Today, we wrap up our brief series in the doctrines of grace.
So far, we've seen Christ teach...
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistable Grace
The last point we want to see from Christ, is also one that brings controversy.
P - Perseverance of the Saints
This doctrine states that all those who have received salvation, will not lose it, but will be kept secure by the power of God.
Again, i'm not endeavoring to give a proper refutation of those who disagree with this position.
The goal here is to simply provide evidence that Christ taught this doctrine.
1. John 6:37-40 (ESV) All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
- Here we see one of the strongest quotes for this position.
Jesus teaches that the will of the Father is that He will not lose anyone whom the Father gives Him.
Not only that, but this is actually what Jesus came down from heaven to do. To secure those whom He was given.
2. John 6:48-51 (ESV) I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
- Jesus tells that there is a finality to eating His bread. Those who eat it will not die.
3. John 6:53-58 (ESV) So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
- Here, we see Christ reiterating His previous point.
4. John 10:27-30 (ESV) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
I and the Father are one.”
- Jesus teaches that He only gives eternal life to His sheep, whom He knows, and they know Him.
They will never perish.
Not only is no one able to take His sheep out of His hands, but they aren't able to take them out of the Father's hands either.
They both share the work of keeping the sheep secure.
5. John 15:16 (ESV) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
- Here we see Christ teaching that we don't choose Him, but the other way around.
Not only does He choose but He appoints us to bear fruit.
He says this on the back of saying that all those in Him who don't bear fruit will be, naturally, thrown in the fire.
Yet He appoints those whom He chooses to bear fruit and abide in Him.
It's His authority that keeps them abiding in Him.
6. Matthew 13:25, 37-41 (ESV) but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Here, we see the explanation of the parable about the wheat and tares (weeds).
The one who places the wheat there is God. The number of wheat doesn't increase or decrease, as God knows what He sowed.
On judgement day, the tares (weeds) are gathered together and cast in the fire. Leaving the wheat.
7. John 14:1-4 (ESV) Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
And you know the way to where I am going.”
- Here, we see Christ making a promise to His disciples, and by extension, all of us that belong to Him.
In the Father's house, there are many rooms (mansions in some translations).
Christ goes to prepare a place for us. And all those whom He prepares a place for, He will come back and to receive them, and take them to that place He's prepared.
Clearly, Jesus believes their salvation is secure.
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We've now looked at a few passages for each point of the doctrines of grace.
Jesus clearly teaches these things outright, and even when not speaking about them directly, you can clearly see these theological presuppositions present.
For example, He clearly believes the salvation of the thief on the cross is secure for Him to be able to promise that he will be in paradise that day.
Even though Christ will die before the thief does.
Every now and then, Christ pulls back the veil to give us the spiritual understanding of what we're seeing in the natural.
It's that spiritual explanation from Christ that clearly teaches these doctrines.
And since its Christ teaching these things, they must be true.
So we ought to believe them and seek to understand them to the best of our ability.
We ought to teach them to others as well. As the Holy Spirit saw fit to include these things that Christ spoke, in the scriptures so that we would be taught, reproved, corrected, and trained in righteousness, so that we may be equipped for every good work.
Amen
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