Perversion of Perseverance

It has come to my attention that this doctrine of Perseverance of the Saints, which the reformed faith holds, has become a misunderstood doctrine. There are two ways in which I've seen this done:

I. "Once saved always saved."

Okay on the surface this statement doesn't seem so objectable. Without thinking about this saying in greater depth, it almost seems to be saying the same thing as Perseverance of the Saints. But I wholly disagree with this assertion, because what lies beneath this is the idea that once a person declares themself saved or a pastor/youth leader/friend declares them saved, then no matter how they live they are saved no matter what and what normally follows this witness of men is "don't ever doubt it."

Objection 1
Nowhere in the bible does it tell someone to be so sure of their salvation that, even if they commit henious sins repeatedly with no signs of penitence or godly-sorrow, they should never question it. In fact the complete opposite:

2 Corinthians 13:5:
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified."

2 Peter 1:10:
"Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble."

(also see Phillippians 2:12)

Objection 2
If you are a justified sinner, you will not live how you please, fulfilling all of your fleshly lusts and desires with the name of Jesus Christ stamped to your back. The whole argument in itself is a contradiction, to be a Christian = To be Christ-Like, think of the logical fallacy. You might as well say to Jesus, "thanks alot for suffering and dying for me, saving my wretched soul, imputing your righteousness to my account...but I don't really feel like bothering with You or listening to You until I get to heaven."

1 John 1:6:
"If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."

1 John 2:4:
"He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."

II. "Perseverance of the Saints, means that the saints do enough good works to maintain their salvation by 'persevering themself.'"

The idea is that the Reformers or "Calvinists" believe that you must somehow maintain enough works by your own power to be considered a Christian. That final perseverance is by the will of the saint, and if you don't do enough "good works" you are not a Christian.

Objection 1
I know of no reformer past or present who would ever make you believe that it is by your good works and your power that you have maintained the faith. In fact it is the complete antithesis, Free Will Baptist who are Arminian have this in their statement of faith:

"Since man, continues to have free choice, it is possible because of temptations and the weakness of human flesh for him to fall into the practice of sin and to make shipwreck of his faith and be lost." (Confession of Free Will Baptist)

The Arminian holds to the fact that if you do not maintain good works and you fall into sin that it is possible for you to lose your salvation and you must once again regain it back, knowlingly yet unknowlingly (as paradoxal as it may seem) preach a gospel of works based salvation.

Objection 2
The Reformed faith believes that a Christian is reborn, justified, SANCTIFIED, and glorified by grace. From first to last it is the work of God who is "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Reformers had a much bigger idea of grace, in that it would preserve the saint until the day he died, God would never allow for that Christian to fall away because of any sin, but would maintain him/her by His grace.

Objection 3
Because of this grace of God, who bestows His Holy Spirit upon the believer, He gives them the power and ability to "persevere" in faith, and to obey, to be led by Him, to love God and the brethren, and to give up their life for the cause of Christ Jesus if necessary. God maintains us in a state of grace, and if He were to by any means let us fall from grace (which He won't) we would fall utterly and miserably back into sin.

The reason that the Christian "perseveres" at all is because of the grace of God, period. If for any reason someone should tell you that a Christian does anything by himself apart from God's grace and apart from giving God all the glory, then they didn't get it from a reformer even if they say they did.

For those who do not believe that a Christian should persevere (Rev. 2:3) or run the race before us (Hebrews 12:1, 1 Cor. 9:24), or keep the hope (Romans 5:3-5, 12:12, Hebrews 3:6). If you do not believe a Christian should obey or follow Christ til death. Then you must tell the Christians who died in the Coliseum, the Scottish Covenanters, the French Huguenots, the people in China and Middle East right now, who have bled and died for the gospel truth and for Jesus Christ, that they are doing something wrong. That there is no need to persevere, that there is no reason to follow the commandments of Christ Jesus. Then we will have to see how far the Gospel will be taken.

But until then may the saints persevere in obedience, hope, faith and love until the end.