It is Friday today, and we have a question from Pete Killingley in the UK.

Dear Pastor John, thank you for your ministry.

I've listened to every one of your APJ episodes and have found them to be a great blessing.

My question is this.

I understand the Bible to teach that a true Christian is one who perseveres to the end.

And in the sad circumstances where someone professes faith, but then falls away, they were

never truly a Christian.

For myself, I fully believe that I've been saved by Christ, and I see the fruit of this

in my life, however, as a long-time pastor.

I'm sure you know of people who would also have been convinced that they were truly

born again, would have appeared to bear fruit in their lives, but later show that they

were not truly saved by abandoning the faith.

So if my salvation is only true and finally evidenced by my perseverance, how much weight

can I attach to God's promises?

My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 1-6.

He who began a good work and you will see it through to completion at the day of Christ

Jesus.

But how can I know that this is true for me?

And it's only when I have run the race that before me that I will truly know that I

did persevere, and therefore was truly saved.

I think what Pete says in that last sentence is, as he word of it, such a truism that he

probably means something more, and the more that he means, I don't think is true.

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