Editing Perseverance of the saints (section)

==Definition and terminology==
=== Definition ===
The doctrine of perseverance of the saints asserts that the [[Elect (Christianity)|elect]] will persevere in [[Faith in Christianity|faith]] until the end of their lives and ultimately achieve [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]]. Those who are truly [[born again]] are the elect who will persevere to the end.{{sfn|Grudem|1994|p=970|ps=. "The Perseverance of the Saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God's power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again."}}{{sfn|Westminster Assembly|1946|loc=ch. 17, art. 2|ps=. "They, whom God hath accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved."}}{{sfn|Sproul|2016|p=208}}

===Terminology===
The alternative term "preservation of the saints" emphasizes [[God]]'s role in [[Theological determinism|determining]] the elect's perseverance. Conversely, "perseverance of the saints" highlights the human act of perseverance, which is a consequence of God's preservation.{{sfn|Sproul|2016|loc=ch. Perseverance and Preservation}}{{sfn|Palmer|1996|p=82}}{{sfn|Westminster Assembly|1946|loc=ch. 17, art. 3}} However, "preservation of the saints" is a broader concept that can describe how God preserves the elect, whether deterministically or not. The non-deterministic view, known as "[[Conditional preservation of the saints|conditional preservation]]," refers to God protecting the believer’s relationship with Him from external forces, contingent upon the believer’s continued [[Faith in Christianity|faith]].{{sfn|Ashby|2002|pp=163–166}}

Because one practical interpretation of the Calvinist doctrine of "perseverance of the saints" leads to "[[eternal security]]",{{sfn|Purkiser|1972|p=74|ps=. "In the majority of cases, however, the doctrine of eternal security is not grounded on the Calvinistic dogma of unconditional predestination. While all who teach eternal security are frequently called "Calvinists," actually the greater portion of them are no more than 20 percent Calvinistic."}} over time, the term became synonymous with the doctrine itself.{{sfn|Johnson|2008|pp=21-22|ps=. "It is common to hear the term “eternal security” used basically as a synonym for “the perseverance of the saints”. [...] However, the term “eternal security” is often used in a very different and unbiblical way [...] Hence, in common usage, the term “eternal security” can sometimes refer to a doctrine diametrically opposed to the Reformed doctrine of perseverance."}} By the early 20th century, "eternal security" was used as a strict synonym for "perseverance of the saints".{{sfn|USBC|1941|p=252|ps=. "The first change in the Articles of Faith dealt with the Calvinistic doctrine of "eternal security." It was changed from saying that "all who are regenerated and born again by the Spirit of God shall never finally fall away," to "all who are regenerated and born again by the Spirit of God, and endure to the end, shall be saved.""}} However, given the theological significance of the term "eternal security" in common usage, it's important to distinguish them.{{sfn|Grudem|1994|p=860|ps=. "[W]e see why the phrase eternal security can be quite misleading. In some evangelical churches, instead of teaching the full and balanced presentation of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints, pastors have sometimes taught a watered-down version, which in effect tells people that all who have once made a profession of faith and been baptized are “eternally secure.”"}} Indeed, some Calvinist theologians reject the use of "eternal security" for their doctrine of perseverance,{{sfn|Horton|2002|p=24|ps=. "In fact, eternal security itself is not a Calvinistic doctrine but, at least in the expressions with which I am familiar, rests on Arminian presuppositions concerning grace and free will."}} as do proponents of non-Calvinist forms of eternal security.{{sfn|Hunt|White|2009|p=392|ps=. "[As Laurence M.] Vance says: It is the Calvinists who reject the biblical teaching of eternal security. The fifth point of the TULIP, ''as it was originally formulated and commonly interpreted'', is at enmity with eternal security. Perseverance of the Saints...is not the same thing as eternal security."}}