Jesus, the “author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2), is capable of fully saving those whom the Father has entrusted to Him (Hebrews 7:25) and preserving their salvation for all eternity.
