In his commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith chapter 17 (or as he calls it, "chapter XVII"), A.A. Hodge provides these helpful clarifications to the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints:
1) ...the true doctrine is not that salvation is certain if we have once believed, but that perseverance in holiness is certain if we have truly believed.[Emphases original; the Presbyterian Curmudgeon prefers tasteful understatement.]
2) The certainty... of an individual's salvation is known to him only through the fact of his perseverance in holiness.
3) This doctrine teaches, not that persistent effort on our part is not necessary in order to secure perseverance in grace to the end, but that in this effort we are certain of success; for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
1 comment:
I love this.
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