Day 229

Of Perseverance of the Saints.

Chapter 17, Paragraph 2.

“…and the nature of the Covenant of Grace from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.”

Scripture Lookup

Jeremiah 32:40

Reflection

Election by the Father, intercession by the Son, and the abiding of the Spirit all give great hope that those who are in Christ will persevere to the end. All of these actions by God are the unfolding of the Covenant of Grace. What is the Covenant of Grace? It was defined for us in chapter 7:

…it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offereth unto Sinners, Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them Faith in him, that they may be saved; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life, his holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

How do we know that we will persevere to the end? Because the Covenant of Grace insures it. God has deigned to save a people, and has entered into covenant with those people. In this covenant none shall be lost, for the Lord Himself guarantees that He will save them. It is impossible to be a part of the Covenant of Grace and break away from it – for that to happen would prove God impotent and a liar, characteristics utterly foreign to His being. Instead, the power and word of God carry the believer to eternal salvation. Not a one will he will lose (John 6:39).

This is why all exhortations to believers to do good works, to flee from sin, to press onward, must be grounded in the reality that perseverance is assured by God through His covenant. No matter how hard we strive, our own actions can only be a result of God working in us to will and do that which is good. There is no room for pride on our part. Looking to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling, we find strength to do good, for He is able to make us stand in the presence of His glory. All the glory belongs to Him!

Questions to Consider

• How does knowing about the Covenant of Grace aid you in your Christian walk?