And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Rom 5:3-6)

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. (Psalm 69:6)



Thursday, February 5, 2009

Persevering Quotes from the Christian World at Large

Persevering Quotes from The Christian World at Large
Please note that these are a compilation from various internet sources

I need to thank the following sites
http://www.thegracetabernacle.org/quotes/gracequotes.html
http://www.spurgeongems.org/iquotes.htm
It is the Holy Spirit who is causing you to persevere. In those times when you are lazy and have no enthusiasm for any Spiritual Discipline, or when you haven’t practiced a particular Discipline as you habitually do, it is the Holy Spirit who prompts you to pick it up in spite of your feelings. Left to yourself you would have forsaken these means of sustaining grace long ago, but the Holy Spirit preserves you by granting to you the grace to persevere in them. Donald Whitney Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 1991, p. 238, Used by permission of NavPress – www.navpress.com, All rights reserved. For more information please see the website www.BibicalSpirituality.org.


God uses the encouragement of the Scriptures, the hope of our ultimate salvation in glory, and the trials that He either sends or allows to produce endurance and perseverance.
Jerry BridgesThe Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 179. Used by permission of NavPress – www.navpress.com. All rights reserved.

In His infinite wisdom, God allows trials in order to develop perseverance in us and to cause us to fix our hopes on the glory that is yet to be revealed… Our faith and perseverance can grow only under the pain of trial. Jerry Bridges The Practice of Godliness, NavPress, 1996, p. 112. Used by permission of NavPress – www.navpress.com. All rights reserved.

The Puritans believed that without perseverance in the obedience of faith the result would be eternal destruction, not lesser sanctification. Therefore, since preaching and the pastoral ministry in general are a great means to the saints’ perseverance, the goal of a pastor is not merely to edify the saints but to save the saints. What is at stake on Sunday morning is not merely the upbuilding of the church but its eternal salvation. It is not hard to see why the Puritans were so serious. John Piper Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, Bethlehem Baptist Church, 2002, p. 106.

The assurance of the believer is not that God will save him even if he stops believing, but that God will keep him believing—God will sustain you in faith, he will make your hope firm and stable to the end. He will cause you to persevere. John Piper Sermon: Sustained by the Faithfulness of God, 1 Cor. 1:1-9, www.DesiringGod.org. Used by Permission.

There is no mere doctrine of “the security” of the believer, as though God’s keeping of us took place irrespective of the lives we live. Indeed there is no such thing in the New Testament as a believer whose perseverance is so guaranteed that he can afford to ignore the warning notes which are sounded so frequently. Sinclair Ferguson The Christian Life, p. 175, 1997, by permission Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA.

If I did not believe the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints, I think I should be of all men the most miserable, because I should lack any ground for comfort. C.H. Spurgeon

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is to the effect that they whom God has regenerated and effectually called to a state of grace, can neither totally nor finally fall away from that state, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved. Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 1998, p. 545.

Perseverance may be defined as that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit in the believer, by which the work of divine grace that is begun in the heart, is continued and brought to completion. It is because God never forsakes His work that believers continue to stand to the very end. Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 1998, p. 546.

The denial of the doctrine of perseverance virtually makes the salvation of man dependent on the human will rather than on the grace of God. Louis Berkhof Systematic Theology, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 1998, p. 549.

Since no condition in man determines his being chosen, because Scripture teaches unconditional election, it stands to reason that there is nothing he can do to get himself “unsaved”…because salvation is by the grace of God and not the vacillating will of man. Duane Edward Spencer TULIP, The Five Points of Calvinism in the Light of Scripture, Baker, 1979, p. 50, 52.

Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. The Canons of Dort The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine: The Perseverance of the Saints. Article 3- God’s Preservation of the Converted.

Our perseverance is a gift from God. In our salvation, God blesses us with assurance through His gift of perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5). However, many Christians lack full assurance of their salvation because their understanding of assurance is founded on the constantly changing emotions of their hearts rather than on the eternal Word of God. Burk Parsons Assured by God, P&R, 2006, p. 19-20. Used by Permission.

In our first paradise in Eden there was a way to go out but no way to go in again. But as for the heavenly paradise, there is a way to go in, but not way to go out. Richard Baxter A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 91.

There is nothing which so certifies the genuineness of a man’s faith as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadily in spite of everything. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Spiritual Depression – Its Causes and its Cures, 1965, p. 229, Used by Permission from Elizabeth Catherwood (daughter).

1 comment:

Sara-Grace said...

I love your blog..."persevering pastor" definitely caught my eye. I've grown up as a pastor's kid (and was home schooled)and I certainly know from watching my dad that it takes perseverance to be a pastor. Keep up the blogging...it is an encouragement. Someday we'll be home!