The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, simply stated, says that all those whom God has chosen and for whom Christ died will persevere in their Christian walk until "the end", or until their earthly sojourn is over.
Every true believer will persevere, and that by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, preserving him by the inward workings on the heart and mind of the believer. It is inconceivable that God would elect a man, Christ would die for that same man, and yet we would finally fall away by returning to his unbelief.
It is not inconceivable, however, that a man might make a false profession, give some temporary evidence of conversion and finally return to his unbelieving condition. American, evangelical churches are full of such "Christians", and an unbiblical, unsound and largely unspoken belief system has developed among Amercian protestant churches to accomodate the presence of these "worldly Christians." Church policies and practices have been compromised to attract these "lukewarm" believers and the fruit of their position is usually the fact that they do not persevere, and sooner or later they abandon their faith altogether or become totally indifferent to any real Christian commitment.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Irresistable Grace
The phrase "irresistable grace" simply tells us that the grace of God, when applied to the heart of a sinner, is irresistable; that is to say God draws the elect sinner to Himself without fail. "God is able" to quote the Saviour, "to turn stones into children of Abraham." (Luke 3:8) This He does with lovingkindness through conviction of sin, leading to regeneration, so that the sinner comes willingly and happily to the foot of the cross. As the old hymn says - "He does not compel them to go 'gainst their will, but He just makes them willing to go."
So God, through regeneration, lovingly draws men to the Saviour by the loving administration of the Holy Spirit through the application of the Holy Scriptures to the soul of poor helpless sinners, resulting in their inevitable conversion to Christ. God, who cannot fail in anything He determines to do, draws those whom He has chosen, to the foot of the cross.
So God, through regeneration, lovingly draws men to the Saviour by the loving administration of the Holy Spirit through the application of the Holy Scriptures to the soul of poor helpless sinners, resulting in their inevitable conversion to Christ. God, who cannot fail in anything He determines to do, draws those whom He has chosen, to the foot of the cross.
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