It is. I don't consider myself a calvinist, but one whose beliefs align with it. You should read some of what Calvin went through with those who accused him of making God the author of evil. Those arguments sound the same as those made today, though I can't say they are the same heretics. (The beliefs they had were heretical besides.)
The Calvinist Understanding of the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints
- Thread starter Nadab
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mailmandan
Active member
Sadly, there are too many belief systems out there who 'back load' works into salvation. I call that 'type 2 works salvation' or salvation by works at the back door.
For a while, I thought I agreed with the T and P in TULIP, but after thoroughly reading how Calvinists define total depravity and perseverance of the saints, I guess I don't. Because of the fall, I do believe that man has inherited a corrupted, depraved nature, but I believe that God's grace can enable a person to respond to God's call to salvation. I don't believe that drawing or enabling equates to regeneration and I don't believe that God fatalistically determines who will answer the call to salvation as if we have no choice in the matter. In regard to perseverance of the saints, I fall more in line with 'preservation' of the saints, as we read in Psalm 37:28 and preserved in Christ in Jude 1:1.
civic
Well-known member
Amen !
TibiasDad
Well-known member
Matt 24:13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Jesus places the burden of action on man. The Greek for the bolded section above is ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας, hupomeinas means “I endure, bear up against, persevere.” (Strong) and it is an Aorist, Participle, Active voice usage. The Active voice makes it a human action, because the participle reflects back to ὁ, “the one”, who is human. (cf 1Peter 2:20, Rev 3:10)
We have a responsibility to not give up on difficult times, thus Jesus forewarns us that, “This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.” (Rev 13:10b)
Perseverance is the biblical perspective.
Doug
mailmandan
Active member
That would be 'descriptive' of those who truly are born again. There are those who profess to be Christians yet later walk away and were never truly saved in the first place. For example, 1 John 2:19, we read, "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) These many people failed to do the will of God unto salvation. (Matthew 7:21; John 6:40) This reinforces the importance of testing our salvation to make sure we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) and making our calling and election sure by continually examining our lives to make sure we don't lack these qualities mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-10.
Some view "stands firm to the end" as a difficult burden that many Christians will fail to do, and the Lord will so easily allow them to slip through His hands. Yet in John 10:27-28, Jesus said - My sheep hear My voice, (not some of them hear His voice and some of them don't hear His voice) and I know them, (not some of them He knows and some of them He doesn't know) and they follow Me. (not some of them follow Him and some of them don't follow Him) And I give them eternal life, (not some of them He gives eternal life and some of them He doesn't give eternal life) and they shall never perish; (not some of them will never perish and some of them will perish) neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (not some of them will never be snatched out of His hand and some of them will be snatched out of His hand)
It's because of God's power and our faith that we endure. We are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:5) God, by His own power through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, keeps or preserves the believer. God finishes what He starts. In Philippians 1:6, the apostle Paul said, “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Paul also said those who believe the gospel are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchase possession. (Ephesians 1:13-14) In Romans 8:30, Paul finished up that verse by saying, "and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Paul uses the past tense for a future event to stress its certainty. This is according to God's foreknowledge (Romans 8:29-30) and not fatalistic determination.
When properly understood. It's not about us pulling ourselves up by our own bootstraps and persevering in our strength. It's God's power, our faith. If someone is truly saved, they are new creations in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Those who are truly born of God have received a new nature. They have become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) The change is more than just cosmetic as with "nominal" Christians/make believers.
