1. What is the difference between populism and mob rule?
2. Does populism inevitably lead to intellectual and moral compromise because you're always playing to the lowest common denominator?
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints is, quite simply, the doctrine of salvation by grace. If we are saved by God's grace alone, and not by our works, then we must acknowledge the permanence of His work. If we deny eternal security, then we are, in fact, embracing a system of works-salvation. That is the true difference. Paul taught that it is by grace that we have been saved (Ephesians 2:5). The language is rich in this passage, for it emphasizes the continuing truth of our full salvation by grace, both as a completed past action, and a continuing reality in our life. Salvation by grace leads to the perseverance of the saints, for God's sovereign grace cannot possibly fail to do what He desires.
The Sovereign Grace of God: A Biblical Study of the Doctrines of Calvinism by James R. White
