TEXT: I Peter 1:5

SUBJECT: Watson on Perseverance #1

Tonight we’ll begin the study of Thomas Watson on the Perseverance of the Saints. "Perseverance" is an old-fashioned word and may not be clearly understood by Christians today. A better word for it should be found, but so far, no one has done it. Compounding the problem is the half-definition that many give the term. As far as it goes, it is true, but it doesn’t go far enough. Nothing’s wrong with a partial description, of course, unless it is labeled as a full one! Then it becomes—not just incomplete—but downright misleading. Someone has said,

That is correct. To understand the doctrine, we have to see both sides of it. Watson does not define it for us, so I will (though very briefly).

The Perseverance of the Saints means two things:

• The true believer cannot fall from grace and go to hell when he dies—i.e., once saved, always saved.

• The true believer cannot fall from grace in this life—that is, he will retain his faith in Christ and that faith will produce a life pleasing to God. In other words, there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.

This is what we mean by the perseverance of the saints. This is exactly what Peter teaches in the verse that began the sermon: we "are kept by the power of God, though faith, unto salvation".

We are not kept by the power of our faith. We are not kept by the power of God without faith. The two work together—not that God gives half of what we need and faith supplies the rest—but that His grace kindles faith in the heart, keeps it there, and makes it grow through the believer’s whole life.

This is the Bible doctrine of Perseverance and the subject of Watson’s chapter, which we’ll be looking at for the next few weeks—Lord willing.

The chapter begins with the practical use or value of the doctrine. The Puritan admits that the teaching is disputed by many professed Christians and holding onto it may not be the popular thing to do. In his day, it might bring down persecution. Today, that’s not so likely, but it will offend some people and may cost you your friends. Yet—even though the doctrine is controversial—it is well worth believing! Why? Watson says.

Nothing will make obedience harder and less cheerful than the fear that I might fall away from God and be lost in the end. Some think assurance will put the Christian to sleep—but this is not true—it quickens us to obedience because we know—by the blessing of God—that we can obey and will obey all our lives long! It is the uncertainty that paralyzes all effort. And that makes the believer live in fear of going to hell every day of his life!

Few have struggled more than Dr. Luther with the fear of falling short of salvation. For a time, it galvanized him into action—driving him to pray and fast and confess his sins for hours at a time! But he could not live on fear—nobody can! Eventually, it drained him and—by his own admission—he came to hate God for His cruel and unreasonable demands.

But knowing the believer will persevere, will make it through the hardships and temptations of life, will inspire hope and give him a love for obedience.

Every truth can be abused—and has been. Some today take the doctrine of once saved always saved and twist it into meaning something like this: one decision for Christ will permit to neglect God my whole life and live in sin and…still go to heaven when I die! That’s an abuse of God’s Word! One that Paul heard way back in his day. Back then people were saying,

How did Paul answer them? "God forbid!"

The doctrine is full of comfort. We who believe in Calvinism ought to present it that way—not as a club to beat others over the head with, but as a pillow to give weary travelers some rest.

The Perseverance of the saints is very dear and practical to those who believe it and understand it well.

But, speaking of understanding it well, Watson is at pains to tell us what it does not mean. He wants no one to think it means any of these three things:

Many Christians sincerely believe that true saints can fall from grace and be lost. They don’t get the idea from the Bible, of course, but from personal observation. If believers cannot fall—they say—how do you explain so many who do?

Every one of us has known people who seem to be fine Christians. They read their Bibles and pray; they never miss church, they give to the Lord; they’re keen on witnessing to the lost and discipling new believers. They help the poor; they’re hospitable; they’re the kind of person you wish you could be. And yet—some of these people—give up their faith altogether or—more often—they cool off and settle into an outwardly respectable life, but without any real concern for the Lord any more.

How do we account for them? Have they fallen from grace? If they have, then, the saints do not necessarily persevere and—poof--there goes our comfort and cheerful obedience. What’s the deal? Thomas Watson knows:

Many do not follow through in the Christian lives because they never had a Christian life. They seemed to—even an Apostle might think so—but they didn’t. Not really.

The Perseverance of the Saints, therefore, is not the same thing as the Perseverance of all who say they are saints! Only true Christians—sinners born again by Almighty Grace—hold on to what they have and grow in it.

In the second place, you must not equate perseverance with…

Does God persevere for us or do we persevere? We do it! The Lord does not repent—we do. He doesn’t confess His sins—we do. God does not read the Bible or pray or partake of the Lord’s Supper—we do. We are responsible to persevere; if we don't, we must perish in the end!

Yet, having said all this, it is not we who retain our salvation and we do not find the resources to carry on in ourselves. Not only did Jesus Christ save us in the past, but He is still saving us—every moment of the day, we are being kept in His grace and by His grace.

Perseverance of the saints does not mean the Lord began our salvation and now it’s up to us! He’s behind it all—working in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. That’s Number Two.

Finally, perseverance does not mean…

The word, backslide, means just what it says: to slide back, back away from God, from holiness, from fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Can true believers become cold and indifferent? Can we fall into sin and stay in it for a time? I wish I could say we cannot do these things, but, in fact, we can, and do.

The Christian life is like mountain climbing: there are falls and then there are falls! Every fall hurts you and puts you behind where you should be, but not every fall kills you. The believer may fall—over and over again. The falls hurt him and other people; they grieve the Holy Spirit and cheer the enemies of God, but they aren’t fatal. You know the fall isn’t fatal because the climber gets back up and starts climbing again.

Backsliding—Watson says—takes one of two forms (and often, both at the same time).

First we have the loss of interest in the things of God.

This is commonly the first sign of backsliding: it’s not that you fall into some gross sin, but your Bible reading and prayers start to slip. For a day or two, the slipping is hardly noticeable and has no striking effect on your life. But the days add up and the time not spent with the Lord makes your heart cold and your metabolism slow down.

This is backsliding—and, in some ways, it is the most dangerous form of it. Why? Because no one will call you on it! If a good man starts drinking too much, for example, his wife will notice and talk to him about it or maybe call in the pastor or some trusted friend. But who sounds the alarm for a few days of little praying?

Christians can fall away from the Lord in this way. And we ought to be alarmed at it and repent without delay or excuse!

But this backsliding—though real and bad—is not apostasy, is not losing salvation.

If losing interest in godly things is the negative side of backsliding, it won’t be long until you see the positive effect.

Christians can sin. Not only can he sin, but he can fall into habits of sin. When James and John jockeyed for first place in the Kingdom, it wasn’t a momentary impulse that moved them! Their pride can be read all through the Gospels. And David’s great sin, wasn’t one sin at all, but a series o sins, one committed after another and then, months of pretending everything was fine, just fine!

A persevering Christian can fall into sin—and stay there for a time—but only for a time. He is eventually brought to repentance and put back on the right path.

And so, what is the perseverance of the saints? It is living the Christian life to the end of this life and into the life to come. Do believers persevere? Yes we do: every one of us is kept by the power of God through faith for the salvation that awaits us.

Does this mean we’re perfect? No, it doesn’t. But it does mean we’re saved. And because we are saved, we can—not rest assured—but work assured that we will make it to heaven. All by grace.

Well, that’s Thomas Watson on the Perseverance of the Saints. May God bless it for Christ’s sake. Amen.