The Belgic Confession of Faith Article 16: Eternal Election
The Belgic Confession of Faith Article 16: Eternal Election
The decrees of God extend over all things, both small and great, in heaven and on earth. If we believe this, it is then impossible to say that this belief is denied by man. Our fathers discussed this very briefly in our confession, but with finality.
Eternal election is called predestination, which can be divided into election and rejection, and this doctrine is the heart of the Reformed confession. It can also be found in the Lutheran confessions, but it was placed more in the background. Our Reformed fathers have always defended this doctrine that God's decrees extend over the eternal destination or state of men and angels, the rational creatures. Thus there is an election and rejection of angels as well as of men. We can read of the election of angels in 1 Timothy 5:21, and of their reprobation in Jude, verse 6.
The article we are considering speaks only of the predestination of man. As we will see later on in the explanation of this article, both the election and rejection of man is spoken of in many places. Calvin said that by the bringing up of children with milk, election may not get too much emphasis, but in another place he wrote that predestination is the heart of the church. When we may know something of it in our personal life, then you can understand that it is a comforting doctrine.
In this confession there is written that the eternal election is the deepest ground of salvation. On the other hand, we can understand that this doctrine of predestination is a rock of offence for people who wish to maintain themselves and try to make God dependent upon man. Satan used the pride of man to go against this teaching wherein everything of man is excluded. For God's people it is and always becomes a greater wonder that there is an election. If salvation had to begin with their work, then all was lost. Happily the Lord was the first from eternity, and then they can say, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen." (Romans 11:36).
We promised to mention a few places where election is found in the Scriptures. In Romans 9:13 we read that God not only loved Jacob, but also hated Esau; in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 that He has appointed some to wrath as well as others to obtain salvation; and in Romans 9:22 & 23 that there are vessels fitted to destruction as well as vessels prepared unto glory. This election and rejection is out of pure sovereignty, and all moving or conditional causes outside of God, whether good or evil, are thereby excluded. God did not elect because of foreseen faith or good works, nor rejected because of certain sins. It is God's free, sovereign decree. Even faith in Christ Jesus is not a condition to election, but is a fruit of election. God shows mercy to whom He will, and hardens whom He will. And yet it will never be possible to lay the blame upon the Lord if we are not saved.
This article begins with the statement, "We believe that all the posterity of Adam being thus fallen into perdition and ruin, by the sin of our first parents, God then did manifest Himself such as He is: that is to say, merciful and just." The previous article dealt with original sin, which is the cause of our deep fall. The consequences of it are felt over the whole world. Because of it we are subjected to the threefold death and we have no right to anything. Being in this spiritual death we don't bother to ever think about salvation in the right way. Yet we are responsible for our deeds because we have wilfully brought ourselves into this misery.
It seems to be a contradiction: being spiritually dead and yet responsible. But being the jewel of creation, it is different! We are worthy to stay under the eternal curse of the Lord, but He is both merciful and just! If man is saved, then the reason is only in the Lord. If we go lost, then it is our own fault. In Romans 9:21 we read, "Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?" The ways of the Lord will end to His glory, either in His showing mercy or in His maintaining justice.
This doctrine of free grace has always had much resistance. We know that the Pelagians and the Socinians deny God's sovereign decrees, and teach free will. Rome teaches that good works are the ground of their salvation, or at least a part of them. Luther speaks of foreseen belief and unbelief. Karl Barth denied election completely. The Remonstrants taught that they whom God foresaw would believe and convert themselves of their own free will are chosen to salvation, thus maintaining that God is dependent upon man in deciding his state for eternity. This is a God-dishonoring viewpoint – the Creator dependent upon the creature.
Against all these false doctrines we maintain, based upon God's Word, that the sole cause of predestination is God's sovereign pleasure. It is also thus with the means how we come to salvation, namely, the union with Christ by faith under the administration of the Holy Spirit. I think it is self-evident that man created in time cannot influence God's eternal decree. All things on earth happen in virtue of God's decrees, and we may not ask the Lord to give account of His deeds.
We know that all sorts of questions come up in the mind about election. One says, is it not arbitrary and hard of God to act in this way? Another says, is it not a crying injustice when the Lord decrees such totally different ends for a people who are all sinners, the one receiving life and the other death? Is the Lord not partial in dealing with people, when this one receives grace and the other is rejected? We can multiply these questions.
Job gives us the answer in Job 34:10, "Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity." He is righteous, and does righteously, also toward man.
This article speaks about the decree of God concerning the eternal state of rational creatures. It is a subject which is difficult for proud men because election and rejection are of pure sovereignty. Many reject this doctrine, while others try to make this doctrine false by means of the small difference which there is about this among the churches of the Reformation.
What is this difference about which they speak? It is not about the main things, but about things of secondary importance. At the Synod of Dort this difference was also found, but the pure doctrine of God's sovereignty was maintained unanimously by all the theologians and delegates there, against the false doctrines of the Arminians. This difference was indicated by the terms Infra- and Supra Lapsarians. Both teach that there is no chronological order in God's decrees regarding man's eternal destination, and both also teach that predestination is from eternity.
The difference consists in this, that the Supra-Lapsarians (also called the Above the Fall Zealots) teach that predestination took place prior to the decreeing of creation and the fall, whereas the Infra-Lapsarians (also called the Below the Fall Zealots) teach that election was from among the fallen human race. Thus the only difference is that man in election or reprobation is regarded either as fallen or not yet fallen. The difference is in the order of God's decrees, which both agree are from eternity.
Is there then a difference in the preaching of those who hold these two opinions? Yes, there is some difference. the Supra-Lapsarians emphasize God's sovereignty because they preach predestination, creation and the fall, whereas the Infra's give more emphasis to the responsibility of man since they teach creation, the fall and then predestination. The difference is not essential. Both could undersign the decisions which were made by the Synod against the Remonstrants.
The Remonstrants tried craftily to make use of these different thoughts. They first said that they had no objections against the article which was written, but rather were against the hard doctrine of God's predestination. In this way they tried to break the unity of the Synod, and at the same time maintain their wicked thoughts. The Synod felt the danger and condemned them. Perhaps a few remarks would be in order regarding the doctrine of the Remonstrants, since the name is used so often, but many do not know exactly what their doctrine is.
What do the Remonstrants teach about election? They deny God's eternal and unchangeable counsel, teaching that the elect can later be rejected and that the reprobates can be elected. They do not believe in an election of certain people. They combat the view that a person is accepted without regard to his works. And they teach it is impossible for the Lord to leave some people in their misery. As a basis for this they quote 1 Timothy 2:4a, where the Lord says in His Word, "Who will have all men to be saved." This is free will in a different coat. The trick of the Remonstrants did not work, and the unity was maintained at the Synod. Such a doctrine is completely against God's Word, and for this reason only are they condemned.
Rev. Kersten always taught his students that the preaching should be moderate supra, maintaining the sovereignty of God in the first place, but teaching also that man is responsible for his deeds. He felt it is taught in this way in God's Word and thus the Lord is glorified. The Remonstrants have undermined the foundation of salvation because they don't want to hear of personal election. They make God dependent upon the free will of man, and so do away with the pleasure and mercy of God, making the perfect mediatorial work of Christ powerless. They denied the work of the Holy Spirit, but also took away the comfort of the church. This is because they give too much power to man and deny his state of death.
Another danger in our days is a wrong application of the infra viewpoint of the Synod of Dort, so that some make the Covenant of Grace loose from election. Then we are all the seed of Abraham, real children of the covenant when born out of believing parents. Of course, we must stay in the covenant, but then we are saved. May the Lord keep our churches from this doctrine, because thereby we deceive ourselves for eternity. There is an external relationship in the covenant of grace, but this is too short for eternity. It is necessary to be regenerated, becoming a poor sinner before God and unconverted in our own eyes. There are many rich people, but so seldom do we meet a poor sinner, a condition which cannot be missed. It seems to be much easier to be saved in our own strength, as it is taught in many churches, but it leads to eternal damnation. We are lost because of our own debt, and will be saved only by grace.
This article speaks expressly of God's mercy – "Merciful, since He delivers and preserves from this perdition all, whom He, in His eternal and unchangeable counsel of mere goodness, hath elected in Christ Jesus our Lord, without any respect to their works." God's mercy and glory are revealed herein that He wants to deal, but also that He can deal, with man. It shows so clearly that the Lord has chosen His people without respect to their works. Think of Rahab, Ruth, and the thief on the cross. Are these examples not clear enough to show that it is grace only when the Lord looks down upon His people? Ask God's people and you will hear the same. They will say, "I never asked for the Lord, but the Lord asked for me." The first time is not in time, for the Lord knows His people from eternity. And there is not apostacy of saints. No one can take that people out of His hands, as He has all power in heaven and in earth. God is unchangeable, and they are kept in God's power by faith to salvation. For He says, "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed."
The Lord does not only show that He is merciful in delivering some out of the greatest misery, but He is also righteous, as our article states: "Just, in leaving others in the fall and perdition wherein they have involved themselves." Reprobation is also God's decree, which means that many sinners will remain in their misery wilfully to the very end. The basis of reprobation is in God's eternal decree and not in sin. If sin was the basis, then all people would be lost. However, this doctrine may not lead to false passivity, saying that we cannot help it, because this decree of God is hidden for us. We will not go lost because we are not elected, but because we did not keep the law and have sinned. For this we cannot blame God, but it is our shortcoming. There is no doubt about this doctrine in the Word of God; notice that Cain is rejected, Canaan is cursed, Ishmael sent away, and Esau is hated. Christ is set to a fall and rising again, to judgment or salvation. Reprobation is scriptural, although denied by many and by all that deny the impotence of man, which includes Rome and the Remonstrants.
The Lord does not do injustice in election or reprobation. The secret will of God is hidden, but the revealed will of God says that we must be converted. We cannot do this, which the Lord knows very well, but that it might bring us in true humiliation before Him to ask that He might do it. May the Lord grant our request that many may become subjects of this free grace, which is spoken of in this article.
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