This week I had the opportunity to meet with a couple who wanted to talk about our church’s stance on eternal security (also called perseverance of the saints). Many people misunderstand what is meant by perseverance of the saints and are rightfully concerned that its proponents hold to a trivial form of “once saved always saved.” Their main concern is that we believe that as long as someone repeats a prayer or makes a profession of faith, their name is sealed in heaven and cannot be removed regardless of how they live post-profession. Thus, they are concerned that we might make salvation a trivial matter: say this, you are saved, and you can never lose it, regardless of how you live.

This is not, however, the historic view on the perseverance of the believer, nor is it the one we hold to. So what do we believe? We believe that when someone genuinely repents and places their faith in Christ, they are saved. They become a son or daughter of God and are given the Holy Spirit. That Spirit ensures their future endurance and is thus the guarantee of their salvation. They will not lose their salvation, because God Himself will complete the work that he started. And this work will be evident in their life!

Here is a categorized list of the verses that help us arrive at this position:

Verses that speak to the necessity of persevering in the faith:

• Matthew 10:21-22- “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

• Matthew 24:12-13- “And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will become cold. But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

• Colossians 1:21-23- “And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”

• Hebrews 3:12-14- “Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end,”

Verses that speak of God completing His work of salvation:

• 1 Corinthians 1:4-9- “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

• Philippians 1:6- “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.”

• 2 Timothy 4:18- “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

• 1 Peter 1:3-5- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Verses that speak of the impossibility of Christ losing one of His people:

• John 6:39-40- “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, butwill raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

• John 10:27-29- “My sheep listen to 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.”

• Romans 8:35-39- “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written:

For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

• Ephesians 1:13-14- “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,  who is a first installment (literally: ‘down payment’) of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

• Hebrews 7:25- “Therefore He is also able to save forever those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

• Hebrews 10:14- “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

Verses that remind us that it is God who is working to sanctify, keep us, preserve us:

• Philippians 2:12-13- “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24- “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.”

• Jude 24-25- “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless 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.”

Verses that explain why some walk away from the faith:

• 1 John 2:3-6- “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever follows His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says that he remains in Him ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.”

• 1 John 2:19- “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us.”

Salvation is the work of God from beginning to end. God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life that fulfilled God’s Law. Though He lived perfectly, Jesus died a murder’s death on the cross, where He bore the judgment of God against sin. He was buried in a tomb but He rose victorious over death on the third day. He ascended into heaven where He now sits on His throne and invites everyone to be saved by repenting of their sin and believing in Him.

When we turn from our sin and believe in Jesus, God fills us with His Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us. He is the guarantee of our salvation. He is our guarantee because He will lead us, convict us, and keep us trusting and following Christ. He will ensure that we are progressively transformed into Christ’s likeness. He will continue the work of salvation in our lives, enabling and ensuring that we will endure to the end. Why? Because salvation is the work of God from beginning to end! No one can snatch us out of the Father’s hand!