What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Final Perseverance of the Saints?

What is the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints is "the greatest statement, even in the scripture itself" about the certainty of salvation for true believers. This doctrine teaches that those whom God has truly saved will continue in faith until the end and will not fall away. It's "the most comforting and consoling and encouraging doctrine of all," as Lloyd-Jones describes it, because it assures believers of their eternal security in Christ.

Why do many Christians struggle with the doctrine of final perseverance?

Many Christians struggle with this doctrine because, as Lloyd-Jones explains, "we have an adversary who, above everything else, is concerned to rob us of our joy." He notes that "you can never have true joy unless you've got assurance, unless you've got certainty." There are also numerous scripture passages that seem to contradict this doctrine, with Lloyd-Jones mentioning that one modern American author had listed 85 verses that appear to challenge the concept of eternal security.

What principles does Lloyd-Jones recommend for interpreting difficult Bible passages?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones recommends several principles for interpreting difficult passages:

1. "Start always with the great, unambiguous, explicit statements" of Scripture
2. "Take all difficult statements in the light of these"
3. Remember that "Scripture never contradicts Scripture"
4. "Let the Scripture speak to us" without jumping to conclusions
5. Pay careful attention to context, which is "the most important thing of all in the interpretation of the scriptures"
6. Recognize when passages refer to churches rather than individuals
7. Understand when passages refer to office and function rather than personal salvation

How does Lloyd-Jones explain 1 Corinthians 9:27 about Paul being "cast away"?

Lloyd-Jones explains that when Paul speaks of being "cast away" in 1 Corinthians 9:27, he is not referring to losing his salvation but to being "disapproved" in his ministry and service. The entire context of 1 Corinthians 9 deals with Paul's apostolic office and ministry. The word translated as "cast away" actually means "disapproved" - indicating Paul's concern that despite preaching to others, his own ministerial work might be judged as unworthy of reward.

Lloyd-Jones connects this to 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul distinguishes between a minister's work being "burned" (disapproved) while "he himself shall be saved." This interpretation aligns with Paul's consistent expressions of assurance about his own salvation elsewhere in his writings.

How does Lloyd-Jones interpret the vine and branches passage in John 15?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers two possible interpretations of the vine and branches passage in John 15:

1. It may refer to office and function rather than personal salvation - Jesus is addressing the disciples specifically about their future ministry and service.

2. If taken as referring to personal salvation, it distinguishes between true and false professors in the visible church:

3. The branches that bear no fruit and are cut off represent people who appeared to be in Christ but never truly were
4. True branches bear fruit because of their genuine connection to the vine
5. The fruitless branches "have never borne any fruit at all" because they were never truly regenerated

Lloyd-Jones draws parallels to Matthew 7:15-23 (false prophets) and Romans 11 (branches broken off from the olive tree), showing that these passages consistently distinguish between true and false professors of faith.

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the difference between the visible and invisible church?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that within the visible church (all who profess faith and join the church), there are two types of people who initially appear identical. He says, "All the members of Westminster Chapel at first seem to be exactly the same. They've all got their names on the same church roll," but there are "two types of people with their names on the same roll."

The key difference is that genuine believers bear spiritual fruit, while those who merely profess faith without regeneration cannot bear true fruit. He cites 1 John 2:19: "They went out from us because they were not of us. If they were truly of us, no doubt they would have continued with us." The branches that are thrown out never bore fruit because "they've never been regenerated, and therefore couldn't bear fruit."