I believe that there is a glorious element of God’s grace and work behind every point and doctrine in theology, and within this article it is my intention to magnify as much as possible this glorious element within the doctrines of Sanctification and Perseverance. These two points of theology are probably the two most experiential areas within the realm of our salvation. Namely, understanding the process of sanctification and perseverance in the life of believers is to understand what it is that each of us goes through every day of our lives, both through the heights of joy in God and the depths of our own despair. The believer’s sanctification and perseverance are arguably the closest areas of theology where we not only see but taste the glory of God’s grace.

The doctrine of sanctification has been defined by the Westminster Catechism as “…the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” Sanctification is both being eternally sanctified (positional, never changing) by Christ’s perfect and complete work; and secondly, it is what is called “progressive sanctification,” which is the process of being made more and more holy (conformed to the image of Christ), enabling one to come into more conformity and obedience to God’s will over time. This, being the work of God, is the very thing that encompasses our daily lives. We have times of obedience and times of failure; growth in Christ, yet often only after months of spiritual dryness. The central element within this process is that, by the grace and working of God, the seasons of dryness will become shorter lived and consumed by the years of the flooding spring of God’s Spirit and grace.

One will also find that this “work of God’s free grace” is something in which we partake of in many facets of our heart and will. The idea of working out “your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) and denying oneself of sin and submitting to God is very real; yet, the basis or foundation for these acts, is that God is the one who is working and willing in us to do these very things (Philippians 2:13).

When speaking of perseverance, or more completely, perseverance of the saints, the closest parallel to this doctrine is what we Baptists call “eternal security.” However, the latter title can be misleading and deceptive. We are not secure eternally because of some act of profession, faith, or card signing. Rather, believers born of God will never completely and finally fall away from God so as to perish forever, because they will persevere to the end in matters of faith towards God; all of which is based on the grace of God keeping them from stumbling (Jude 24) (although many will have seasons of faithlessness and sin).

The overarching theme of perseverance shouldn’t be the believer persevering, but the believer’s preservation by God. The concept of being eternally saved is grounded not on a one time act you have done (faith), but on the covenant faithfulness of God to Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). Paul writes, “…may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame…Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). In seasons of struggle and seemingly unconquerable sin, turn not to yourself but to God’s faithfulness to sanctify and preserve you complete.

Will Uminn, Kevin Farmer, Phil Meade, Dana Arledge