1689 London Baptist Confession
1. Those whom God hath accepted in the beloved, effectually called and
sanctified by his Spirit, and given the precious faith of his elect unto, can neither
totally nor finally fall from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to
the end, and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and callings of God are without
repentance, whence he still begets and nourisheth in them faith, repentance, love, joy,
hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality; and though many storms and floods
arise and beat against them, yet they shall never be able to take them off that foundation
and rock which by faith they are fastened upon; notwithstanding, through unbelief and the
temptations of Satan, the sensible sight of the light and love of God may for a time be
clouded and obscured from them, yet he is still the same, and they shall be sure to be
kept by the power of God unto salvation, where they shall enjoy their purchased
possession, they being engraven upon the palm of his hands, and their names having been
written in the book of life from all eternity.
( John
10:28, 29; Philippians
1:6; 2
Timothy 2:19; 1
John 2:19; Psalms
89:31, 32; 1
Corinthians 11:32; Malachi
3:6 )
2. This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the
immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God
the Father, upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ and union with
him, the oath of God, the abiding of his Spirit, and the seed of God within them, and the
nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and
infallibility thereof.
( Romans
8:30 Romans
9:11, 16; Romans
5:9, 10; John
14:19; Hebrews
6:17, 18; 1
John 3:9; Jeremiah
32:40 )
3. And though they may, through the temptation of Satan and of the world, the prevalency
of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of means of their preservation, fall into
grievous sins, and for a time continue therein, whereby they incur God's displeasure and
grieve his Holy Spirit, come to have their graces and comforts impaired, have their hearts
hardened, and their consciences wounded, hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal
judgments upon themselves, yet shall they renew their repentance and be preserved through
faith in Christ Jesus to the end.
( Matthew
26:70, 72, 74; Isaiah
64:5, 9; Ephesians
4:30; Psalms
51:10, 12; Psalms
32:3, 4; 2
Samuel 12:14; Luke
22:32, 61, 62 )
For further study:
"Baptist Roots in America: The Historical Background of Reformed Baptists in America", Samuel E. Waldron, Simpson Publishing Co. (1991)
"A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith", Samuel E. Waldron, Evangelical Press, 1989
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