Why the Doctrine of The "Perseverance of the Saints" Is NOT Works Salvation!

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It's a huge misconception that the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is works salvation.  Some who understand the doctrine say it's best called "preservation" than "perseverance" since the perseverance here is the very work of God.  Now I would like to defend my stand against the accusation that I teach salvation by works, because I teach that true faith begets works.  I have noticed how many people today just take verses out of context, there is a lack of verse by verse preaching.  Also, please note that Lordship salvation does not equal "lose your salvation".  The lose your salvation doctrine is salvation by works, it's Arminianism nor does Lordship salvation teach that you lose your salvation every time you sin or do works to get saved... rather it's that Jesus is your Lord of your life because you are now saved and your good works are strong evidence of true conversion.  Good works means to do works with the motive of only gratitude and love for a God who saved them in spite of their sinfulness.

The 1689 Baptist Confession of faith upheld the Perseverance of the Saints:
Those whom God has accepted in the beloved, and has effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but they will certainly persevere in that state to the end and be eternally saved. This is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, and therefore He continues to beget and nourish in them faith, repentance, love, joy, hope, and all the graces of the spirit which lead to immortality. And though many storms and floods arise and beat against the saints, yet these things shall never be able to sweep them off the foundation and rock which they are fastened upon by faith. Even though, through unbelief and the temptations of Satan, the sight and feeling of the light and love of God may for a time be clouded and obscured from them, yet God is still the same, and they are sure to be kept by His power until their salvation is complete, when they shall enjoy the purchased possession which is theirs, for they are engraved upon the palm of His hands, and their names have been written in His Book of Life from all eternity. 
This perseverance of the saints does not depend on them - that is, on their own free will. It rests upon the immutability of the decree of election, which flows from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father. It also rests upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, and upon the union which true saints have with Him. - It rests upon the oath of God, and upon the abiding of His Spirit. 
- It depends upon the seed of God being within them and upon the very nature of the covenant of grace. 
- All these factors give rise to the certainty and infallibility of the security and perseverance of the saints. 
The saints may, through the temptation of Satan and the world, and because their remaining sinful tendencies prevail over them, and through their neglect of the means which God has provided to keep them, fall into grievous sins. They may continue in this state for some time, so that they incur God's displeasure, grieve His Holy Spirit, suffer the impairment of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened and their conscience wounded, and hurt and scandalise others. By this they will bring temporal judgements upon themselves. Yet they shall renew their repentance and be preserved, through faith in Christ Jesus, to the end.


On the other hand, non-Calvinists who are still sound preachers, still believe that although the perseverance is not rooted upon Unconditonal Election, Limited Atonement and Irresistible Grace but they believe that the perseverance of the saints is by God's grace, not by their self-works.  Such a doctrine is very anathema to Roman Catholicism that good works are but a product of God's grace of salvation, rather than the means to retain it.  Dr. Harry Allen Ironside a great Protestant preacher who rejected Calvinism still taught a non-Calvinist's version of the perseverance of the saints:
What about Matthew 24:13? “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Weymouth says, “He who stands firm unto the end.” 
The writer of this question recognizes that primarily this refers to the great tribulation, but it is a principle that I believe every preacher of the Word should insist on. There is no use in people professing conversion, going forward, raising their hands, going to an inquiry room, joining the church, getting baptized, taking communion, teaching a Sunday school class, doing missionary work, giving their money for Christ’s work, and going on like this for years, and then by-and-by drifting away, turning from it all, denying the Lord that bought them, refusing absolutely the authority of Jesus Christ, and yet professing to be saved. It is endurance that proves the reality of a work of grace within the soul. That is the difference between one who is merely reformed by the teaching of Christianity and one who has been born again. You see this very clearly when you contrast Peter and Judas. 
Peter slipped and sinned grievously, but in spite of it all he endured to the end. Jesus said, “I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not,” and though his outward life for a brief period was not what it should be, his faith remained, and Jesus restored him, and he went on to the end of his life until crucified for his Savior. Judas was one of the chosen, he was with the apostolic band but never was regenerated, and so when he sinned and sold his Lord, he turned away an apostate and died a suicidal death. Jesus said of him long before, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Not, “One of you is in danger of becoming a devil,” but “One of you is a devil.” And we are told: “Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place” (Acts 1:25). Peter was a backslider, Judas was an apostate, and there is a great difference between the two. If a man says, “I am saved,” let him prove it by going on. That is why I say we should not be afraid of the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. Some say, “But I knew a man who was a wonderful Christian, and now he has given it all up and says he is still saved.” He is only deceiving himself. The next time you see him you tell him that the Bible says, “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” There is no use your carrying on a profession if your life does not prove it to be real. Men can misuse any doctrine.

Even if Dr. Ironside would not agree with John Calvin on the middle three points, he may believe in Total Depravity but not the way Calvin would have believed it.  Vernon McGee though he was praised by Calvinist preachers, was against Calvinism's viewpoint.  However, McGee still upheld the perseverance of the saints though in a non-Calvinist viewpoint.

When you understand the doctrine, the perseverance of the saints is a FRUIT of salvation, not the very ROOT of it.  It's utterly ridiculous how the "Easy Christianity" movement has already watered down the Gospel to the very ridiculous point teaching that a person can, "Okay I am saved.  I can lvie the way I want.  I don't care about good works.  Oh I can sin all I want and still enter Heaven.  Can't live the way you want equals works salvation." and go ahead and still live like the Devil because they supposedly "believed" but that repentance was so shallow, so not rooted in Christ and like the seeds in shallow soil, it does not bear fruit.  The parable of the sower showed the unrepentant hearts vs. the repentant heart.  Many people who accuse me of teaching works salvation or a license to sin are probably missing the point on purpose because they love their error.  2 Thessalonians 2:11 says, "For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie."

Philippians 1:6-7 says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace."

That is is Jesus Christ now your Savior?  Then He is also your Lord and Master now you are saved.  Now that you are saved in spite of your sinfulness, does not that motivate you to do anything?  When Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10 saw Jesus, did it not change his heart?  What happened after Jesus dined with him?  It changed his heart.  After he got saved he said in Luke 19:8 saying, "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold."  What an effect the holiness of God has on the worst of sinners.  The good work has indeed begun not to get saved or to stay saved but only because you are saved.  Though the Christian is not perfect but he or she will long to be free from sin, though they may suffer regressions but they are destined to reach the finish line by the grace of God.

Again, there will be so many people who just keep missing the point.  I guess it's time to seriously challenge their heresy of a fruitless Christianity.  They can go ahead and quote Ephesians 2:8-9 but ignore verse 10, that Christians are ordained unto good works.  They teach salvation is by grace through faith to justify their heresy but ignore Titus 2:11-14 that says that God's grace changes lives.  They continue in their error that a person can get saved and still remain carnal and indifferent which is really nothing more than an out-of-context preaching.  I take no apology in calling Antinomians as lawless and wicked as the Arminians.  Both are on their way to Hellfire.


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