The Doctrine of Perseverance

I want to end with a doctrine of perseverance and help to explain to us how to hold fast, because this command in chapter 3 and verse 6 to hold fast to Christ is really illuminating a particular doctrine that we all should be familiar with, and that is the doctrine of perseverance. It's a high calling of the called to hold fast. True members of God, they really, truly remain faithful and endure to the end. Hebrews chapter 3, verse 14 says, "We have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end." Hebrews chapter 10, verse 23 says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering." Now this is a very important point for you to be able to hold fast without wavering, because Hebrews 10:23 goes on to say, "For He who promised is faithful."

He who promised is faithful. Okay? Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is faithful, not forsaking, and then as well moving on, speaking to us and how we continue to assemble and remain faithful, but focusing upon Christ in you, this hope that we hold fast to. This doctrine is not teaching that believers persevere on their own. Perseverance is their part, but preserving is God's part. And so the doctrine of perseverance could be better explained by God's preserving you. It's Christ in you, the hope of glory. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6 explains it like this: "I am sure of this," okay, this confidence, "that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." This is confidence in Christ working in you, and then you simply respond and remain faithful.

This doctrine teaches that true people of God will persevere to the end. They will remain faithful. They're not going to shrink back from Christ. They're not going to remain away from Him. If they do, they repent and bounce back. Those who leave us weren't really among us or of us. First John chapter 2, verse 19 says, "They went out from us, but were not really of us. For if they would have been of us, they would have remained till the end."

And this really then, by way of application, speaks to our union in Christ. Our union means God brought us into Him, and He keeps what He saved. And we keep ourselves in Him. He preserves us as we persevere in Him. His power works in us as we strive according to His power. He is faithful to fulfill His promises in us as we are faithful to remain in His promises. God helps us as we rely on His help. He maintains us as we work on being maintained in Him, and He guides our walk as we walk in Him. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is how we are to hold fast in Christ.

I want to leave you with a few appeals and take-home truths to think on how you can apply these truths to your life. Number one, hold fast to your household. If you're going to hold fast, then you're going to need encouragement through all kinds of trials to be able to endure.

And in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 25, it says, "Not forsaking our own assembly, but encouraging one another." You need other people. No person can do this alone. God did not design you to be able to thrive alone. He designed the local church and gave various gifts to various people to work together to achieve God's will in and through your life. It literally necessitates the local church.

You must be in church. If you can't be in church, start a home church. Worship God. Read, pray, sing. You've got to be worshiping God. You've got to be in church. You've got to have church. You've got to worship together. The people have to come together. Hold fast to our household.

I know I'm biased. I hope you are too, but I love our household. I love this particular local church. We've eliminated all the unnecessary things and unscriptural things over the years and are simply doing what needs to be done according to what the Scriptures say. And so everything that we do, you can have confidence in participating in, because it is achieving what God's will is in your life.

And so hold fast to this local church. A church then is the pillar and the support of truth. First Timothy 3:15 says, "God's household, the church, the pillar and support of truth."