Perseverance of the Saints: Assurance of Salvation

 

Summary

In reflecting on the enduring question of whether a truly converted person can lose their salvation, I draw from my experiences with Young Life and the broader Christian community. The concern often arises when individuals, once fervent in their faith, seem to abandon it, especially during transitions like moving from high school to college. The core belief I uphold is that those genuinely converted will not lose their salvation. This conviction is rooted in the understanding that if one truly possesses salvation, it cannot be lost; conversely, if it is lost, it was never truly possessed.

The parable of the sower, as told by Jesus, illustrates this concept well. The seed that falls on good soil represents those whose hearts have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, ensuring that their faith endures. This aligns with the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, which asserts that God will complete the good work He begins in believers. However, this doctrine is not without its challenges, as some scriptural passages, like Hebrews 6, seem to suggest the possibility of falling away. Yet, upon closer examination, these passages often address those who are part of the visible church but not truly regenerate.

The distinction between genuine conversion and mere association with Christian institutions is crucial. It's possible for individuals to be deeply involved in church activities without experiencing true conversion. This is why the perseverance of the saints is not about human effort but about God's preservation. Our confidence lies not in our ability to remain faithful but in God's promise to sustain us. The intercessory work of Christ, as seen in His prayer for Peter, assures us that even when we falter, we are not lost if we belong to Him.

Key Takeaways:

1. True conversion is marked by a transformation of the heart, not just outward participation in religious activities. This transformation ensures that one's faith endures, as it is rooted in the work of the Holy Spirit, not human effort. [03:46]

2. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints emphasizes God's role in preserving believers. Our confidence in salvation rests on God's promises and the intercessory work of Christ, not on our own strength or dedication. [22:27]

3. Scriptural warnings about falling away often address those who are part of the visible church but not truly regenerate. These warnings serve as a call to examine the authenticity of one's faith and reliance on Christ. [11:47]

4. The parable of the sower highlights the importance of the condition of one's heart. Only those whose hearts are transformed by the Holy Spirit will produce lasting fruit, demonstrating the enduring nature of true faith. [03:20]

5. The distinction between perseverance and preservation is significant. While perseverance implies human effort, preservation highlights God's active role in sustaining believers, ensuring that they remain in His grace. [22:54]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - The Question of "Tubing It"
[01:07] - Can True Believers Lose Salvation?
[02:20] - Conversion to Institutions vs. Christ
[03:20] - The Parable of the Sower
[04:19] - Catholic and Reformed Views on Salvation
[06:01] - The Doctrine of Perseverance
[07:08] - Paul's Confidence in God's Work
[08:16] - Scriptural Warnings and Interpretations
[09:21] - Hebrews 6: A Complex Passage
[11:25] - Wheat and Tares: The Mixed Church
[13:04] - Genuine Repentance and Regeneration
[14:34] - The Context of Hebrews
[16:19] - Ad Hominem Arguments in Scripture
[19:39] - Judas vs. Peter: A Study in Falls
[22:27] - Preservation Over Perseverance

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Philippians 1:6 - "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
2. Hebrews 6:4-6 - "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."
3. Luke 8:4-15 - The Parable of the Sower

Observation Questions:
1. What does Philippians 1:6 suggest about God's role in the life of a believer? How does this relate to the concept of perseverance? [07:08]
2. In the Parable of the Sower, what are the different types of soil, and what do they represent in terms of faith and conversion? [03:20]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between genuine conversion and mere association with Christian institutions? [02:20]
4. What warning does Hebrews 6:4-6 provide, and how does it challenge the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints? [09:21]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints provide assurance to believers, and what role does God's promise play in this assurance? [22:27]
2. In what ways does the Parable of the Sower illustrate the enduring nature of true faith, and how can this parable be applied to evaluate one's own faith journey? [03:20]
3. How does the sermon address the apparent contradiction between the assurance of salvation and the warnings found in Hebrews 6? [14:34]
4. What is the significance of the distinction between perseverance and preservation, and how does this affect a believer's understanding of their faith journey? [22:27]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own faith journey. Have there been times when you felt like the seed that fell on rocky or thorny ground? How did you overcome those challenges? [03:20]
2. How can you ensure that your faith is rooted in a genuine conversion rather than mere participation in church activities? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Christ? [02:20]
3. In what ways can you rely more on God's promise and less on your own strength to persevere in your faith? How can this shift in focus impact your daily life? [22:27]
4. Consider the warnings in Hebrews 6. How can you use these warnings as a motivation to examine the authenticity of your faith and reliance on Christ? [09:21]
5. How can you support others in your community who may be struggling with their faith, ensuring they feel encouraged and not judged? What practical steps can you take to be a source of support? [21:52]
6. Reflect on the intercessory work of Christ as described in the sermon. How does knowing that Christ intercedes for you change your perspective on challenges you face in your faith journey? [21:17]
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel you need God's preservation. How can you actively seek His guidance and support in this area this week? [22:27]

Devotional

Day 1: True Conversion Transforms the Heart
True conversion is not merely about outward participation in religious activities but involves a profound transformation of the heart. This transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit, ensuring that one's faith endures beyond mere human effort. When a person is truly converted, their faith is deeply rooted in the spiritual renewal brought about by the Holy Spirit, which manifests in a life that bears lasting fruit. This enduring faith is not dependent on personal strength but on the divine work within, which sustains and nurtures the believer's spiritual journey. [03:46]

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV): "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you have been relying on your own strength rather than the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring about true change in this area today?


Day 2: God's Role in Preserving Believers
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints emphasizes that it is God who preserves believers, not their own efforts. Our confidence in salvation rests on God's promises and the intercessory work of Christ, who continually advocates for us. This assurance is not based on our ability to remain faithful but on God's unwavering commitment to complete the good work He has begun in us. As believers, we can find peace in knowing that our salvation is secure in God's hands, and His grace is sufficient to sustain us through all challenges. [22:27]

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt your faith wavering. How can you remind yourself of God's promises and Christ's intercessory work to find assurance in your salvation today?


Day 3: Examining the Authenticity of Faith
Scriptural warnings about falling away often address those who are part of the visible church but not truly regenerate. These warnings serve as a call to examine the authenticity of one's faith and reliance on Christ. It is possible to be involved in church activities without experiencing true conversion. Therefore, believers are encouraged to reflect on their spiritual journey and ensure that their faith is genuine, rooted in a personal relationship with Christ rather than mere association with religious institutions. [11:47]

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV): "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

Reflection: Take a moment to evaluate your faith journey. Are there areas where you have been relying on religious activities rather than a personal relationship with Christ? How can you deepen your reliance on Him today?


Day 4: The Condition of the Heart
The parable of the sower highlights the importance of the condition of one's heart in receiving and nurturing the word of God. Only those whose hearts are transformed by the Holy Spirit will produce lasting fruit, demonstrating the enduring nature of true faith. This parable serves as a reminder that the state of our hearts determines our spiritual growth and fruitfulness. Believers are encouraged to cultivate a heart that is receptive to God's word and open to the transformative work of the Holy Spirit. [03:20]

Hosea 10:12 (ESV): "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you."

Reflection: What steps can you take to cultivate a heart that is receptive to God's word and open to the Holy Spirit's transformation? How can you ensure that your heart remains good soil for spiritual growth?


Day 5: Preservation Over Perseverance
The distinction between perseverance and preservation is significant. While perseverance implies human effort, preservation highlights God's active role in sustaining believers, ensuring that they remain in His grace. This understanding shifts the focus from our ability to endure to God's faithfulness in preserving us. Believers can find comfort in knowing that their spiritual journey is not solely dependent on their strength but is upheld by God's unwavering grace and commitment to their salvation. [22:54]

1 Peter 1:5 (ESV): "Who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

Reflection: In what ways have you been relying on your own efforts to persevere in your faith? How can you shift your focus to trust in God's preserving power and grace today?

Quotes


And of course the position that I would teach Young Life at that time and which I would teach today is that those who are genuinely converted will not tube it, will not lose their salvation, because we believe that if you have it you never lose it. And if you lose it, you never had it. [00:01:25]

Now again, this does not preclude the possibility of people making an exciting profession of faith, become deeply immersed and involved in the life of the church or in some Christian organization only later to leave the church and disavow their Christian faith and stay that way until their life's end, because it's very easy for people to become converted to institutions and miss a genuine conversion to Christ. [00:01:59]

And that can be true of any vital church; that it can be so sensitive to people's needs, so inviting and so appealing that people will come for a season to that. Jesus told the parable of the sower. He told about the seed that fell among thorns or that fell upon the shallow ground that sprang up quickly but as soon as the sun came out, it withered and died or was choked out by the thorns. [00:03:12]

And the point of that parable, I believe, is that the only seed that lasts is the seed that is sown in the good earth. And that good earth is the transfigured or transformed soul that has been regenerated by God the Holy Spirit. Now, again, we understand the doctrine of what's called the perseverance of the saints speaks directly to this question, "Can we lose our salvation?" [00:03:41]

The Reformed faith believed not only in the perseverance of the saints as a logical deduction from the doctrine of election, which indeed it is. If God elects people from all eternity, then certainly the elect will remain elect forever. But of course that raises the question, "Can a non-elect person come to a state of faith?" Reformers would say, "No, and that only the elect come to faith in the first place." [00:05:52]

Here Paul expresses his apostolic confidence that what Christ has started, Christ will finish. And He is called the Author and the Finisher. We are the craftsmanship of Christ and to put it bluntly if not crassly, Christ doesn't make any junk. When Christ crafts a person for conformity to His image, he doesn't have to throw away the product at the end of the crafting labor. [00:07:33]

Now, here we have a very serious, solemn warning saying that it is impossible to restore a second time to salvation those people who have crucified Christ afresh. Now, this text surely seems to suggest that there were in fact people in the Hebrew Christian community to which the author writes here who have fallen away, and who had crucified Christ. [00:09:52]

Remember that Jesus speaks of His church as being a place where there is an abundance of both wheat and tares. That it's a mixed body. And we do know that in the past that people can join the church and repudiate the church and never come back just as we mentioned earlier with Young Life, and in that sense they become apostate. They fall away from their original profession of faith. [00:11:18]

Now, there is a false repentance like the repentance of Esau, we understand that. But genuine repentance that brings genuine renewal is a fruit of regeneration. And so if the apostle is saying here that it's impossible to renew these people again to repentance, that clearly indicates that there was a time when they had been renewed by repentance, and so I think -- there's no doubt in my mind -- that he's speaking here about believers. [00:13:35]

Judas was a member of the apostolic community. He was a disciple of Jesus Christ. He was with our Lord for His earthly ministry and Judas betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver, and went out and hanged himself. And the Scripture says of Judas that he was a devil from the beginning. Now, Jesus predicted that Judas would do this. And He said, "Whatever you have to do, do quickly." [00:19:59]

And He didn’t say, "Simon, if you turn, if you repent," but when you repent, feed the brothers and strengthen the brothers. Because Simon belonged to Christ and he fell dramatically and radically but the intercessory work of Christ was in effect so that Simon was not lost. Now, again in that same upper room when we read the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus where Jesus prays for his disciples, He not only prays for them but for all of those who believe as a result of their witness -- which includes us -- that they may not be lost. [00:21:19]

But the only reason we persevere, the only reason we can persevere is because God preserves us. If it were left to ourselves, we could fall at any moment. Satan could sift us like wheat. But our confidence in the final chapter of our salvation rests in the promises of God to finish what He has started and rests upon the efficacy of the great High Priest that we have who intercedes for us every day. He will preserve us. [00:22:29]

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Transcript
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