An Introduction to the Doctrine of the Preservation of the Saints

David Norczyk
4 min readSep 1, 2022

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Can you lose your salvation? This is a common question among new believers and those who have not matured much in the Christian faith. The false teacher says, “Yes, you can lose your salvation.” Therefore, the truth is that you cannot lose it.

First, “your” salvation does not belong to you; it belongs to God (Ps 3:8; Jon 2:9; Rev 19:1). It is in His will and determination from beginning to end (Rom 8:30). It rests in His predetermined plan (Acts 2:23). Salvation is secured by Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary (Eph 5:25; 1 Pet 2:24); and it is applied by the baptism, regeneration, and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who never leaves nor forsakes the adopted child of God (Rom 8:15, 23; Heb 13:5).

Second, an entire doctrine informs us of this impossible phenomenon of lost salvation. The subject is sometimes called “perseverance of the saints,” “preservation of the saints,” or “eternal security.” The latter term is not preferred because it makes no mention of the saints. There is a false assurance (examine yourself!) and certainly no assurance for hypocrites.

Third, there is confusion on the subject because of Arminianism. God gives blessed assurance of salvation to His people in His Word. Arminianism robs the saint of assurance, by making the entire work of salvation dependent on totally depraved, sinful man (Gen 6:5; Is 64:6; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10–12; Eph 2:1–3, 12).

Arminianism is the man-centered theology that teaches conditionality. This erroneous teaching claims that God, through a conditional covenant, has given His sovereign will and sovereign work of salvation over to humanity. This is what puts man into the spotlight, while displacing our Triune God. The Arminian claims God has done a wonderful thing by giving man the choice to be saved, or not, by man’s own free will decision.

Man’s free will (a myth) becomes the decision center for man’s destiny in eternity. The wicked heart (Jer 17:9) and futile double-mind (Eph 4:17; Jas 1:8) of the natural man (1 Cor 2:14), who cannot understand nor accept the things of the Spirit of God because He is dead in His trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), having a sin nature (Eph 2:3), is the one who chooses to let Jesus save him or not.

Having made oneself a Christian, the wise and powerful decision maker must now sustain himself in Christ, making sure he has no unconfessed sin, on the day of his death, which he does not know. Obviously, he lives in great fear of death and judgment all the days of his life.

Seeing this consequence, the Arminian is quick to lessen the standard of the Law or God’s judgment, and even some Arminians will obligate God, to have to save those who freely chose Christ. In this, they once again maintain man’s sovereignty over God in salvation. These ideas, of course, are blasphemous.

In truth, God’s eternal purpose in Christ (Eph 3:11) is to save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21). In time, God calls His predestined, elect people into communion with His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. By the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the Bible, God’s call is effectual, when the Spirit opens the heart of the elect to respond to the Gospel call (Acts 16:14; 2 Cor 4:6).

Whereas sin reigned in the unregenerate soul (Rom 5:21), Christ does not submit to the domain of darkness, nor the dominion of sin. If Christ is now Lord, there is no room for another lord, such as sin or Satan. At best, these displaced despots are now merely sporadic terrorists working against the Christian. Christ’s sheep have this assurance from Jesus Christ, “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (Jn 10:28).” We are kept by the power of God, while we wait for the blessed hope of His coming (Titus 2:13; 1 Pet 1:5).

We wait in the grace of holiness (Ezra 9:8; 2 Cor 1:12; 2 Tim 1:9), for we are to be holy (1 Pet 1:16), as ordered in election (Eph 1:4) and realized in redemption (Eph 5:25–26). The Spirit of holiness indwells the Christian, and this is the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor 3:17); therefore, the Antinomian is refuted in his teaching and rebuked in his licentious living. We are called to holiness, not lawlessness (2 Cor 7:1).

In the same way that grace does not give anyone license to sin, grace does not perfect the saint before the day of glory. Christians are preserved in an imperfect state. Although we have been delivered from the reign of sin and its eternal consequences, we remain in a sinful world and in bodies of sin.

Christian, as a slave of Christ (Eph 6:6), serving righteousness (Rom 6:18), you continue to live by faith in Christ (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 2:20), who has made gracious promises, and who is doing good works in you (Phil 2:13). Nothing can separate you from His love (Rom 8:35–39) and His commitment to finish the good work He has begun in you (Phil 1:6). You have His Word that He will perfect you on the Day of His coming. You will persevere until then, by His power and grace in sovereign preservation. Be sure of that.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

September 1, 2022

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David Norczyk
David Norczyk

Written by David Norczyk

Some random theologian out West somewhere, Christian writer, preacher

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