The Perseverance of the Saints: God's Threefold Guarantee
God's grip never loosens; His children never slip from His sovereign hands.
The Doctrine That Guarantees Deliverance
What is the doctrine of “The Perseverance of the Saints?”
John MacArthur declares it as foundational: “It is, in the end, what makes salvation salvation because it is forever.” ¹
Without this doctrine, every other aspect of salvation crumbles. If believers could lose their salvation, then God’s election would be uncertain, justification would be temporary, and sanctification would be meaningless.
The Westminster Confession provides a historical description: “They whom God hath accepted in His beloved Son, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from a state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved.” ²
Louis Berkhof’s systematic theology offers this precise definition: “The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is to the effect that they whom God has regenerated and effectually called to a state of grace, can neither totally nor finally fall away from that state, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved.” ³
Although the doctrine of the “Perseverance of the Saints” technically pertains to the truth of an absolute security of salvation, two related concepts also illustrate God’s secure hold on His children: progressive sanctification and strength under persecution.
Component One: Eternal Security
Probably the most common way this doctrine is described is what many refer to as “once saved, always saved.” Although correct, this phrase requires careful biblical analysis.
R.C. Sproul’s axiom captures the essence: “If you have it—that is, if you have genuine faith and are in a state of saving grace—you will never lose it. If you lose it, you never had it.” ⁴
The keyword is “genuine.” God’s preservation doesn’t depend on our performance but rests entirely on His unchanging character.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”
Philippians 1:6: “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.”
Christ’s intercession secures every believer. John 17:15-20: “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one... I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word.”
1 John 2:19 provides the test of genuine versus superficial faith: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”
True believers remain. False professors depart. The difference lies not in human commitment but in divine regeneration.
Component Two: Progressive Sanctification
A related concept involves our growth in holiness, or the process of sanctification; here, we encounter sobering realities about the maturity of believers.
Berkhof explains: “Perseverance may be defined as that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued and brought to completion.” ⁵
Not every saved person demonstrates equal spiritual growth. Some remain spiritual infants despite years of profession. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul addresses believers who remained “babes in Christ” because they were “still fleshly.”
The Spirit assists our sanctification, but believers must collaborate with this divine work. Philippians 2:12-13 advises, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Divine Discipline: The Father’s Loving Correction
This reality of varying spiritual maturity is also connected to God’s disciplinary work in the lives of His children.
Hebrews 12:5-6 explains, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.”
Hebrews 12:8 shows the result of not being disciplined when it warns, “If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”
God’s discipline serves dual purposes: proof of sonship and a means of sanctification growth. Those who remain spiritual “babes” either resist God’s corrective work in their lives or are not true believers.
This disciplinary aspect reveals that perseverance isn’t passive. God actively works to conform His children to Christ’s image, sometimes through painful correction. Yet even this discipline evidences God’s preserving grace; He loves His children too much to leave them unchanged.
Trials serve dual purposes: they strengthen genuine faith and reveal counterfeit faith.⁷ True believers may stumble severely, but they cannot totally or finally fall away. Their faith, being supernatural rather than natural, endures through God’s preserving power.
Component Three: Strength in Persecution
The third component addresses believers’ perseverance in the face of trials, persecution, and even martyrdom.
Peter wrote to Christians facing persecution and death, wondering “whether their faith would hold up” during extreme trials. His answer was in the affirmative, as 1 Peter 1:5 assured, they would be “protected by the power of God through faith.”
“Protected” in the Greek is a military term meaning “to guard with a military guard.” The verb tense also indicates continuous action; always being protected, or constantly under divine guard.⁶
God provides supernatural strength during persecution, even the very words to speak when brought before authorities:
Luke 21:14-15: “Therefore be resolved not to rehearse ahead of time how to make your defense. For I will give you the words along with the wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.”
Matthew 10:19-20: “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
This promise is ongoing and universal for all genuine believers who face persecution for righteousness’ sake.
Practical Applications
Understanding these three components should transform our approach to Christian living:
For Assurance: Your eternal security rests on God’s faithfulness, not your performance. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 reminds us that, “He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.”
For Growth: While salvation is secure, sanctification requires active cooperation with the Spirit’s work. Spiritual maturity varies among believers, but growth remains a responsibility for every Christian.
For Trials: When persecution comes, and it will, God provides supernatural strength. Your faith may feel fragile, but God’s grip never loosens.
The Ultimate Security
One of the most encompassing verses on our security is Romans 8:38-39, which proclaims “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The perseverance of the saints isn’t about our holding on to God; it’s about God holding on to us. This truth should produce neither careless living nor anxious fear, but humble gratitude and confident obedience.
Throughout your Christian experience, you can rely upon three unshakeable truths:
God’s salvation preservation is as certain as His character
His sanctifying work continues despite our failures, and
His strength will sustain us through every persecution.
You are kept by the power of God through faith, and that changes everything.
What aspect of the perseverance of the saints brings you the greatest comfort during trials? Share your thoughts below—I read every comment personally.
Bibliography
MacArthur, John. “The Perseverance of the Saints, Part 2.” Grace to You. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-271/the-perseverance-of-the-saints-part-2
Westminster Assembly. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter XVII, Section 1 (1646).
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology, 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949.
Sproul, R.C. “TULIP and Reformed Theology: Perseverance of the Saints.” Ligonier Ministries. https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/tulip-and-reformed-theology-perseverance-saints
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology, 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949.
MacArthur, John. “The Perseverance of the Saints, Part 3.” Grace to You. https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-272/the-perseverance-of-the-saints-part-3
Ibid.