The perseverance of the saints

 

The perseverance of the saints

A Reformed Baptists we pride ourselves in being people of the Book.  The Bible is the basis of everything we believe.  There are however some Biblical doctrines that some find difficult to understand and, even more, to believe.  One of those doctrines is the subject of our study.  Reformed believers hold that if someone is truly saved, they cannot lose their salvation.  We believe that, because faith is a gift from God, and God cannot be unfaithful to Himself, every believer will enter eternal life.

It is a doctrine that gives the believer great hope.   We know ourselves, none of us are perfect.  As R C Sproul once said ‘if the believer could lose their salvation, they would.’  Because we are all sinners, but sinners saved not on the basis of our own works, but saved sinners by the perfect and complete work of Christ to whom God has united for eternity.

The perseverance of the saints

The true believer will persevere in the faith and receive eternal life

 

1. Believers cannot fall away

It is important that we understand that it is not us who holds onto God, but God who holds onto us.  This is why we are unable to fall away.  In John 10:28-29, Jesus makes this statement: “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.”  Jesus says, I hold them and My Father holds them.  Because of this, no one, not even they themselves, can snatch them out of Our hands, because the Father is greater than all.

The question here is not: can the true believer fall away?  The question, according to Jesus is: ‘Is anyone stronger than God?’  Because God is the one who holds each and every one of His children in his hand, and unless you are stronger than God, that is where they will remain.  Jesus makes it clear, “My Father…is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”  With that, the discussion should be over, if God holds us and no one can snatch us out of His hand, we are eternally secure. 

Paul is so confident about this that in Philippians 1:6 he says “And 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.”  ‘I have no doubt’ Paul says, ‘none what so ever, that God who began the good work of bringing us to faith, will complete the job by us finishing in faith.’  It ultimately stand or falls with the faithfulness of God.  Can God be trusted? Because then they cannot fall away.  In 2 Timothy 2:19 Paul says “God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His’ and ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’”.  God knows who are His, he has sealed them by His Holy Spirt, and none of them will fall away, but they will all depart from iniquity, that is to say, they will all turn from their sin and remain in the faith till the end. 

This doesn’t however mean that everyone who says that they are a believer really is.  While every true believer, saved by the grace of God, will persevere and receive eternal life, there are many, who even come here and are amongst the believers, who are not truly believers.  God has not given them the grace of salvation, but they try and give the impression that He has.  The enjoy some of the benefits of the fellowship of believers, they seek the hope that only believers have, but they themselves are not believers.  Of them 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 continued with us.  But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”  They have given the impression that they are believers, perhaps even convincing the believers that they are saved, but God knows His own and will show his grace unto eternal life only unto His own.  Therefore, they (who pretend) will not remain.

 

2. The believers will turn from sin

It is true that believers can and do sin.  There are, sadly, many examples in the Bible, and in our lives, that Christians sins, and often even grievously.  This will result in discipline and chastisement for the believer.  Psalm 89:31-32 reminds us of this: “If they violate My statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.” But while disciplined by the Lord, it is in order that we will not be ‘condemned along with the world’ Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:32.  The 1689 Baptist Confession of faith says: ‘Though many storms and floods arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that Foundation and Rock which by faith they are fastened upon’.  Yes, moments of unbelief, yes, temptations by Satan, yes, uncertainty about the will of God, these things we may experience, but yet they will never fully and finally fall, they will return to the Lord in obedience.

But while the believer cannot ultimately fall away, our sin does cause great sadness to the Lord. In Isaiah 64:1-12 Isaiah prays to the Lord, because the discipline of the Lord was greatly severe on His people because of sin.  So much so that in v9 he pleads with the Lord ‘Be not so terribly angry, O Lord…we are all your people’.  Paul warns in Ephesians 4:30 that our sin grieves “the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  But notice, Isaiah reminds the Lord ‘we are all your people’ and Paul says (notice the tense) that we ‘were sealed for the day of redemption’.  While we sin and this cause displeasure to God and grieves the Spirit, the believers are still his people and remains sealed for redemption.

Under God’s discipline our comforts and graces will be impaired, the 1689 Baptist Confession says.  After David’s great sin with Barsheba, he pleads with the Lord in Psalm 51.  Notice v10 & v12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”  Clearly David experience great anguish and trouble spiritually within himself because of his sin, but notice, this drove him to the Lord, not away from the Lord.

While I say that, it is possible that, for a time, the believers heart may be hardened, resulting in our conscience being wounded.  An example of this is found in Psalm 32:3-4 where David says “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”  Our sin may even cause harm to others, as was the case with David.  Because of his sin with Barsheba, the child died, we are told in 2 Samuel 12:14.  Yet David did repent.  That is what Psalm 51 is all about.

But perhaps the most striking example of repentance from sin is found in Peter, who walked with the Lord, promising never to deny Him, but then denied Him, not once, but three times according to Matthew 26:70-74 after the Lord’s death.  After the resurrection, we see the Lord coming to Peter in Luke 22:61-62, and when the Lord stood before him, he remembered his sin.  V62 tells us “And he went out and wept bitterly.”  We know those tears were not simply emotional, because Peter continued to become one of the greatest preachers of the time.  They were true tears of repentance.

That’s the reality of every believer.  We sin! But we will repent!  The true believer will not fall away completely, although they may fall deeply and grievously, they will always return.  Why is this, not because believers are better people than the rest, but because God keeps those who belong to Him, and that is our final point this morning.

 

3. The believers are kept by God

Our perseverance in the faith is not because we so strongly hold onto the Lord, but because He so strongly hold on to His own.  The promise of Romans 8:30 is that “those whom He predestined he also called, and those whom He called he also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son, He called us effectually to faith, He justified us through the offer of Christ’s death, and therefore He will glorify us in His presence for ever.  He will ensure that none of His own will fall away!  As Romans 9:11 & 16 confirms “though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—…So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

God’s love is unchangeable, and by it the merit of Christ is transferred to all those who have been united to Him by God’s grace through faith.  There can be no doubt about this.  As Romans 5:9-10 declares: “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.” In John 14:19 Jesus says “Because I live, you also will live.”

The fact is, God is under obligation to save everyone for whom Christ died.  Hebrews 6:17-18 states “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

So how does God keep us and sanctify us to remain in the faith and ultimately be saved?  By sanctifying us through His Spirit, according to 1 Peter 1:2 and by “God’s seed” which abides in us according to 1 John 3:9.

God has promised an everlasting covenant with those whom He chose and saved.  And says Jeremiah 32:40 He will keep it.  “I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them.  And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me.” 

Believers cannot fall away.  Not because they are able to keep themselves, but because God cannot lie and is able to keep them as He has promised.  Ultimately, the question isn’t “Will the saints persevere?” The question is really: “Is God faithful to what He has promised?”  Because God promised to keep everyone of His own, and if He cannot keep them, if they are able to slip out of His grasp, it is God who is unfaithful, because He promised.  The eternal hope of the believers is secured in the hands of the ever faithful God, they will persevere to the end.

Amen

Die volharding van die heiliges

 

Die volharding van die heiliges

As Gereformeerde Baptiste staan ons daarby dat ons mense van die Boek is. Die Bybel is die basis van alles wat ons glo. Daar is egter 'n paar Bybelse leerstellings wat sommige moeilik vind om te verstaan ​​en, nog meer, om te glo. Een van daardie leerstellings is die onderwerp van ons studie. Gereformeerde gelowiges glo dat as iemand werklik gered is, hulle nie hul redding kan verloor nie. Ons glo dat, omdat geloof 'n geskenk van God is, en God nie ontrou aan Homself kan wees nie, elke gelowige die ewige lewe sal binnegaan.

Dit is 'n leerstelling wat die gelowige groot hoop gee. Ons ken onsself, niemand van ons is perfek nie. Soos R C Sproul eens gesê het: ‘As die gelowige hul redding kon verloor, sou hulle.’ Want ons is almal sondaars, maar sondaars gered nie op grond van ons eie werke nie, maar sondaars gered deur die perfekte en volledige werk van Christus met wie God vir ewig verenig het.

 

Die volharding van die heiliges

Die ware gelowige sal in die geloof volhard en die ewige lewe ontvang

 

1. Gelowiges kan nie wegval nie

Dit is belangrik dat ons verstaan ​​dat dit nie ons is wat aan God vashou nie, maar God wat ons vashou. Dit is hoekom ons nie kan wegval nie. In Johannes 10:28-29 maak Jesus hierdie stelling: “En Ek gee hulle die ewige lewe, en hulle sal nooit verlore gaan tot in ewigheid nie, en niemand sal hulle uit my hand ruk nie. My Vader wat hulle aan My gegee het, is groter as almal; en niemand kan hulle uit die hand van my Vader ruk nie.” Jesus sê: Ek hou hulle vas en my Vader hou hulle vas: Daarom kan niemand, nie eens hulle self, hul uit Ons hande ruk nie, want die Vader is groter as almal.

Die vraag hier is nie: ‘Kan die ware gelowige wegval nie?’ Die vraag, volgens Jesus, is: ‘Is daar iemand sterker as God?’ Want God is die een wat elkeen van Sy kinders in Sy hand hou, en tensy jy sterker as God is, is dit waar hulle sal bly. Jesus maak dit duidelik: “My Vader…is groter as almal; en niemand kan hulle uit die hand van die Vader ruk nie.” Daarmee behoort die bespreking verby te wees, as God ons vashou en niemand ons uit Sy hand kan ruk nie, is ons ewig veilig.

Paulus is so vol vertroue hieroor dat hy in Filippense 1:6 sê: “omdat ek juis hierop vertrou, dat Hy wat ‘n goeie werk in julle begin het, dit sal voleindig tot op die dag van Jesus Christus;” ‘Ek twyfel glad nie’, sê Paulus, ‘hoegenaamd nie, dat God wat die goeie werk begin het om ons tot geloof te bring, die werk sal voltooi deurdat ons in die geloof klaarmaak.’ Dit staan ​​of val uiteindelik met die getrouheid van God. Kan God vertrou word? Want dan kan hulle nie wegval nie. In 2 Timoteus 2:19 sê Paulus: “Ewenwel, die fondament van God staan vas met hierdie seël: ‘Die Here ken die wat syne is;’ en: ‘Laat elkeen wat die Naam van Christus noem, afstand doen van die ongeregtigheid.’” God weet wie Syne is, Hy het hulle verseël deur Sy Heilige Gees, en geeneen van hulle sal afvallig word nie, maar hulle sal almal van ongeregtigheid afwyk, dit wil sê, hulle sal almal van hul sonde afwyk en in die geloof bly tot die einde toe.

Dit beteken egter nie dat almal wat sê dat hulle 'n gelowige is, werklik is nie. Terwyl elke ware gelowige, gered deur die genade van God, sal volhard en die ewige lewe sal ontvang, is daar baie wat selfs kerk toe kom en onder die gelowiges is, wat nie ware gelowiges is nie. God het hulle nie die genade van verlossing gegee nie, maar hulle probeer die indruk skep dat Hy wel het. Hulle geniet van die voordele van die gemeenskap van gelowiges, hulle soek die hoop wat net gelowiges het, maar hulle is self nie gelowiges nie. Van hulle sê 1 Johannes 2:19: “Hulle het van ons uitgegaan, maar hulle was nie van ons nie; want as hulle van ons was, sou hulle by ons gebly het; maar dit moes aan die lig kom dat hulle nie almal van ons is nie.” Hulle het die indruk geskep dat hulle gelowiges is, miskien selfs die gelowiges oortuig dat hulle gered is, maar God ken Sy eie en sal Sy genade tot die ewige lewe slegs aan Sy eie bewys. Daarom sal hulle (die wat voorgee) nie bly nie.

 

2. Die gelowiges sal van sonde af wegdraai

Dit is waar dat gelowiges kan sondig en wel sondig. Daar is ongelukkig baie voorbeelde in die Bybel, en in ons lewens, van Christene wat sondig, en dikwels selfs ernstig sondig. Dit sal lei tot dissiplinering en tugtiging vir die gelowige. Psalm 89:32-33 herinner ons hieraan: “As hulle my insettinge ontheilig en my gebooie nie hou nie, dan sal Ek hulle oortreding met die roede besoek en met plae hulle ongeregtigheid.” Maar terwyl ons deur die Here gedissiplineer word, is dit “sodat ons nie saam met die wêreld veroordeel mag word nie”, sê Paulus in 1 Korintiërs 11:32. Die Baptiste geloofsbelydenis van 1689 sê: ‘Al kom daar baie storms en vloede en slaan teen hulle, sal hulle hulle nooit van daardie Fondament en Rots kan afhaal waarop hulle deur die geloof vas is nie’. Ja, oomblikke van ongeloof, ja, versoekings deur Satan, ja, onsekerheid oor die wil van God, hierdie dinge mag ons ervaar, maar tog sal ons nooit ten volle en finaal val nie, ons sal in gehoorsaamheid na die Here terugkeer.

Maar terwyl die gelowige nie uiteindelik kan wegval nie, veroorsaak ons ​​sonde wel groot hartseer vir die Here. In Jesaja 64:1-12, bid hy tot die Here, omdat die dissipline van die Here baie swaar op Sy volk was as gevolg van sonde. Soveel so dat hy in v9 die Here smeek:  “HERE, wees nie uitermate toornig nie... aanskou dit tog dat ons almal u volk is”. Paulus waarsku in Efesiërs 4:30 dat ons sonde “bedroef....die Heilige Gees van God…deur wie julle verseël is tot die dag van verlossing.” Maar let op, Jesaja herinner die Here daaraan: “Ons [is] almal u volk” en Paulus sê (let op die tyd) dat ons "verseël is vir die dag van verlossing”. Terwyl ons sondig en dit God hartseer maak en die Gees bedroef, is die gelowiges steeds sy volk en bly hulle verseël vir verlossing.

Onder God se dissipline sal ons Sy vertroosting en genade tot ‘n mindere mate beleef, sê die Baptiste Belydenis van 1689. Na Dawid se groot sonde met Barseba, pleit hy by die Here in Psalm 51. Let op v12 & v14: “Skep vir my ‘n rein hart, o God, en gee opnuut in die binneste van my ‘n vaste gees.... Gee my weer die vreugde van u heil, en ondersteun my deur ‘n gewillige gees.” Dit is duidelik dat Dawid groot geestelike angs en benoudheid in homself ervaar het as gevolg van sy sonde, maar let op, dit het hom na die Here gedryf, nie weg van die Here nie.

Terwyl ek dit sê, is dit moontlik dat die gelowige se hart vir 'n tyd verhard kan word, wat daartoe lei dat ons gewete gewond word. 'n Voorbeeld hiervan word gevind in Psalm 32:3-4 waar Dawid sê: “Toe ek geswyg het, het my gebeente uitgeteer in my gebrul die hele dag; want u hand was dag en nag swaar op my; my murg het verander soos deur somergloed.” Ons sonde kan selfs skade aan ander veroorsaak, soos die geval met Dawid was. As gevolg van sy sonde met Barseba, het die kind gesterf, word ons in 2 Samuel 12:14 vertel. Tog het Dawid berou getoon. Dit is waaroor Psalm 51 gaan.

Maar miskien die treffendste voorbeeld van berou oor sonde word by Petrus gevind, wat met die Here gewandel het en belowe het om Hom nooit te verloën nie, maar hy het Hom toe verloën, nie een keer nie, maar drie keer volgens Matteus 26:70-74 na die Here se dood. Na die opstanding kom die Here na Petrus in Lukas 22:61-62, en toe die Here voor hom staan, het Petrus sy sonde onthou. v62 sê: “En Petrus het buitentoe gegaan en bitterlik geween.” Ons weet daardie trane was nie bloot emosioneel nie, want Petrus het een van die grootste predikers van sy tyd geword. Dit was ware trane van berou.

Dis die werklikheid van elke gelowige. Ons sondig! Maar ons sal ons bekeer! Die ware gelowige sal nie heeltemal wegval nie, alhoewel hulle diep en vêr mag val, sal hulle altyd terugkeer. Waarom is dit? Nie omdat gelowiges beter mense as die res is nie, maar omdat God diegene bewaar wat aan Hom behoort, en dit is ons laaste punt:

 

3. Die gelowiges word deur God bewaar

Ons volharding in die geloof is nie omdat ons so styf aan die Here vashou nie, maar omdat Hy so styf aan Sy eie vashou. Die belofte van Romeine 8:30 is dat “die wat Hy vantevore verordineer het, dié het Hy ook geroep; en die wat Hy geroep het, dié het Hy ook geregverdig; en die wat Hy geregverdig het, dié het Hy ook verheerlik.” Hy het ons vantevore verordineer om gelykvormig te wees aan die beeld van sy Seun, Hy het ons kragdadig tot geloof geroep, Hy het ons geregverdig deur die offer van Christus se lewe, en daarom sal Hy ons vir ewig in Sy teenwoordigheid verheerlik. Hy sal verseker dat niemand van sy eie sal wegval nie! Soos Romeine 9:11 & 16 bevestig: “Want toe die kinders nog nie gebore was en nog geen goed of kwaad gedoen het nie dat die voorneme van God volgens die verkiesing kon bly staan, nie uit die werke nie, maar uit Hom wat roep... So hang dit dan nie af van die een wat wil of van die een wat loop nie, maar van God wat barmhartig is.”

God se liefde is onveranderlik, en daardeur word die verdienste van Christus oorgedra aan almal wat deur God se genade deur geloof met Hom verenig is. Daar kan geen twyfel hieroor wees nie. Soos Romeine 5:9-10 verklaar: “Veel meer dan sal ons, nou dat ons geregverdig is in sy bloed, deur Hom gered word van die toorn. Want as ons, terwyl ons nog vyande was, met God versoen is deur die dood van sy Seun, veel meer sal ons deur sy lewe gered word nou dat ons versoen is.” In Johannes 14:19 sê Jesus: “Omdat Ek leef, sal julle ook lewe.”

Die feit is, God is onder verpligting om almal te red vir wie Christus gesterf het. Hebreërs 6:17-18 sê: “Daarom het God, omdat Hy nog kragtiger aan die erfgename van die belofte die onveranderlikheid van sy raad wou toon, dit met ‘n eed gewaarborg; sodat ons deur twee onveranderlike dinge, waarin dit onmoontlik is dat God sou lieg, kragtige bemoediging kan hê, ons wat ontvlug het, om vas te hou aan die hoop wat voorlê;”

So, Hoe bewaar en heilig God ons om in die geloof te bly en uiteindelik gered te word? Deur die heiligmaking deur Sy Gees, volgens 1 Petrus 1:2 en deur “God se saad” wat in ons bly volgens 1 Johannes 3:9.

  

God het 'n ewige verbond belowe met diegene wat Hy uitverkies en gered het. En Jeremia 32:40 sê Hy sal dit nakom. “En Ek sal ‘n ewige verbond met hulle sluit, dat Ek My van hulle nie sal afwend om aan hulle goed te doen nie; en Ek sal my vrees in hulle hart gee, sodat hulle van My nie afwyk nie.”

Gelowiges kan nie afvallig word nie. Nie omdat hulle hulself kan bewaar nie, maar omdat God nie kan lieg nie en hulle sal bewaar soos Hy belowe het. Uiteindelik is die vraag nie ‘Sal die heiliges volhard?’ nie. Die vraag is eintlik: ‘Is God getrou aan wat Hy belowe het?’ Omdat God belowe het om elkeen van Sy eie te bewaar, en as Hy hulle nie bewaar nie, as hulle uit Sy greep glip, is dit God wat ontrou is, want Hy het dit belowe. Die ewige hoop van die gelowiges is verseker in die hande van die ewig getroue God, hulle sal volhard tot die einde toe.

 Amen