Why Do Some Persevere in the Faith and Not Others?

This video addresses the question: why do some people persevere in the faith, while others do not? I address the question of election, reprobation, and the gift of perseverance. Are Lutherans Calvinists or Arminians on this question?

[redeemedzoomer]

As a Calvinist, I kind of agree that if you're saved, it's because of God, and if you're not, it's because of you (unless you're a supralapsarian which I find disgusting). Lutherans and Calvinists would agree that "if you're not saved it's cuz of you" but the Lutherans would say specifically "it's because you resisted God's saving grace" and the Calvinists would say "it's because of the fall"

[lc-mschristian]

Very well stated. Thank you for staying within Scripture alone. This, to me, is one of the beauties of the Confessional Lutheran Church. God's peace be with you.

[henrka]

Both Calvin and Augustine would say that those that fall from the faith do so willfully, of their own volition. But they would also say that the reason for it is that God did not give those believers the gift of perseverance, I.e. God do not provide sufficient grace for those people to stay in the faith and gave them up to their own free will or desires. The only difference between Augustine and Calvin is that it appears Augustine would say that those believers that fall from the faith were regenerate, while Calvin would teach they were unregenerate. The second difference is that Augustine taught that is impossible to know who are the elect that will persevere and who are the believers that would fall from the faith, while Calvin taught it is not only possible but desirable and beneficiary for a believer to know he is one of the elect.

[iliakorchagin]

I can appreciate the Lutheran tradition wrestling honestly with this question. Dr. Cooper is right that this answer won't be satisfying for everyone (like me, someone who came into, not out of the Reformed tradition). But this view would've still been nice to know when I was first wrestling with these issue

[nick.s.c]

I give up YouTube videos for lent, and you just keep posting such awesome topics 😪. I will have a lot to catch up on after Easter.

[AJMacDonaldJr]

The very fact of falling away from the love of God by sin, does not work unto the good of all those who love God, which is evident in the case of those who fall and never rise again, or who rise and fall yet again; but only to the good of “such as according to His purpose are called to be saints, ” viz. the predestined, who, however often they may fall, yet rise again finally. Consequently good comes of their falling, not that they always rise again to greater grace, but that they rise to more abiding grace, not indeed on the part of grace itself, because the greater the grace, the more abiding it is, but on the part of man, who, the more careful and humble he is, abides the more steadfastly in grace. Hence the same gloss adds that “their fall conduces to their good, because they rise more humble and more enlightened.”

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (Part III, Question 89, Article 2, Reply to Objection 1)

[anthonyj.castellitto]

I recommend Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther. It's why I am Reformed.

[cunjoz]

if those who persevere do in fact perservere because of the gift of God, than that gift is at least a necessary cause of their persevererance.

if you take away the necessary cause you can't produce the effect.

therefore, without the said gift, one cannot perservere.

if it is God who from his own good will gives that gift to whom he wills then that means that those who don't perservere have in fact not perservered precisely because God chose not to give them that gift.

[JW_______]

The crux, the key, the essential point for understanding this, is that perseverance in faith is not a "work" as Paul uses that term when he makes clear that we are saved not by works but by faith. God gives all the grace necessary to be saved, but some choose to reject that grace and fail to persevere

[pjwg]

I agree with the confessions that the elect can be defined as those who are finally saved, but I see this only as the definition under the foreknowledge of God, the hidden God.
Ministerially, a pastor can only define the elect as those who believe/have faith, have been born again. This is how Paul talks about the elect; when writing to the Ephesians he makes no qualifications, but addresses the whole congregation as the elect.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m thinking that we should define the elect as those who have faith. Is someone falls away, we don’t necessarily need to change the definition, rather we leave it as a mystery. My concern is that if we stick with a strict definition of those who have the gift of preservation, than we run into this problem where we can not honestly preach the promises of election to all believers, since we now have two “categories” of believes, temporally saved and the elect.

[EmV-sieu]

If the latter case is true where God has not given the gift of financial perseverance, then one would have to inescapably conclude that the High Priestley Prayer of Jesus in John 17 for all believers has either failed or the Father for the first and only time denied the prayer of His Divine Son! A big problem for Lutherans and Arminians, and Roman Catholics I would presume?

[SnowBorn]

You say that one leaves the faith because they willfully refuse to repent and choose to apostatize from the faith?
How does a Christian, if God chooses them, willfully choose repentance and remain in the faith?

And if this is God's work (that we remain in the faith), why do some fall away?

[aaronwagner]

Thank you for posting. I went to TIU for my undergrad and Knox (Reformed) Seminary. However, I have come to accept Lutheran doctrine - and Sacramental theology. I and my family are attending membership classes in an LCMS church now. However, I seem to struggle with the idea of monergism and synergism. While salvation is the work of God it still seems like there is work for us to do (Phil. 2:12). Perhaps you can further clarify this difference. Maybe you have a video on this already? Blessings to you. Thank you for your videos.

[lorenzell]

If you read Luther more you might understand the issue. Predestination brings a person to be converted. It does not guarantee ultimate salvation. There are many many texts that warn all Christians to take heed lest you fall. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

[irsshill]

What if someone loses their memories. Instead of apostasying in his heart.

[victorcritelli]

Here is what I don't understand why do Calvinists feel like they can pick and choose when and how and to what level of Calvinism they want to apply
and explain away its contradictions with this baloney
and when even that fails just call it a mystery like a catholic
Why not just believe the scripture, When it calls for us to persevere, IN Faith And in Confession to the end, and to drop the false once saved always saved and give God glory

[Heythere]

I have an honest question, not trying to be difficult. If God preserves and perseveres us by His grace but we can reject it by continuing in unrepentant (or as you say, mortal) sin, isn’t that sin having dominion over us? If we are not under the law but under grace then how could any sin separate us from God? (Romans 6:14)

[doraashby]

Thank you for your this video! I know I’m truly saved. Do Lutherans distinguish between venial and mortal sins like Catholics do?

[jimkraft]

Second Timothy 2:13. If we believe not, (after we have once believed) He abideth faithful, He cannot deny Himself. Ephesians 1:13-14. Ephesians 4:30. We are saved by a one time faith alone in Christ alone, apart from any works. Romans 3:26-28. We have nothing to boast in.

Romans 4:5. Faith apart from works. Faith is not a work. And the GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE. Romans 6:23. Not faith, and not a reward for good behavior, but a free gift.

First John 2:2. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD John 3:18. John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, that WHOSOEVER, believeth in Him, should not perish, but HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. John 6:40, and John 6:29.

[Zorlig]

God takes his hand away from those who return to sin