§2739For St. Paul, this trust is bold, founded on the prayer of the Spirit in us and on the faithful love of the Father who has given us his only Son.31 Transformation of the praying heart is the first response to our petition.

2. But I have used none of these things: What then if you have not used them now, says one, but intendest to use them at a future time, and on this account sayest these things. Far from it; for he speedily corrected the notion, thus saying; And I write not these things that it may be so done in my case. And see with what vehemence he disavows and repels the thing: For it were g…

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. This is the pinnacle of the epistle. Calvin shows the golden chain of salvation: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification. The Spirit of adoption enables believers to cry Abba, Father. All things work together for good to them that love God. If God be for us, who can be against…

Q. How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us? A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

Concerning this preservation of the elect to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith, by which they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

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 without a special revelation we can have no certainty of future perseverance in this life. For by this teaching the well-founded comfort of true believers in this life is taken away and the doubts of the Romanists are reintroduced into the church. Holy Scripture, however, frequently draws this assurance not from a special and…

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…