Are we familiar with this [doctrine]? There has been no doctrine brought to light by the Protestant Reformation which has given more joy and comfort and consolation to God’s people … It explains some of the greatest exploits in the annals of the Christian Church. You do not begin to understand people like the Covenanters of Scotland and the Puritans — men who gave up their lives and did so with a sense of joy and glory — except in the light of this doctrine … it is the only way of understanding some of the German Christians who could face a Hitler and defy him.
Now the Psalmist gives us a remarkable statement of that doctrine … What he is saying is, ‘You are doing this now, and you will go on doing this; and then "afterwards" — glory’. The man is not expressing a pious hope; he is absolutely certain …
This is a doctrine which is found throughout the Bible … It is the whole explanation of the heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 from Abel onward … There is a magnificent statement of the doctrine in Hebrews 11:13-16 [which] is a perfect summary of the way in which the Old Testament saints lived … It is a declaration of the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints. In the New Testament it is, as we should expect, very much clearer. And it is clearer for this good reason, that the Son of God has now been on earth and done His work, and therefore we should have a greater assurance than the Old Testament saints had. They had assurance, but we should be doubly sure. The Son of God has come down on earth and returned to heaven. He has been felt and touched and handled. We have all this evidence, and not only that, the Holy Spirit has been given in a way that was not experienced before Christ came. The effect of all this should be to make us doubly sure of this glorious and astounding doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints.
