Calvinism: Perseverance of the Elect

The fifth point of Calvinism is summarized by the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics as:

Perseverance of the Saints is a doctrine which states that the saints (those whom God has saved) will remain in God's hand until they are glorified and brought to abide with him in heaven. Romans 8:28-39 makes it clear that when a person truly has been regenerated by God, he will remain in God's stead. The work of sanctification which God has brought about in his elect will continue until it reaches its fulfillment in eternal life (Philippians 1:6). Christ assures the elect that he will not lose them and that they will be glorified at the "last day" (John 6:39). The Calvinist stands upon the Word of God and trusts in Christ's promise that he will perfectly fulfill the will of the Father in saving all the elect.⁷⁹

With our refutation of the prior four points in "Calvinism: Total Depravity", "Calvinism: Unconditional Election", "Calvinism: Limited Atonement", and "Calvinism: Irresistible Grace", this fifth and final point of Calvinism, Perseverance of the Elect (Saints), as no legs to stand on. We will use an analogy of admittance and graduation from a university to denude this last point. In this fantasy world—Once Saved, Always Saved—of popular theology, a person can get accepted with a full scholarship to the "University of Jesus Christ" and not attend any classes, not study any of the required sixty-six books, not come to know God or Jesus Christ whom he sent, not have Jesus manifested in them, not have the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shine unto them, not be known of Jesus, not live a life based on the Word of God—not righteous, operate in the works of the flesh, and so on. Yet, come graduation day, this person is standing in line in full expectation of graduation—life eternal—simply because they were accepted into the university. There are, unfortunately, many members of this fantasy world throughout Christianity. This deception, dubbed Calvinism, is an insidious strong hold and must be obliterated. For thus says the Lord, "Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him" (Numbers 15:31) and "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34).

The elect, as we have elucidated in the prior sub-sections of this "Doctrine of Election" section, encompasses both those that choose to answer the universal call to salvation and those that choose to "work out [their] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). As Peter admonishes: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:10-11). Thus we can conclude that elect, at times in scripture, represents all those in Christ, and elect, at other times in scripture, represents those that abide in Christ—that do always those things that please God: that doeth righteousness.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? ... Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. ... For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. (Romans 6:16, 18, 20)

It is to this latter group of Christians that Paul addresses verse 28 of Romans chapter 8: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). These Christians are living according to the purpose of God because they "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). They know that "all unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17) and that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23); therefore, they "labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him" (2 Corinthians 5:9).

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11)

Okay, now back to "Fantasy Island."⁸¹ Those that live in this fantasy world, when confronted with their life of sin, will tell you, paraphrasing John 10:28-29, "no man can pluck me out of the hand of God, not even me." By their private interpretation, they mean: "I'm saved by the grace of God and there is nothing I can do that's going to change that." This arrogance is akin to that of the Jews who were admonished by John the Baptist: "Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Luke 3:7-9). These deceived Christians ignore the fact that John 10:28-29 is simply a rephrasing by Jesus of an Old Testament scripture: "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand" (Deuteronomy 32:39). As we have already demonstrated in the "Doctrine of Election" sub-section, the children of Israel—the elect—did deliver themselves out of the hand of God by their sin:

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)

Be not deceived, acceptance into the University of Jesus Christ according to the election of grace does not guarantee graduation. It only guarantees admittance into the kingdom of God not inheritance: "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" (Revelation 21:7). "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; ... Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (Romans 11:17, 20-22)

Therefore, salvation (Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9) is not about yesterday (repented, confessed and believed), it is about today: repent, confess and believe (Hebrews 3:6; 1 Peter 1:9; Hebrews 11:6). "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35). "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Hebrews 4:11). For "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Salvation is not complete until Jesus returns: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27-28). As Jesus clearly told Martha: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). To live in Jesus requires getting to know him and requires obedience to his Word: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death" (John 8:51). The will of God the Father is for all persons, which entered the University of Jesus Christ, to be transformed before graduation. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). The brethren of the Son of God are "whosoever shall DO the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Matthew 12:50). "But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes" (Luke 12:45-47).

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die ... But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. (Ezekiel 18:4, 21-24)

Transformation is only possible through study and meditation of the Word of God and through unwavering belief in and obedience to God's Word. "The promises of God are of no value to us until by obedience we understand the nature of God. We read some things in the Bible three hundred and sixty-five times and they mean nothing to us, then all of a sudden we see what God means, because in some particular we have obeyed God, and instantly His nature is opened up. 'All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen.' The 'yea' must be born of obedience; when by the obedience of our lives we say 'Amen' to a promise, then that promise is ours."⁸²

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:2-11)

Ultimately, salvation—being saved from the wrath of God—is for the sons (and daughters) of God; those who through much tribulation, patience, study, meditation, faith, obedience and understanding have grown up from babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1-2; 1 Peter 2:2) to spiritually mature Christians. "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts" (Isaiah 28:9). Spiritually mature Christians have had "their senses exercised to discern" the voice of God: they are "led by the Spirit of God" (Romans 8:14). "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17).

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

These sons and daughters of God have been circumcised in the heart with the Word of God; that is, the Word of God is written in their hearts (Psalm 119:11) not just their minds (see "The Sign of the New Covenant" for details on this). "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live" (Deuteronomy 30:6). And as such, they bear much fruit—they are skilled in the Word of righteousness. Come the time for graduation, those that entered the University that, however, are not on the graduation list—the book of life (Revelation 20:15), are those that have chosen not to grow into sons or daughters of God. That is, they have chosen not to prepare themselves for the coming of the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-12; Matthew 22:2-13). "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14); therefore, "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour" (John 12:26). Matthew gives us a picture of graduation day:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23)

Notice above, there will be a subset of Christians that are denied eternal life. Some argue that these are not Christian, however, Paul tells us "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 12:3). "And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:11-13). A final example will drive home the point that indeed the works of the law will not get you saved—matriculated into the University of Jesus Christ; however, once you have entered the university by grace, your faith requires works:

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. (John 6:66-71)

And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. (Mark 14:10-11)

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. (Luke 22:3)

Judas Iscariot, called of God the Father and chosen by Jesus—elect, loses his elect status: "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take" (Acts 1:20).

Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)

After all, the Lord does not force anyone to be saved: it is their choice. They must decide to do those things that please the Lord (John 8:29; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 6:16, 20, 23; 2 Peter 2:20-21; Proverbs 11:19; Psalm 66:18). "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). To do contrary to the Word of God—to not please him—is to deny the Lord and to demonstrate the unbelief resident in our heart (Job 4:8; John 15:23; 2 Corinthians 13:5). "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:10-13). "The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead" (Proverbs 21:16); for "When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby" (Ezekiel 33:18) and "be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. (Psalm 69:28).

Apollos summarizes this subject: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, [it is impossible] to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6:4-8). "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:26-29)?

The lyrics from an old Christian song bring closure to this subject:

Oh you can't get to heaven

On roller skates

'Cause you'd roll right by

Those pearly gates

I ain't gonna grieve my Lord no more.

Thus, be not deceived, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are" (1 Corinthians 3:17). Sin defiles (Matthew 15:18-20), "all unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17), and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

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