Podcast Summary: Grace in Focus – “Is Persevering in Faith a Choice?”
Grace Evangelical Society | Host: Bob Wilkin with Sam Marr | Released: December 17, 2025 | Duration: ~13 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr respond to a listener question about the nature of persevering in faith. Specifically, they explore whether ongoing faith—remaining steadfast in belief after initially believing in Jesus for everlasting life—is itself a matter of conscious choice. The discussion navigates assurance of salvation, practical Christian living, the impact of influences and church environments, and the theological boundaries of Free Grace perspectives.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Listener’s Clarified Question: Is Ongoing Faith a Choice?

• [01:22] Sam presents Grant’s follow-up inquiry:
  • Does “stand firm in faith” imply an ongoing choice not to disbelieve?
  • If someone is already a believer (i.e., has received everlasting life), do they actively choose to continue believing—or to stop?

2. Is Faith a Choice? – The “Yes and No” Nuance

• [02:14] Bob replies:

  • “It’s not a choice per se... you don’t say, ‘I choose to believe that two plus two is four’... But you do have many things you believe that require continued diligence to continue to believe those things.”
  • Faith is more about being persuaded by credible evidence rather than making a raw, arbitrary choice.

• [03:00] Analogy: Switching Political Beliefs

  • Changing beliefs, whether political or spiritual, is often a function of what (and whom) you listen to and engage with.

3. The Role of Diligence and Influence

• [04:16] Sam notes the perils of neglect:

  • Failing to engage spiritually (not attending church, not reading the Bible, not praying) leads to “falling out of fellowship,” greater doubt, and potentially losing assurance.
  • “You’re going to be less confident in the things that you once held to. You might even lose your assurance...” — (Sam Marr, [04:33])
  • The process is rarely a deliberate decision to ‘lose faith’ but rather the result of neglected spiritual habits.

• [04:43] Sam’s Caution on Fringe Influences:

  • Engaging odd or fringe theological material, even while remaining in Christian circles, can result in adopting contradictory or cultic beliefs.
  • “You can’t believe what the Bible says and what this cult or this fringe group is saying.” — (Sam Marr, [05:32])

4. Scriptural Basis: First Timothy 4:16

• [05:33] Bob references Paul’s instruction:
  • Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to “pay attention to yourself and to the doctrine... you will save both yourself and your hearers” is about being safeguarded from error and loss of assurance, not about eternal salvation.
  • “Timothy can’t save himself from eternal condemnation... what he does is save himself and his congregation from being swept aside by the false teachers.” — (Bob Wilkin, [06:08])

5. The Danger of Theological Drift and Assuredness

• [07:00] Bob and Sam discuss trends of Protestants entering Orthodox or Catholic churches:

  • Exposure to different doctrines alters assurance: “If... you now become Orthodox, it’s not going to be long before you lose your assurance.” — (Bob Wilkin, [07:30])
  • Caution: “Unless you are extremely well grounded in the faith, don’t read Roman Catholic literature or Eastern Orthodox literature... you’re possibly going to be confused.” — (Bob Wilkin, [08:33])

• [08:57] Importance of a Solid Church Environment

  • Sam: “Your church kind of determines your view on the Bible. If you’re not questioning... then you’re just going to passively believe whatever they believe...”
  • Urges listeners to “compare everything... to scripture for yourself. Be a Berean.” ([09:32])

6. Self-awareness and Ongoing Openness

• [10:21] Bob cautions against arrogance:
  • “I realize I could fall away from the faith. I realize I could become a lordship salvation person... I could become an atheist. I need to hear solid Bible teaching. I need to be in a solid church...” — (Bob Wilkin, [10:48])
  • Even seminary students and pastors can lose assurance; filling one’s environment with sound teaching is an intentional choice, even if the belief itself seems more passive.

7. The Heart Posture: Openness Before God

• [12:16] Sam sums up:
  • “At the moment of faith you had to be open and receptive to God’s word and that’s why you believed. He didn’t force you to believe and you didn’t choose to believe... It’s the same for a believer. If your heart becomes hardened... that’s where you’re going to start believing things that are different.”
  • Emphasizes the necessity of an open, receptive heart to avoid doctrinal drift.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Faith is not a choice per se... but you do have many things you believe that require continued diligence.”
  — Bob Wilkin ([02:14])

• “You’re going to be less confident in the things that you once held to. You might even lose your assurance, things like that.”
  — Sam Marr ([04:33])

• “If you’re a person that’s sure of your eternal destiny and you now become Orthodox, it’s not going to be long before you lose your assurance... Because what you’re hearing again and again is we can’t be sure if you’re a Catholic, right?”
  — Bob Wilkin ([07:30])

• “Maybe we don’t want to be free thinkers. Maybe what we want to be is open thinkers. So, I’m open to the word of God. I’m a Berean.”
  — Bob Wilkin ([10:21])

• “All of us need to realize... it’s not a choice to remain steadfast in the faith in the sense of, okay, I’m going to be steadfast just because I’m determined. But it is a choice to continue to fill my mind with scripture in a solid Bible teaching church...”
  — Bob Wilkin ([11:40])

• “At the moment of faith you had to be open and receptive to God’s word and that’s why you believed. He didn’t force you to believe and you didn’t choose to believe. But if you were open, then you did.”
  — Sam Marr ([12:16])

Important Timestamps

• 01:22 – Listener’s question on persevering in faith
• 02:14 – Bob: Faith and belief dynamics; “yes and no” to choice
• 04:16 – Sam: Neglecting spiritual disciplines and losing assurance
• 05:33 – Caution regarding cults and fringe groups
• 06:00–06:08 – 1 Timothy 4:16: “Save both yourself and your hearers”
• 07:00–08:33 – Protestant ‘returns’ to tradition, danger of theological drift
• 08:57–09:32 – Importance of questioning and being a Berean
• 10:21–11:40 – Bob: the ongoing need for vigilance, humility
• 12:16 – Sam: posture of openness at faith’s beginning and onward

Summary: Bottom Line

Wilkin and Marr clarify that persevering in faith is not a simplistic on-off choice, but a dynamic process involving openness, diligence, and the influences we engage with. We can easily drift doctrinally—often by default rather than conscious decision—through neglect or exposure to unbiblical teaching. Assurance of salvation, a core tenet of Free Grace theology, remains secure in Christ, but the experience of assurance and steadfastness is cultivated daily through intentional choices about our spiritual habits, environment, and heart openness.

Recommendation: Seek a solid church, ground yourself in scripture, and remain “open thinkers” in humility—always “comparing what is taught to what the Bible physically says.”