Perseverance of the Saints

The so-called “P” of TULIP: Perseverance of the Saints. If it rested on us to complete our course to Christ, we would be in sore shape about mid-day of the first day of our conversion. Thank God that He not only convicts, draws and regenerates the sinner’s stony heart, but He preserves them in His grace until He calls them home.

We believe that all who are justified will win the fight of faith. They will persevere in faith and never surrender to the enemy of their souls. This perseverance is the promise of the new covenant, obtained by the blood of Christ, and worked in us by God himself, yet not so as to diminish, but only to empower and encourage, our vigilance; so that we may say in the end, I have fought the good fight, but it was not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:27-28)

I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:12)

John Piper

What is the Gospel?

“What is your greatest fear? If I were asking that question in many parts of the world, answers would probably cluster around basic needs such as running water, food, vaccines, and shelter. For most of us in the United States, though, our greatest fears are more likely to be things like the fear of loneliness, some cataclysmic event that throws me off the ladder of upward mobility, divorce, or the inability to find any ultimate meaning in life. None of these fears is illegitimate, yet none is ultimate. These fears haunt us only because we have the luxury of having them haunt us. Until we are confronted with the reality of God—in all of his blinding majesty, weightiness, and frightful claim on our lives—we are overwhelmed by secondary troubles. But when for some reason there is the slightest glimpse of God in his holiness, we either do our best to domesticate him, turn him into a pet by suppressing the truth, or run for the hills to escape the confrontation.

God should be your greatest fear. Yet there is no salvation from God’s just judgment from anywhere else than God himself. Only the same God who fills us with fear is able also to give us peace. If we are to escape this judgment, it will only be the result of the greatness in God’s heart and not something in our own. That God has moved toward us—even lunged toward us—not in judgment, as we should have expected, but in loving embrace and reconciliation, clothing us in Christ’s righteousness so that we can be acceptable in his holy presence, is the good news that you are called here and now to embrace. Christ lived a perfect life in the place of sinners, bore their sins on the cross, and was raised again for our justification. This means that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Not because of anything that you have done, experienced, attempted, or decided, but because of what he has accomplished for you, can you be assured of God’s favor. It is good news, not good advice. It is not a call to self-improvement, but to die to self altogether and be raised a new person, in Christ. It is the free gift of forgiveness of sins, right standing with God, adoption as his heirs, and liberation from the tyranny of sin. As his ambassador, I am calling you in his name to be reconciled to God by turning away from all other saviors and lords and embracing Jesus Christ as your righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Come to him now. His love is greater than your enmity toward him; his grace is greater than your sin; his peace is greater than your fears.”

Michael Horton

Yes, it’s been a while...

It has been a few weeks since my last post. A lot is going on personally. All good stuff, but time consuming. However, I did want to post a thought I’ve had here lately.

I often wonder why God does not simply transform us from the moment we are in Christ. Christians still die. Christians still get hungry and thirsty. What is the point of continuing this, if we are already “in Christ”?

Many would argue that the difficulties of life are there to shape us into the “image of Christ” (Romans 8:28-30; James 1:2-4), and I am sure that that is true. However, it has occurred to me that this still begs the question of why He would choose not to conform us to that image immediately. Certainly, it is possible. I think of the transfiguration as a type of what could be done by God upon conversion. (Matt. 17:1-13) Or, what of Elijah and being caught up in a whirlwind? (2 Kings 2:11) Or even Enoch, who walked with God and simply “was not”? (Gen. 5:24; Heb. 11:5) I think I could handle being like Enoch, nothing fancy, just gone to be with Christ. But, this does not happen to us. Why?

It strikes me that even more profound than the effect that trials have upon us is the display of God’s glory, or His “worth”, in the face of the desire for other things. Even with necessary things, He is worth more and our dependence upon Him should be increased.

My body gets hungry to remind me that He is the Bread of Life. (John 6:48, 51) I get thirsty to remind me that He gives living water. (John 7:38, Rev. 7:17). I am wet and chilled in a thunder storm to remind me that He has covered me with the garments of salvation. (Is. 61:10) And on it goes. What do I have that I did not receive? (1 Cor. 4:7)

Not only is our dependence upon Him made known to us in these things, but His worth is also displayed to others when we show our contentment in Him in the face of lacking these and other things. A picture of this would probably be 2 Corinthians 8.

We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

Notice that this was a display of the grace of God given among the churches of Macedonia. This generosity was not a testimony to their goodness or sacrifice, but that, even through great persecution and lack, they gave because Christ was more satisfying to them than their earthly needs. Importantly, they didn’t give to earn God’s favor. They gave because they had His favor already, and it was enough.

Is His mercy and grace enough for you? I want it to be enough for me. I pray that it is.