Apostasy, Perseverance, and Preordination

The visible covenant community will at times loose someone who in a very real sense snuck in to the visible covenant community and remained under the radar for a time, but the invisible covenant community cannot change. Furthermore, loosing on earth should be rare for a biblical church, and binding should be a common occurrence. The church is a wheat field with some tares, not a tare field with some wheat.

What could turn an apostate back if the very Spirit of God ministering in the midst of the church through the many sacraments of blessings of the church didn’t produce the fruits of persevering faith in Jesus Christ? What else could win them over if not all the blessings participated in during the day-in and day-out fellowship of Christ through his people and ministry?

Like a loving father warns their children of the dangers that will tempt them ahead, so to our Father is lovingly warning us. Heed his warnings with gratitude and diligence. Receive the 5 noted blessings in our text with faith and gratitude. Do not harden your hearts, do not abandon the faith, nor his people. Rather, cling closely to Christ, his people, and the Christian confession, but remember above all, that as diligently as you may cling to Christ in good faith, Christ has bound himself to you from eternity past through eternity future by his work done at the fullness of time!