When you hear the phrase, the perseverance of the saints, does it seem to imply a lifetime of hard work? As if the term were a sort of Winston Churchill battle cry for Christians— “Never, never give up!” Some prefer to call this doctrine the preservation of the saints. Regardless of what you call it, this all-important doctrine answers the question, “Can believers have an assurance of their salvation?” But what is this doctrine? And is it biblical?

Pelagianism took off in the early 400s but was deemed heretical shortly after. Yet it remains vibrant in Christianity today. If you’re not familiar with all it encompasses, you may wonder, “What does Pelagianism teach and how do I avoid accidentally committing it?”