Perseverance of Saints

Perseverance of Saints, a doctrine necessarily resulting from the most essential part of the Calvinistic system, and therefore held by almost all who adopt the Calvinistic or Augustinian doctrines. It is advocated not only by arguments from other doctrines, as those of election, atonement, the intercession and mediatorial dominion of Christ, imputed righteousness, and regeneration, but also from many texts of Scripture, as those which declare eternal life to be always connected with believing, and those which encourage the believer to depend on the faithfulness, love, and omnipotence of God. To an objection very commonly urged against it, that it tends to make men careless concerning virtue and holiness, its advocates reply that this objection is valid only against a doctrine very different from theirs, the true doctrine of Perseverance of Saints being one of perseverance in holiness, and giving no encouragement to a confidence of final salvation which is not connected with a present and even an increasing holiness.