TUESDAY, APRIL 11
1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Romans 8:28-39

"Who shall also confirm
you unto the end..."

THE PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS

1 Corinthians 1:8 tells us that God Himself will "confirm" (i.e. secure) believers unto the end, keeping them "blameless" until the Jesus’ return. The Greek term for "blameless" is a legal term, speaking of how a man is free from reproach before a judge. Christ’s righteousness is imputed upon us, thus we are settled and secure in blamelessness for all eternity. This is known as the preservation of the saints. God is faithful to all His promises. Thus, we can be perfectly sure that God will keep our salvation unto the very end!

A restatement of this truth is found in Romans 8:28-30: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." This is often termed the "Golden Chain of Salvation." It classifies the verses into seven items: (1) Love towards God; (2) God’s good providence; (3) God’s foreknowledge; (4) His predestination of the elect to sonship; (5) His calling of them; (6) His justification of them; (7) His glorification of them. Buswell expounded on this further, "The seven items… form a closely woven fabric through which there are no apertures. Those who love God are those who have been called, predestinated, according to His [eternal] purpose; and they have been divinely appointed for all the benefits of grace, from justification through to glorification. There is no escape from this closely woven web. If one is within it, he is securely within it, for there is no break in its meshes from the eternal decrees to eternal glory." Herein lies a grand statement concerning the preservation of the saints. Not one child of God shall be lost. What a wonderful assurance and comfort to our souls especially in times of distress!

THOUGHT: God will preserve me till I reach the heavenly shores.
PRAYER: Lord, I thank Thee that Thou will keep me to the end.