As studying the doctrines of grace continues, I think I want to focus on how often the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints is often misunderstood and I believe, purposely misrepresented. I had to flip a few pages back in the Desiring God devotional which uses 1 Corinthians 15:10 as the key verse. The study is all about the grace of God. Sometimes, an unbeliever can say to the Christian, “You’re definitely and obviously going to Heaven by your good works.” However, things can get sour when the Christian says that works don’t save and that he or she is doing every sort of good work as a result of being saved. It’s a very big difference there, right?
I would like to give an excerpt from the June 20 entry of Desiring God about the Apostle Paul:
This is plain, for example, in 1 Corinthians 15:10. Paul describes grace as the enabling power of his work. It is not simply the pardon of his sins; it is the power to press on in obedience. “I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
Therefore, the effort we make to obey God is not an effort done in our own strength, but “by the strength that God supplies — in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11). It is the obedience of faith. Faith in God’s ever-arriving gracious power to enable us to do what we should.
Paul confirms this in 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 by calling each of our acts of goodness a “work of faith,” and by saying that the glory this brings to Jesus is “according to the grace of our God” because it happens “by his power.” Listen for all those phrases:
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We see that Paul persevered through every persecution. I would’ve probably shouted in frustration if I had to face what he did. Paul underwent a lot of ridicule, torture, and even unjust imprisonment. It would be understood to go to jail for committing a crime. Paul went to jail more than once and he was an innocent person. All Paul did was preach the Gospel and he gets falsely accused. It’s not a very easy thing when one gets misrepresented by a world gone wrong. Paul labored harder than any of his fellow workers. Yet, Paul refused to boast and said, “Though it was not I.”
A fuller context of 1 Corinthians 15:10 would also give us these verses:
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (ESV)
The Apostle Paul, prior to his being chosen for salvation in Damascus, was a blasphemer and a liar. Who knows what Paul did while he was still notoriously known as Saul of Tarsus? He talks about his calling. Acts 9 talks about Paul becoming the chosen vessel to preach unto the Gentiles. He was a very unlikely candidate. Now, Paul finds himself having worked harder than any of the others yet it was not him. Paul acknowledges one truth–it was the grace of God that allowed him to persevere.
Later, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, we can also read this message about God’s grace that also keeps Paul humble:
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Whether Christians want to admit it or not, pride is a real killer. I think one reason why Reformed Theology is given a hostile view is because of some degree of pride. Many times, I feel that I responded by my own free will than by God’s will. In the non-Calvinist view of salvation, it can be easily taught that we have limited free will to believe and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. However, none can surrender if none seek the LORD at all! People have a hard time accepting the Gospel because it’s a hard truth. The hard truth includes salvation by grace through faith and not of works. It’s very easy to say, “I can convince this person to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior!” only to end up frustrated. It’s because the sinners’ heavy pride tends to ignore the facts when the facts become inconvenient. Ever realized that it’s easy to accept the truth only when it’s convenient?
Paul acknowledges that his positive attitude or outlook in the Christian life isn’t his own. He cites that God allowed Satan to harass him for a purpose. How often is Job’s situation ignored? How often is it forgotten that God allowed Satan to harass Job? Satan has no permission to attack the believer except if God allows it. Satan must’ve been falsely accusing Paul. God would’ve probably said, “Okay Satan, you can harm Paul.” Satan gets permission. Paul ends up getting harassed by this unknown messenger of Satan. Yet, it was all planned by God to keep Paul humble and reliant on His grace than the latter’s own ability.
If anything, the perseverance of the saints doesn’t negate grace. Instead, it confirms grace to what it is. Grace is undeserved and even the new life after salvation is undeserved. Many times, people just don’t deserve a second chance. The Old Testament law is so rigid that I might’ve been dead by it. Every saint today, regardless of degre of fruit-bearing, should just rely on God’s grace than anything else since times of trying are inevitable.
Reformed Baptist Christian Blogger 