Persevere in Christ
I am going to actually look at what we mean when we say 'Persevere in Christ.' I hope that this will help you in your understanding of your faith and enable you to walk closer with Christ.
One of the greatest hindrances to walking closely with God is the fact that as Christians we still commit sin. Often when we sin a question arises in our hearts and minds: "Am I really saved?" Instead of resting on our hope in God through Christ, we wonder, based on our works, whether we are truly saved? When we read verses like 1 John 3.9 we ask ourselves why that is not our true experience of the Christian life? The text itself appears to be quite plain in English but actually the meaning is lost somewhat in the translation from the Greek. The meaning is as follows: "He who is born of God does not continue to sin as habit. It is not that Christians do not sin, rather, they do not habitually sin, and plan out their sin and enjoy their sin as a lifestyle." Now that does not allow us to think that we are going to sin, so we might as well sin big time. Instead this verse is a motivation for us to walk in holiness of life. What can we do therefore to have a sense of assurance of our salvation and stability in our salvation? This question has been around since Augustine in the early church. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin and others have sought to answer it. During the early part of the 17th century, the synod of Dort made a defining mark on the history of this doctrine when they were battling the teachings of John Arminius, the Romonstrants and the Pelagians. It was at this synod that the five points of Calvinism were defined, and the doctrines of grace in its form of TULIP were settled. It is the 'P' that we are concerned with this morning - 'The Perseverance of the Saints.'
This doctrine teaches that once you have come to saving faith in Christ and been born again you will continue to be saved and show in your life the fruits of that salvation. You, and I, persevere because of Christ Jesus but we continually show ourselves as people who have been changed by Christ. God has saved us from our sins and will sanctify us until the end when we will be transformed into our glorious resurrection bodies in heaven. In essence the perseverance of the saints is seen in the outward life of the Christian conforming to the Word of God. In other words, the fruit of your life demonstrates that you are truly saved and will truly persevere. You see the fruit of a tree does not make the tree good or bad, but actually demonstrates whether the tree is good or bad.
There are some important things about God that you need to understand in order to grasp what it means to persevere in Christ.
The first is that there is no failure in the decreed counsel of God. God is eternal not only in His essence but also in His knowledge. The eternal decree of God is perfect, complete, infinite plan from which all things come to pass in our time and space as history unfolds. Read Matthew 10 verses 29-30. Nothing is left to chance nor to a whimsical fling - if God numbers the hairs on your head and is there when every sparrow falls from the sky. All things are under His power and His control and all things have been planned accordingly - is that not what Genesis 50.20 tells us? Therefore, if God decrees anything, such a decree renders the action certain to come to pass. From this we move to the next important point for us to understand.
Secondly, there is no change in God's divine person or being. The character of God remains the same, and therefore His promises remain the same. Why is this important to us persevering in Christ this morning? We say that God is immutable - that is He has no fluctuation or change. An immutable, infinite, eternal, necessary act of God's will cannot be violated or halted by the devil, by man, by beast or by anything at all. Immutability is defined as something 'not capable of or susceptible to change.' If God wills something, and God cannot change, then such a decree cannot change - Malachi 3.6. Imagine how horrible it would be if God changed His mind about the means of salvation and His promise of salvation in Christ?
Thirdly, the work of Christ is complete. It accomplished salvation. Many Christians often live as if the possibility of falling away hangs over their lives like the sword of Damocles. Such an attitude makes out that the finished work of Christ on the cross for salvation was not, and is not, sufficient, because we still have to do something to be saved - i.e. persevere. You and I can do nothing to add to the work of Christ for our salvation. If you say this today, and believe this today, that you are saved, how certain can this be if you think that at some point you may fall away? Because Christ obeyed His Father in all things and made the perfect sacrifice for sin, and because you are a new creation in Christ all that is necessary for your perseverance has been met in Christ. Out of His obedience, righteousness, sacrifice and resurrection we are able to come to God our Father and live obedient lives. Rea - John 6.38-40. We do not do this to gain eternal life but to please Him who has already given us eternal life through His eternal Son, Jesus Christ. It is this life of obedience to the Word of God which demonstrates that we are persevering in Christ.
So today ask yourself these questions:
Am I trusting in Christ, alone, for salvation?
Is there evidence in my life of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit?
Is there a pattern of growth in my Christian life? Read 2 Peter 1.5-7 and ask yourself if these are evident in your life?
If you have doubts about your salvation - what gives rise to these?
To conclude - this is a doctrine that is truly seen in the lives of those who claim to follow Christ because they continue to follow Christ till the end. You persevere in Christ by persevering in Christ. That may sound obvious to you but it is the truth of the Word of God. So can I encourage you to keep on keeping on! Persevere, and do not give up.
Amen.
