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Perseverance of the saints (also called preservation of the saints[1]) is a Christian teaching that asserts that once a person is truly "born of God" or "regenerated" by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they will continue doing good works and believing in God until the end of their life.
Sometimes this position is held in conjunction with Reformed Christian confessions of faith in traditional Calvinist doctrine, which argues that all men are "dead in trespasses and sins", and so apart from being resurrected from spiritual death to spiritual life, no-one chooses salvation alone. However, it must be distinguished from Arminianism, which also teaches that all men are "dead in trespasses and sins", and could not respond to the gospel if God did not enable individuals to do so by His prevenient grace.[2]
Calvinists maintain that God selected certain individuals for salvation before the world began, and that he subsequently irresistibly draws only these selected individuals to faith in him and his son, Jesus. In support of this, they interpret John 6:44 as a statement that only those pre-ordained for belief in God are drawn to him, with an irresistible grace, as opposed to the Arminian interpretation that all are drawn to him by his prevenient grace, which individuals may resist. Calvinists also use their interpretation of Ephesians 1:4 and Philippians 1:4 in the writings of the apostle Paul as indication that God chose believers in Christ before the world was created, not based upon foreseen faith,[3] but based upon his sovereign decision to save whomever he pleased to save.[4]
The doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints is distinct from the doctrine of Assurance, which describes how a person may first be sure that they have obtained salvation and an inheritance in the promises of the Bible including eternal life. The Westminster Confession of Faith covers Perseverance of the Saints in chapter 17, and Assurance of Grace and Salvation in chapter 18. Perseverance of the Saints is also distinct from the related doctrine of eternal security, the former indicating security of sanctification/condition while the latter indicates security of (forensic) justification/salvation.
^Sproul, R. C. (April 22, 2017). "TULIP and Reformed Theology: Perseverance of the Saints". Ligonier Ministries. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021. I think this little catchphrase, perseverance of the saints, is dangerously misleading. It suggests that perseverance is something that we do, perhaps in and of ourselves. ... So I prefer the term the preservation of the saints, because the process by which we are kept in a state of grace is something that is accomplished by God.
^Picirilli, Robert (2002). Grace, Faith, Free Will. Randall House. p. 155. ISBN 0-89265-648-4.
^Piper, John (9 July 2013). "Five Reasons to Embrace Unconditional Election". Desiring God. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
^Sproul, R.C. "TULIP and Reformed Theology: Unconditional Election". Ligonier Ministries. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
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