• ὃ — SBLGNT
• ὃ — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Nestle-Aland 27
• ὃς — Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont

• μοι — SBLGNT
• μοι — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Nestle-Aland 27, Robinson-Pierpont
• + αὐτὰ — Reader's GNT (NA27)

• πάντων μεῖζων — SBLGNT
• πάντων μεῖζων — SBLGNT, Westcott-Hort (margin)
• πάντων μεῖζόν — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Nestle-Aland 27
• μείζων πάντων — Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont

• πατρός — SBLGNT
• πατρός — Westcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27)
• + μου — Tregelles, Robinson-Pierpont

They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved. This perseverance of the saints depends, not upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free …

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Calvin expounds Christ's parable of the sheepfold. The good shepherd knows his sheep and is known by them. He has other sheep not of this fold — the Gentiles whom he will also bring in. No one takes his life from him; he lays it down of himself. "I and my Father are one" — Calvin shows this declares the un…

God's preservation of the saints in grace is consistent with their freedom, for God works in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The certainty of the saints' perseverance does not diminish but establishes the importance of the means of grace, for God has appointed these means as the channels through which His preserving grace flows.

For God, who is rich in mercy, according to the unchangeable purpose of election does not take the Holy Spirit from his own completely, even when they fall grievously. Neither does God let them fall down so far that they forfeit the grace of adoption and the state of justification, or commit the sin which leads to death (the sin against the Holy Spirit), and plunge themselves, …

This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it — a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers — is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypoc…

The Synod rejects the errors of those who teach that true believers and regenerate persons can and actually do in fact commit the sin that leads to death or sin against the Holy Spirit, and so fall from grace and perish.

We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

God finishes what He starts. If He began a good work in you, He will carry it on to completion. Spurgeon argues that the doctrine of perseverance is not a license for carelessness but the ground of assurance — the sheep of Christ shall never perish because they are held in the Father's hand. Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, can separate the believer from t…