My article may sound a little strange but it is just another way of putting what the Baptist of old called “the perseverance of the saints,” and what Christ called “enduring to the end” (Matthew 24). The “New Baptist” of our day have concocted something entirely different, they speak in terms of “once saved, always saved.” I have no problem with the eternal security of the saints, but I do have a problem with the “once saved, always saved” idea in that there appears to me to be a misconception of what “saved” means. Salvation is not a profession of faith and a name on a Baptist Church Membership Roll. Over the forty-seven years of preaching and pastoring I have talked to a great number of poor souls who are living with a foggy idea that a profession of faith, baptism, and church membership some ten, fifteen and twenty years ago is salvation. It doesn’t seem to disturb them that soon after that point of time they have lived with very little, if any change, of life and attitude or interest in the things of God. These people may continue for years and never darken the door of the church, may never read their Bibles, never pray; with the exception of when some crisis in life appears. One of the most vital doctrines that Jesus of Nazareth taught was the doctrine of spiritual union and communion with Him. He does this in John chapter six. After having set forth this union with Himself, brought about by the sovereign will and power of His Father in verses 44 and 45, He says in verses 53 and 54, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” The thought of “eating and drinking” the flesh and blood of Christ is in the present continuing mode. Just as necessary for our physical sustenance as our daily food, so is our spiritual sustenance necessary as we commune with Him through the Word of Christ, the Bible. Christ was not talking about cannibalism; He is speaking of daily communion with Him through the Holy Scriptures, which set forth that doctrine of His Person and Work. He concludes that it is those alone who participate in a persevering way that have “life with Him.” He also speaks to His people and compares them to sheep in John chapter ten. He says in verse four that they “know His voice and follow Him.” His voice is His Word, His doctrine, the Truth of Who He is and what He accomplished for them as their Substitute. His sheep grow, prosper and persevere in these things. They never lose interest, nor cease to be satisfied with learning of Him, walking with Him, and abiding in Him. They are those that “keep on, keeping on.”
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