The Call to Persevere – A Gospel-Centred Perspective
As we near the conclusion of our series on gospel foundations, we turn our attention to another important topic: eternal security. This doctrine, often summarized as "once saved, always saved", asserts that those who receive salvation through Christ can never lose it. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself affirmed this, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish” (John 10:28 ESV). This is a clear and unconditional promise, yet it must be balanced with the biblical precedent that perseverance is evidence of reality: “the gospel . . . by which you are being saved, if you hold fast the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-2 ESV). In this discussion, we will first explore the warnings found in Scripture before addressing the blessings of eternal security.
The Gospel’s Call to Repentance and Obedience
The gospel is not merely good news of salvation but also a call to repentance (Acts 26:20) and obedience (1 Peter 4:17). As we have noted earlier, repentance is not a work that earns God’s favour, but it is a response to His grace, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV).
However, this divine gift does not absolve believers of their responsibility to repent, believe, and continue in faith. Faith is not a one-time event, but an ongoing trust and obedience throughout life, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:17 ESV).
Some, mistakenly, view the Old Testament as having required obedience to the law in order to obtain salvation, and contrast this with dependence on faith for salvation in the New Testament. But Scripture is consistent: salvation is, and has always been, by faith. Abraham and David are just two examples of many Old Testament individuals who were justified by faith (Hebrews 11; Romans 4). Their faith compelled them to obey God, and the blessings they received corresponded to their obedience (Hebrews 11:8,32-40).
The same principle applies in the New Testament. Believers are justified by faith, and this faith leads to a life of obedience, “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? (Romans 6:1-2 NLT). The Lord Jesus, as well as the apostles, consistently emphasised perseverance as a mark of genuine faith in every era (Matthew 24:13; 2 Timothy 3:10).
Perseverance: Evidence of Genuine Faith
The writer of Hebrews offers a sobering warning, “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ” (Hebrews 3:14 NLT). This letter, addressed to professing Jewish Christians who were tempted to abandon their profession of faith and return to Judaism, underscores that perseverance is not what earns salvation, but rather, it is evidence of salvation. Their enjoyment in sharing all the blessings was dependent on being faithful to the end.
Similarly, John writes, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19 ESV). There were those in the early church who professed faith but they proved to be false (2 Corinthians 11:13), driven by self-interest rather than a genuine desire to please God. John’s First Epistle provides clear markers of authentic faith:
- Belief and confession that Jesus Christ is Lord (1 John 4:2; 5:1);
- Obedience to God’s commands (1 John 2:3-5; 5:3);
- Love for fellow believers (1 John 3:14; 4:7-8);
- Rejection of a sinful lifestyle (1 John 1:8-9; 3:6);
- Evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work (1 John 3:24; 4:13);
- Separation from worldly values (1 John 2:15-17; 5:4-5);
- Faithfulness to the truth (1 John 2:24; 4:1).
John is outlining what faithful obedience entails, while emphasising that the absence of these traits often reveals that such individuals were never genuinely saved.
The Call to Ongoing Obedience
The gospel calls for lifelong obedience, not just a moment of repentance at conversion. The apostles were clear: persistent disobedience (Galatians 5:19-21) raises questions about the genuineness of one’s faith.
Yet Scripture acknowledges that even true believers may falter. Examples include Samson in the Old Testament and Peter in the New Testament. Each experienced periods of serious failure but ultimately returned to God. Peter’s denial of Christ was followed by deep repentance and restoration, demonstrating that God calls the wayward back to Himself (John 21:15), while God heard and answered Samson’s final cry for help and strength (Judges 16:28-30).
In 1 Corinthians, Paul instructs the church to discipline a man guilty of sexual immorality by excommunicating him, “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5 ESV). This charge served to uphold the church’s purity and demonstrate the seriousness of sin. However, upon repentance, the man was to be restored to the fellowship of the church (2 Corinthians 2:7), highlighting God’s desire for reconciliation and acceptance of those who repent (see also Galatians 6:1).
Periods of failure and sin, whilst grieving to God (Ephesians 4:30) do not always equate to false profession although they do call into question the genuineness of salvation. Ultimately, how a person handles the grief of sin is very revealing. Do they take it to the Lord, like Peter, and repent (Luke 22:6; 2 Corinthians 7:10), or do they remain remorseful but not repentant, like Judas (Matthew 27:3)?
A Balanced View of Eternal Security
Eternal security is a precious promise for believers, grounded in the unchanging grace of God, yet it is inseparable from the call to persevere. While salvation is not earned by works, a life of obedience, faithfulness, and repentance is the evidence of genuine faith, “You will recognise them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16 ESV).
As we continue this discussion in our next article, we will delve deeper into the blessings and assurances of eternal security. For now, let us heed the biblical warnings (Revelation 2:17), endeavouring to remain steadfast in faith, having the assurance that God is both our Saviour and Sustainer, “. . . as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7-8 ESV).
