Perseverance of the Saints

Definition and Meaning

Perseverance means "to endure steadfastly." In theology, however, the emphasis falls less on the believer's own power to hold on than on God's keeping of the saints to the end. For this reason the doctrine is also called the "preservation of the saints." According to this doctrine, those who have been justified through true faith may fall into sin for a time, but they are ultimately restored in grace and attain final salvation. It is the last of the five points of Calvinism and is closely connected with the doctrine of predestination.

Biblical and Historical Background

Those who accept this doctrine point to passages such as John 10:28-29, Romans 8:38-39, and Philippians 1:6. These verses are read as teaching that God brings to completion the salvation He has begun. Opponents cite warning passages such as Hebrews 6:4-6, Hebrews 10:26-29, and 1 Corinthians 10:12, holding that the possibility of falling away from the faith is real.

Augustine regarded perseverance to the end as itself a gift of God. During the Reformation, John Calvin carried this idea forward. When the Arminian party left the question open in the Remonstrance of 1610, the Canons of Dort (1618–1619) formally defined the doctrine of perseverance. The Westminster Confession of Faith likewise devotes a separate chapter to it. By contrast, the Lutheran tradition and Wesleyan theology have taught that believers can lose their salvation by rejecting grace.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Presbyterian: Denominations that adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith as their doctrinal standard generally accept perseverance as official teaching. Preachers frequently present it as a ground for assurance of salvation and comfort. At the same time, they stress the fruit of sanctification as the mark of a true believer.
• Methodist and Holiness: Denominations in the Wesleyan tradition, such as the Korean Methodist Church and the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church, hold that believers can backslide and fall from grace. They therefore tend to emphasize continual repentance and a holy life.
• Pentecostal: Pentecostal denominations such as the Korea Assemblies of God are generally understood, much like the Wesleyan tradition, to emphasize the believer's responsibility to respond.
• Baptist: One strand within Baptist churches accepts the doctrine of eternal security ("once saved, always saved") while rejecting the other points of Calvinism. Views vary, however, from church to church and from pastor to pastor.

Even denominations that accept the doctrine of perseverance warn against using it to justify a life without repentance. The issue continues to be discussed as part of the debate over predestination and free will.