“When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
when the tempter would prevail
he will hold me fast

I could never keep my hold
through life’s fearful path
for my love is often cold
he must hold me fast.”

In this final article in our series on the doctrines of grace, we will consider the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. This doctrine shows us that those who trust in Christ will be kept in Christ. The believer in Jesus Christ will never perish. Let us consider two headings.

First, consider the will of God. In John 6:38-39, our Lord Jesus tells us the will of God in redemption: “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.” Jesus Christ has come down from heaven to fulfill and accomplish the work of redemption for His sheep. Jesus has come down from heaven to purchase back His bride from the slave market of sin and death with His own blood. The will of God, Jesus Christ says, is “that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

Second, I want us to consider the power of God. In John 6:39, Jesus shows us His mighty hand to save! The text tells us that He shall “lose nothing.” He shall “raise up” His people on that last day. Jesus Christ is the one who alone has the keys to life and death. He alone has the authority to give life and to raise us up from the grave. Do you remember what the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:31-39? Can trials separate us from the love of Christ? No. What about tribulations? No. What about the attacks of Satan? No. What about even the fiercest enemy, death itself? No! Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ!

In John 10:27-30, we get another glimpse into God’s powerful, preserving hand that holds His sheep fast. Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” Commenting on this verse, James Montgomery Boice writes the following: 

The sheep are in some danger. there is the apparent threat that someone might try to snatch them away from salvation. yet Jesus asserts their absolute security, promising their perseverance … we are doubly secure, clutched by both the father and the son. and if we still feel insecure, we should realize that even when we are held in this manner, both the father and the son have a hand free to defend us.”

Hallelujah, what a Savior!           

As we conclude, how do we know for certainty that we will persevere to the end? How do we know for certainty that none can snatch us out of the hand of God? Look to your Savior, Jesus Christ. Redemption has been accomplished through Jesus Christ. Look to the person and work of Jesus Christ! The person and work of Jesus Christ are the grounds of your assurance. Look to the cross of Jesus Christ! Your sins have been paid for in full. Your penalty has been dismissed. Jesus has lived the life you could not live and died the death you deserved. Jesus Christ has defeated the arm of the greatest enemy. He has triumphed over the grave! He has proven himself to be the Almighty Savior! John Calvin writes: “In this way, we are freed from the condemnation of eternal death and made heirs of eternal life, because through the sacrifice of Christ’s death, he has atoned for our sins so that nothing will prevent God from acknowledging us as his sons.” Hallelujah, what a Savior!