1Jer 31:3; ²2 Tim 2:19; Heb 13:20–21; 2 Sam 23:5; ³1 Cor 1:8–9; ⁴Heb 7:25; Lk 22:32;
⁵1 Jn 3:9; 2:27; ⁶Jer 32:40; Jn 10:28; ⁷1 Pet 1:5

This question deals with the final point of the 5-points of Calvinism (TULIP), namely "Perseverance of the saints." Because it speaks of how God preserves the saints through their life of sanctification, some prefer to speak of "Preservation of the saints." But there is good reason to retain the traditional terms because it emphasises that the child of God is maintained as a saint (i.e. holy one) throughout his life. God does not preserve sinners and hypocrites in the state of grace. No; rather as our question emphasises, it is "true believers" that He preserves. He preserves them by "[giving] them perseverance" in the faith!

True believers are preserved in the state of grace. They can neither totally nor finally fall away from this state. They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. The words ‘totally’ and ‘finally’ suggest that a true believer may partially and temporarily fall from grace, but it will not be a total departure, nor will it happen that a true believer should fall and remain in that fallen state until the day he meets the Lord.

What is it to be preserved in the state of grace? It is the opposite of falling away from the state of grace. What is it to fall from the state of grace? Take note that it is not so much to be denied the status of grace (e.g. justification) as to cease to live the life of grace.

To fall from grace is to deny Christ. Peter denied Christ, but he repented. It is also to cease to love Christ and therefore living contrary to His commandments. Because of the remnant of corruption remaining in us, we have a bent to backsliding (Hos 11:7), and therefore we may all fall into lawlessness. But this fall will neither be total nor final. Indeed, it is unlikely that any true believer will backslide to a point of being worse than the heathen. But if it does happen, a true believer will quickly repent and return to the state of grace in obedience to God’s Word. He will neither fall completely nor finally from the state of grace. The Lord Himself says:

Apart from this verse, how do we know this doctrine to be true? Our catechism proves it to be true by listing biblical 6 reasons: (1) the unchanging love of God; (2) God’s decree and covenant to give them perseverance; (3) their inseparable union with Christ; (4) Christ’s continual intercession for them; (5) the Spirit of God abiding in them and (6) the seed of God abiding in them.

In the first place, the LORD himself speaks of His love for His people as "an everlasting love" (Jer 31:3). If it is an everlasting love, it is an undying and unchanging love. It is a love which cannot be severed by anything in creation. The apostle Paul speaks of the strength of this love in Romans 8:35-39, by listing 16 things which cannot "separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 39). Paul makes sure that we know that these 16 things are not exhaustive, for he concludes the list with, "nor any other creature." That is to say, nothing that is created can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, not even ourselves, or our will.

In the second place, true believers are elected unto salvation by an eternal decree (Eph 1:4-5; 2 Tim 2:19) and are represented by Christ in an "everlasting covenant" (2 Sam 23:5; Heb 13:20-21) with God. Since our election and membership in the covenant is not conditioned on anything on our part, but is founded on the good pleasure of God Almighty who is sovereign to save, we have no reason to doubt that we shall be preserved in Christ unto eternity.

In the third place, the Scripture teaches that we are united to Christ. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." And He "shall… confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:9, 8). The Lord Himself prays for those "which shall believe" on Him (Jn 17:20):

"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one" (Jn 17:21-23).

If believers are to be one with Christ as Christ is one with His Father, how can they ever be separated from Him?

In the fourth place, true believers will persevere in the faith because of Christ’s continual intercession for them (Heb 7:25). As He prayed for Peter that his "faith fail not" (Lk 22:32), so He prays for all true believers that their faith fail not. Now, as the Father will certainly hear the petitions of His Son (cf. Mt 3:17), we can have no doubt that true believers will neither totally nor finally fail in their faith.

In the fifth place, true believers will persevere because the Spirit of God abides in them (1 Jn 2:27). Our Lord teaches us that the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in the heart of unbelievers but will dwell in the heart of believers forever (see Jn 14:16-17; cf. Rom 8:9). Given this promise, a believer cannot fall away from the faith, for not only will the Spirit support his faith, but He cannot contradict the words of Christ and fail to dwell forever in the heart of a believer once he is regenerate.

Likewise, sixthly, true believers persevere because the "seed of God" abides in them (1 Jn 3:9). This seed of God refers to the new nature, which nature, says the apostle Peter, is "incorruptible" and "liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Pet 1:23). This being the case, it is impossible that the believer should fall out of grace and cease to believe finally or totally. It is, after all, by the new nature that the believer believes.

Will a true believer ever fall out of grace totally and finally? Anyone who is convinced that the Scripture cannot be broken will be convinced that it will not happen. W