The Perseverance of the Saints

Text: John 8:31, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”

 “We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special providence watches over their welfare, and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” (1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith, article 11)  

1. The Definition of Perseverance:

1. It means “the act of persevering” – which is: “to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement.”
2.  It means having an unremitting continuance: “proskartereo” Greek N.T.
3. Perseverance then means that an individual who has been raised to a state of holiness and righteousness by the work of the Holy Spirit will persist in that state until he is fully redeemed, body soul and spirit.
4. Scriptural Support

2. The Contrast in Perseverance: (“Such only are real believers”)

1. True believers versus the false believers:
2.  Enduring unto the end versus falling away:
3. An attachment to Christ versus an attachment to this world:

1. In Adoration
2. In Affiliation
3. In Mediation
4.  In Invigoration

4. Watching over their welfare versus an expectant wrath – “that a special providence…”
5.  Being Kept by the Power of God versus being cast into the Lake of Fire