"Security of the Believer and Perseverance of the Saints"

In Hebrews 11, a series of testimonies is found that reflects on men and

women of God whose faith enabled them to endure afflictions for the Lord's sake and in turn their faith was increased and strengthened. The chapter is given to a description of the experiences and persecutions these giants of the faith endured. In chapter 12, the writer then admonishes." Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us'' (12:13).

Those godly men and women dramatically manifested true saving faith by what is commonly called "the perseverance of the saints." From a different perspective, it is called the security of the believer." The doctrine, "perseverance of the saints," views reality from man's viewpoint, while the doctrine of the "security of the believer" reveals Gods viewpoint. It is God's part in this marvelous reality that always precedes that of man. It is God's provision of security that makes possible His peoples perseverance. The Bible makes clear that no person who comes to God in saving faith will ever be separated from the Savior.

First of all, we are secure because the power of God. ''I give eternal life to

them,'' says Jesus of His sheep, "and they shall never perish and no one will never snatch them out of my hand " (John 10;28 ; cf. 6:39). As if His own divine assurance were not enough, He added, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one in able to snatch them out of the Fathers hand" (10:29).

Second, we are secure because of the promise and prayers of Christ. In His high priestly prayer shortly before His arrest, He said to His Father, "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled" (John 17:23 ; cf. 18:19). He told Peter, ''Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31-32). Jesus intercedes for us in heaven today. We believers "have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, (1 John 2: 1), our Great High Priest, who is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb: 7:25).

Third, we are secure because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. He is "the

Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. [He is] the Holy Spirit of God, by whom [we] were sealed for the day of redemption (Eph.3:14; 4:30). He is the other Helper, whom Christ sent to "be with [us] forever" (John 14:16) after His ascension to the Father,

The whole Trinity secures believers, so that no one who believes in the Lord will ever be lost. God preserves His people from apostasy, from defection from the faith. However serious the sin they may fall into, they will never sin themselves out of God's kingdoms. Even the Old Testament saints had that assurance (Psalms 37:28; 41:2; 97:10 ; cf. 116:6). Gladly and without shame Paul endured great suffering for his Lord, because he said, "I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day" (2 Tim.1:12). "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed," he testified in the closing of that letter, "and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom." (4:18; cf. 1 Pet.1:5; Jude 1:24).

One of the means to triumphant perseverance in trials is an understanding mind as shown in the paragraph above. There, Paul used the word ginosko, to know. Ginosko carries the idea of full understanding of something that is beyond the merely factual. This type of ''knowing" often comes from personal experience. Jesus used this word in the parable of the fig tree, saying, "When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near (Mark 13:28, emphasis added). Paul uses a form of this word twice in Romans l ("is knowing'' v.19 and ''knew'' v.2 I) when declaring that even ungodly pagans have an observable knowledge of God that is revealed through His creation (Rom I: 19-21).

As Christian, we know from our experience, as well as from God's word, "That the testing of our faith produces endurance." We have learned that His promise is indeed true, for, after we have endured suffering, affliction, or testing, we have discovered that our trust in the Lord is not only intact, but is all the stronger for the testing. As noted above, eternal security enables the endurance and perseverance of believers. ''He who endures to the end, he will be saved," said Jesus (Matt. 24.13). On another occasion Christ told His disciples "If you abide in My word, you are truly disciples of Mine (John 8:31). Paul told the believers at Corinth that if their faith was not in vain; if it was genuine, it would be proven by their holding fast to the Lord (1 Cor.15:1-2).

By its very nature and God's divine provision, saving faith is permanent faith. Endurance, or perseverance, is a means by which security is worked out and is a certain evidence, of it. Perseverance is inseparable from holiness. A life that is consistently immoral and unspiritual cannot possibly persevere because it does not belong to God, does not have His divine protection, and has no real desire to persevere in the faith. The lack of desire to persevere in the faith is the reason the writer of Hebrews tells us that true partakers of Christ will hold fast to the end and they are to ''pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification [holiness] without which no one will see the Lord" (12:14). Godly Job understood that "the righteous shall hold to his way, and he who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger "(Job 17: 9). "Pursuit of holiness" is almost a synonym for perseverance.