A Summary on Assurance

Assurance of salvation comes in many forms: False assurance whereby the unregenerate deceive themselves; true assurance properly held, an evangelical grace and a great blessing and comfort to the saints and an encouragement to godliness; and true assurance improperly held, or even lost for a season. It is an advantage to the Christian. Those who deny it impoverish themselves.

Tomorrow: The law of God.

Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, XVIII:4

True believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into some special sin which wounds the conscience and grieves the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation, by God's withdrawing the light of His countenance, and suffering even such as fear Him to walk in darkness and to have no light: yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart, and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, be revived; and be the which, in the mean time, they are supported from utter despair.

We learned earlier that progress in sanctification often pursues a rocky road and occasionally a foot slips, a stumble occurs, or there is even a fall. So it is with assurance. Even those who have assurance of grace and salvation may find they do not always have it to the same degree, or at all. The Confession here lays out several ways by which our assurance may be adversely affected:

1) We may neglect to preserve it, chiefly by failing to take advantage of all the means discussed previously.

2) We may fall into special sin, something outrageously out of character (and the Christian who denies that he could ever commit such-and-such a sin deceives himself) or a besetting sin or something over which we have grown complacent. Such may wound the conscience; such certainly grieves the Spirit.

3) A sudden or powerful temptation may overwhelm us. We must constantly be on the alert. Satan throws all sorts of barbs and arrows at us.

4) God, for his own good and wise purposes, may for a time withdraw the light of his countenance from us. Although this may seem a horrible idea, recall that for the Christian all things work together for good even though the good may not be apparent to us immediately or even for many years. God has in mind to do us good; sometimes he leads us through the valley of the shadow for our sakes.

But no matter what we may know that we are never destitute, never alone, never bereft. God does not take away what he has promised will endure forever. In his time he will revive us again. He will ensure that we persevere and finish the race set before us.

Tomorrow: Assurance summarized.

Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, XVIII:3

This infallible assurance does not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he is a partaker of it: yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto. And therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this assurance; so far is it from inclining men to looseness.

For all the desirability and the blessing associated with assurance of salvation, and its origin from God as a gift to the believer, there is no guarantee that any individual believer will possess it immediately or from the beginning of his Christian life. Indeed, a true believer may progress far in years and yet lack assurance. So while believers certainly may have assurance of their salvation and are encouraged, even enjoined, by Scripture to have godly confidence, the lack of assurance does not mean a person is not saved.

Nevertheless, as we discussed yesterday, there are many avenues by which a believer may attain assurance and most of them are available by "ordinary means." We do not require a special word from God, an individual revelation, to have assurance. Scripture commands us to make our calling and election sure; by this it does not mean that somehow it is up to us to be saved, but rather we must be diligent in pursuit of godliness and the exercise of all Christian virtues, for by them we assure ourselves that we truly belong to Christ.

The benefits of such efforts are manifold, as outlined in this paragraph: We may experience the peace and joy of the Spirit, love and thankfulness toward God our Savior, and strength and cheerfulness in our Christian labors of obedience unto God. All these are much to be desired. As we realize them in our lives we witness to ourselves the fruits of our salvation and this lends assurance and consolation.

The charge has often been leveled by persons not understanding the gospel of grace that for a Christian to claim assurance of salvation is either presumptuous or injurious to diligence in personal sanctification and obedience. Some claim that men may not know they are saved until after death--it is just too uncertain a thing, for we never know when we may make a hash of the whole deal. Others state that it is arrogant to assert one has assurance; who are you to think you're so grand that God will save you? These persons mistake the gospel, particularly the basis upon which the Christian rests his confidence. He does not trust himself or his personal worthiness--far from that--but God, who is eminently trustworthy. He takes God at his word. This is the essence of faith. As to the implication of antinomianism--if one believes he will certainly be saved, does that not remove an incentive to obedience?--again such thinking betrays ignorance of the gospel and the way that the Spirit works in the lives of God's children. As we have argued, from assurance springs up a well of gratitude and thankfulness that is a most effective spur to obedience and holy living.

In short, assurance of salvation is not always present in the life of the believer but it is most certainly available, to be had for the diligence required to attain it, and it seems to be a gift the Spirit is most eager to grant.

Tomorrow: Challenges to assurance.

Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, XVIII:2

This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God, which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.

Assurance of salvation is not a hypothetical for the Christian, nor is it in any way doubtful. Our certainty in Christ is infallible--it cannot fail and it cannot be mistaken. The foundation upon which our assurance rests is made of many things:

1. The promises of Scripture; even more, the Promiser of Scripture. The Word of God is God's word. What he has said must surely come to pass. This is more certain than creation itself.

2. The inward evidence of God's grace. We have in our hearts a love for Christ that can be there only by the work of the Spirit. We have a regard for God's word--we hear his voice therein--only because the Spirit himself speaks to us through it. We have love for the brethren solely because Christ is in them as he is in us.

3. The testimony of the Spirit witnessing to our spirits (Romans 8) that we are sons of the Most High.

4. The Spirit himself as the seal of our redemption and the earnest of our inheritance.

By all these divine graces are we assured of our salvation.

Tomorrow: The relationship between faith and assurance.

Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation, XVIII:1

Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God, and estate of salvation (which hope of theirs shall perish): yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.

Picking up where we left off last week, the Confession next takes on the subject of assurance as part of its lengthy treatment of soteriology. How may the Christian know that he is truly saved? The Confession here treats of two categories of men:

1. The unregenerate, among whom are hypocrites. These men may think of themselves as enjoying salvation. Perhaps they are moralists, trusting in their own righteousness and offering to God their "superior" living. Perhaps they are legalists and believe they will stand on their punctilious adherence to a set of rules. Perhaps they are formalists who put their trust in sacraments, rituals, outward religious observances. Or perhaps they are emotionalists, relying on a religious experience or feeling. Characteristics often found among these are spiritual pride, laziness, self-indulgence, superficiality, complacency, and a lack of interest in the things of God. Sadly, many of these characteristics will also appear among the truly saved because of the residual corruption and incompleteness of their sanctification. If any unregenerate man believes he has hope apart from Christ, he is deluded and deceived and his hope will perish with him.

2. The regenerate. These men do truly believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Their love for him is genuine. They endeavor to lead a life pleasing to God, in keeping with his precepts. These may have real assurance of their salvation. It is a spiritual grace. As we will see in subsequent posts, it is not always present in the life of the believer and it varies in degree within individual lives and well as from person to person. But one thing all may rely upon--they will never have cause to be ashamed of the trust they have placed in Christ.

Tomorrow: The evidences of grace as a basis for assurance.

Of the Perseverance of the Saints, XVII:3

Nevertheless, they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevalency of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their preservation, fall into grievous sins; and, for a time, continue therein: whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve His Holy Spirit, come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts, have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

We previously defined perseverance as a Christian duty. This paragraph outlines what happens when we fail to do as we ought. There are several biblical examples--preserved for our instruction and exhortation--of such falls and lapses.

Dangers that may lead to a fall include the temptations of Satan and the world, the residual corruption of sin despite our renewal unto life in Christ by the Holy Spirit, and our neglect of the means of preservation. Among the last are included prayer, reading the Scriptures, participation in community worship, making good use of the sacraments, and Christian fellowship and accountability. All of these are means of grace, vehicles by which God empowers and strengthens us for running the race set before us. They could be likened to the training regimen undertaken by an elite athlete.

The Confession lists the potential consequences of a fall or lapse. Through their disobedience, Christians may experience:

1) God's displeasure

2) deprivation of some measure of grace and comforts

3) hardening of hearts

4) wounding of consciences

5) temporal judgments

In addition, wayward Christians may grieve the Holy Spirit and bring hurt and scandal to other believers. When the list is expanded in this way it becomes easier to see just how extensive the consequences of our sins can be.

Here I will take a break over Christmas. Look for a resumption of posts introducing the subject of Christian assurance on the 27th. For all those who observe Christmas, I pray God will grant you his special blessings this season.

Of the Perseverance of the Saints, XVII:2

This perseverance of the saints depends not upon their own free will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ, the abiding of the Spirit, and of the seed of God within them, and the nature of the covenant of grace: from all which arises also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

This paragraph examines the bases of perseverance. The wrong basis is the free will of the Christian. If it were up to us, we would inevitably fail. We would never make it all the way to the end.

Instead, the Christian's perseverance is predicated upon:

1) God's immutable decree of election. Recall chapter III:3-4. What God has decided is fixed and firm. He has said it, so it will happen.

2) The free and unchangeable love of God. God is not a fickle lover. The objects upon whom he places his love will continue in that love. This does not guarantee a life without difficulties, nor that there will be no stumbling--recall the example of Israel.

3) The efficacy of the merit of Christ. There is nothing lacking in Christ's merits. Accordingly, his saving work on our behalf cannot fail or be found insufficient for the task appointed.

4) The intercession of Christ. Recall chapter VIII, especially paragraph 8. If our perfect Savior, the Beloved of the Father, should pray on our behalf, who can imagine that he will be refused?

5) The abiding of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our seal--the binding as well as the stamp of ownership upon our lives.

6) The seed of God within the Christian. See 1 John 3:9.

7) The nature of the covenant of grace. This covenant is an eternal covenant, irrevocable and forever binding.

For all these reasons, the Christian has no fear that God will fail to bring him finally and fully to salvation.

Tomorrow: The necessity of perseverance.

Of the Perseverance of the Saints, XVII:1

They, whom God has accepted in His Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by His Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.

As we embark upon a short discussion of the Confession's treatment of perseverance, a few definitions may provide a good start.

1. Perseverance: Continuance, steadfastness. This is the duty of the Christian. We are called to run the race until the end, to endure. But we cannot do this under our own power.

2. Preservation: This is the grace of God, whereby he keeps us and empowers us to persevere.

3. Eternal security: The concept that Christian salvation cannot be lost. The believer is secure. There is not an exact correspondence between this idea and the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints as will be outlined here, but many people conflate the two.

4. "Once saved, always saved": This phrase is commonly used to describe eternal security. But it can be quite misleading and cause many to miss the full implications taught in the doctrine of perseverance. For one thing, it is often associated with antinomianism in the minds of some opponents.

The Confession is pointedly Trinitarian in its explication of the doctrine of perseverance--accepted by the Father in the Son, effectually called and sanctified by the Spirit. Note also the identification of the elect with Christ, the Beloved of God. Election unto salvation should never be thought of apart from Christ. We are elect in him.

The statement concerning the work of the Spirit invokes Romans 8:29 as well as Philippians 1:6 and Hebrews 12:2. What God starts, he finishes.

Any falling away is neither total nor final, or else indicative of false faith. More on this later in the chapter, as well as in the next chapter on assurance.

Tomorrow: The basis of perseverance.

The Confession on Good Works

"All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags."

"Apart from me you can do nothing."

"It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Apart from God, all we do is create messes. With the best of intentions and the highest of aspirations we succeed only in making mud pies. The ability to do truly good works, like faith and repentance, is an evangelical grace and the fruit of regeneration, the new life in Christ. Because good works are a fruit of regeneration they are expected; their absence is an aberration and grounds for inspecting the spiritual health of the individual Christian professor. This is not to say that all Christians will do the same amount and quality of works--clearly this is also tied to opportunity and gifting, among other things. But if a cup of cold water offered in the name of Christ is worthy of our Lord's praise it would seem there are few obstacles to service for any of us.

Tomorrow: The perseverance of the Christian.

Of Good Works, XVI:7

Works done by unregenerate men, although for the matter of them they may be things which God commands; and of good use both to themselves and others: yet, because they proceed not from an heart purified by faith; nor are done in a right manner,according to the Word; nor to a right end, the glory of God, they are therefore sinful, and cannot please God, or make a man meet to receive grace from God: and yet, their neglect of them is more sinful and displeasing unto God.

There are plenty of things found in the Confession that will stick in the craw of the unbeliever. This is one of those. Conventional wisdom has it that if we are basically good people, mind our own business, do no harm to anyone (or a minimum, at any rate--I haven't murdered anyone, for example), the gates of heaven will swing wide open and a brass band will be there to meet us. We'll get a hearty handshake from God and a paternal pat on the back. And then we're set for eternity.

At the risk of bursting bubbles--no. "All these things I have done from my youth" simply brings the gentle rebuke that we yet lack. Unbelievers may do many outwardly good works, even things that God has commanded in his word (honor parents, extend hospitality to strangers, seek for justice for the poor and the orphan, etc.), even things that benefit themselves and others. Yet the so doing proceeds from ungodly circumstances, to wit:

1. Their hearts are impure; they lack faith in the God Who Is.

2. The manner of their doing does not align with God's word.

3. Their motive is askew--they are not concerned to glorify God.

In all these ways, the "good" works of the unbeliever are, in fact, sin. They cannot please God because they are of sin. They are in no way meritorious (and we have already examined the futility of such thinking) and they impose no obligation upon God to reward them. Far from adding righteousness to his account, the unbeliever's "good" works are marked in the debit side of his ledger.

And yet--and yet--if the unbeliever were not to do these things, so much the worse for him. For the neglect of even outward, selfish obedience* to God is worse than its observance. The unbeliever who would lessen his eternal punishments is exhorted to be diligent in doing "good." Far better for him that he do this than waste his life in obvious sin.

Of course, far better for the unbeliever to renounce his unbelief and turn to God in repentance and faith. Then God will refine and polish all his "good" works and set them as jewels in his eternal crown.

[*We who have, or once were, children know just how this works. Children often obey their parents not out of a sense of it being just and right to do so but because they may expect a whipping for not obeying or they really desire that dish of ice cream being offered as a reward. Examples may be multiplied almost endlessly.]

Tomorrow: The Confession summarized on good works.

Of Good Works, XVI:6

Notwithstanding, the persons of believers being accepted through Christ, their good works also are accepted in Him; not as though they were in this life wholly unblameable and unreproveable in God's sight; but that He, looking upon them in His Son, is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere, although accompanied with many weaknesses and imperfections.

If I have any one criticism of the Westminster Confession of Faith, it is that the divines did not see fit to write a separate chapter on the Christian's union with Christ. The idea is scattered throughout the Confession, true enough, but it really merits particular treatment. This paragraph is one of the places in which the idea appears.

In a very real sense, whenever God looks at a Christian he sees Jesus Christ. Not that we ontologically are fused with him--we remain distinct individuals and will be so throughout eternity--but by placing saving faith in him we are so identified with him in his death and resurrection that we are afforded the same consideration. One might almost say that everything about us is now filtered through the lens of Christ. This is a staggering truth that ought to lay us prostrate before the Lord in thanksgiving and gratitude, for what could be greater than to be held in the same regard by God as he holds his own Beloved Son?

All our good works, then, are considered by God as though they had been done by Christ. It is as if our hands are enfolded in Christ's hands as we do the things prepared for us by God. Every gift we try to give God--every grimy bunch of wilted weeds--is transformed into a magnificent bouquet of the most colorful and fragrant flowers as it passes through Christ's hands to the Father. Muddy pond water becomes champagne. The grace of God continues to amaze.

Tomorrow: What of the works of unbelievers?

Of Good Works, XVI:5

We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come; and the infinite distance that is between us and God, whom, by them, we can neither profit, nor satisfy for the debt of our former sins, but when we have done all we can, we have done but our duty, and are unprofitable servants: and because, as they are good, they proceed from His Spirit; and as they are wrought by us, they are defiled, and mixed with so much weakness and imperfection, that they cannot endure the severity of God's judgment.

What makes a "good" work good? Goodness comports with God's character; who he is defines the good. So any truly good work must conform to God's will, spring from a godly heart, be done in the name of Christ, and be done for the glory of God and not for selfish motives such as to earn God's favor or man's applause. By this standard even our most noble charities are "splendid sins," to use Spurgeon's phrase, for they always fall far short of the standard. Some are better than others, to be sure, but none are perfect--indeed, all are so imperfect that it is hardly worthwhile making comparisons between them.

Thanks be to God that our works do not provide the basis for our salvation. If they did, we would be utterly without hope.

Tomorrow: The acceptability of our good works.

Of Good Works, XVI:4

They who, in their obedience, attain to the greatest height which is possible in this life, are so far from being able to supererogate, and to do more than God requires, as that they fall short of much which in duty they are bound to do.

"Supererogation" refers to the performance of that which is above and beyond requirement, such that duty is fulfilled, payment is met, and there is more to spare. According to the Confession, not even the most obedient, faithful, and righteous man is able to do more than God requires. This is contrary to Roman Catholic doctrine, which teaches that certain persons (the officially-designated saints) have surpassed God's requirements for righteousness and have merit and more to spare. This excess merit, not needed by the saints for their personal use, may be applied to less worthy sinners as if withdrawn from a merit bank. Indeed, Rome claims that there exists a "treasury of merit" that is available for rank-and-file believers. All this the Confession denies. Only one person has ever completely fulfilled all righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ has alone provided satisfaction sufficient for everyone.

So far from being able to supererogate, we actually fall far short of God's requirements. None of us by his own efforts may expect God's reward. Instead, we are driven back upon Christ. We must rely entirely on him. We boast only in the cross.

Tomorrow: Our unprofitability.

Of Good Works, XVI:3

Their ability to do good works is not at all of themselves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ. And that they may be enabled thereunto, beside the graces they have already received, there is required an actual influence of the same Holy Spirit to work in them to will, and to do, of His good pleasure: yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty unless upon a special motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in stirring up the grace of God that is in them.

Truly good works, in the sense that God calls a work good, do not originate from men. Indeed, they cannot, for men are unable by nature to do the works that God wills. This idea is a great offense to men, who take great pride in their charities. We compare ourselves one to another and expect recognition and reward for doing things we admire. That Christians are able at all to do good works is credited solely to the Spirit of Christ working in and through us. No one will be able to stand before the Lord on the last day and boast of anything he has done. Yet in his grace God finds gold and silver amongst the hay and stubble--gold and silver he has put there himself.

But no Christian should therefore become complacent or lazy; we are not to neglect the doing of good works, but to recognize their source and the basis of our empowerment to do them. We are not to loll about waiting for some subjective feeling that we are being moved by the Spirit to do such-and-such. Instead, we diligently search the Scriptures for our marching orders and we keenly observe our surroundings for opportunities to obey. And we pray--for direction, for guidance, for encouragement, for a good swift kick (if necessary). And in the end we protest that we are but unprofitable servants.

Tomorrow: Are good works meritorious?

Of Good Works, XVI:2

These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith: and by them believers manifest their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance, edify their brethren, adorn the profession of the gospel, stop the mouths of the adversaries, and glorify God, whose workmanship they are, created in Christ Jesus thereunto, that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life.

This paragraph enumerates several characteristics of good works in the life of the believer in Christ:

1. Firstly, they are done out of obedience. Space does not permit any lengthy discussion about the so-called lordship controversy, but it would seem to be self-evident that if God commands a thing be done the Christian should be the first one to do it. That we are so often lax in our obedience says much about the seriousness with which we take our professions of faith.

2. The performance of good works is the outworking of saving faith. Something is wrong with a fruit tree that bears no fruit. Similarly, the quality of the fruit borne speaks to the health of the tree.

3. Believers manifest thankfulness to God by doing the good works he has prepared for them to do. We demonstrate our love and gratitude for God and for his salvation by obeying him.

4. Good works are even a testimony to ourselves that we truly believe and are in Christ. We know that the natural man has no power within himself to do the things of which God approves. So when we find ourselves doings these things we have assurance that we really are children of God.

5. Other Christians benefit from our good works; they are encouraged and built up by the visible demonstration of God's life in us.

6. The hoary old saying, "Preach the gospel, and if necessary use words," (often ascribed to Francis of Assisi) goes to the idea that the living of the Christian life before the world is frequently a more powerful testimony of the truth of our beliefs than the words we say.

7. So many times the complaint of the unbeliever is that the church is full of hypocrites. True enough--it is a hospital for sinners and not a hotel for saints (in the conventional sense of the word). But this complaint could be stopped by a conscientious obedience to the commands of Christ.

8. Our good works glorify God, in that they testify of his power and love that have transformed sinners' hearts.

9. Without holiness no one will see the Lord. Our good works, being a means and outworking of sanctification, are the fruits of holiness. The faith and new life within that work themselves out in good works achieve the goal of eternal life in the end.

It is a wonder that more Christians do not do more and greater good works.

Tomorrow: The source of good works.

Of Good Works, XVI:1

Good works are only such as God has commanded in His holy Word, and not such as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention.

In the gospel of grace there is most certainly a place for good works. As we move through this chapter we will get a better appreciation for all that is entailed, but right at the outset the mere fact that the Confession contains a chapter devoted to this subject should get our attention. Many evangelicals wrongly associate works with Roman Catholicism or some other form of legalism. Yet God has created us for good works (Ephesians 2:10). And it should then come as no surprise that good works are God's idea. Furthermore, only God knows what truly constitutes a good work. These he has commanded in his word. It is not up to the cleverness of man to devise works that he thinks are good and then expect that God will recognize them. It matters not whether a man has zeal or even "good" intentions when he follows his own thinking and not that of God. We must search the Scriptures to find out what God intends for us to do.

Tomorrow: The place of good works in the life of the believer.

Summary Comments on Repentance

Martin Luther, in the very first of his Ninety-Five Theses, wrote, "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance." The Confession does a pretty fair job of fleshing that statement out. Repentance is a somewhat neglected subject in American evangelicalism, at least in my experience (personal and otherwise). We seem to be more comfortable in and with our sins than we really ought. There is such a thing as excessive introspection--Luther himself was guilty of it, to the exasperation of his superiors during his monastic years. Yet it was the intense realization of his utter sinfulness before God that eventually drove him to the foot of the cross and the brilliant realization that the gospel really is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16-17). Blessed is the man to whom God has given true repentance. Doubly blessed is the man who realizes the fruit of repentance.

Tomorrow: The start of good works.

Errors Concerning Repentance

1. Roman Catholic penance--According to the Roman Catholic penatential system, baptism provides original justification for the observant member (or, as is more often the case, the infant of members, observant or otherwise). Mortal sin "kills" the grace of justification, forcing the person onto the second plank of justification, which is penance. Penance is both an internal virtue, meritorious and therefore "worthy" of recognition and reward by God, and an external sacrament, which is a good work, consisting of contrition, confession, satisfaction, and absolution. Indeed, through acts of satisfaction (usually a painful or burdensome task) the sinner can and must pay for his own sins and win God's favor. Through proper penance, the observant Roman Catholic is restored to a state of grace with God--he has regained justification.

2. Evangelical Arminian repentance--According to this scheme, repentance precedes regeneration and lies therefore within the ability of natural men. The natural man, truly repenting and placing faith in Christ, is rewarded by God with eternal life. This concept gets the shoe on the wrong foot and inadvertantly turns the gospel of grace into a gospel of works. Man repents and believes and is rewarded for these good works by God.

Tomorrow: A summary of biblical repentance.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:6

As every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof; upon which, and the forsaking of them, he shall find mercy; so, he that scandalizes his brother, or the Church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confession, and sorrow for his sin, to declare his repentance to those that are offended, who are thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him.

Private confession to God is a Christian duty (1 John 1:8-10). Sins committed against another person or that become a cause of public scandal should be appropriately confessed to the offended person and/or to the church as a whole. We are typically as Protestants not comfortable with the idea of public confession, yet there is much good that may result from humble obedience in this regard (James 5:16). An act of this sort permits reconciliation and restoration and maintains the purity of the church.

Note the emphasis here on reconciliation and restoration. The purpose of church discipline in general, and confession of sin as considered here specifically, is not punitive. The goal is healing. When a sinning Christian in obedience repents and confesses in a godly manner, the church is bound to receive this person back into full fellowship and exercise the grace of God toward him.

Tomorrow: Some thoughts on errors relating to repentance.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:5

Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man's duty to endeavour to repent of his particular sins, particularly.

It is in wrestling with specific sins that we, in Christ, gain victory over them. We must go to our Father and acknowledge the particular ways in which we have offended him; this gains us better appreciation for the variety of our offenses, the comprehensiveness of God's holiness, and the exacting standard of personal righteousness that we can never in ourselves fulfill. This drives us back on Christ, helping us to rely on him totally for our standing before God.

In large part this is why the mature saint is much more cognizant of his sin and can say along with Paul that he is the chief of sinners, and mean it.

Tomorrow: The place of confession.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:4

As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation; so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.

All sin is heinous before the eyes of God and is rightly condemned. God's standard is perfect righteousness; anything short of that mark brings his wrath and judgment. We need no quarrel over the sizes of sins, because we have all sinned so many times as to make such fine-pointing moot. But thanks be to God that in Christ Jesus there is no sin that can overcome his redeeming love. Only the person who goes down to the grave in willful unrepentance is condemned--no Christian has ever (or will ever) commit the unpardonable sin.

Tomorrow: The importance of specific repentance.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:3

Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God's free grace in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.

Repentance is not meritorious, but it is necessary. It is an act of God's free grace, but the sinner's repentance is not a basis for satisfaction or pardon. Only Christ can save; our repentance is not of itself sufficient to garner reward from God. Nevertheless, it is still required of all sinners and none may expect pardon without it, because it is part of conversion and an outworking of the new nature in Christ.

Tomorrow: No sin too great to prevent salvation.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:2

By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature, and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God, purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.

What ought to motivate a sinner to repent? The Confession here enumerates several reasons.

1. There is a "sight and sense" of the danger of eternal punishment. It has fallen out of fashion to confront unbelievers with their peril of judgment and eternal damnation. Sensitive modern evangelicals are no longer comfortable with this type of message, thinking it underscores negative stereotypes (and besides, some evangelicals have abandoned the idea in favor of annihilationism or some sort of universalism). But it is still legitimate to be afraid of eternal punishment. In and of itself, however, this fear of retribution is not a godly form of repentance, for its emphasis is on avoiding just deserts and personal pain.

2. There is realization of the true nature of sin, producing grief over and hatred of sin. Until we come to regard sin in the same way as God regards sin we do not truly appreciate its heinousness. What is frequently our attitude toward our own sin? Do we not try to explain away, rationalize, and make excuses for ourselves? Do we not often try to shift the blame? Do we not appeal to the universal imperfectness of mankind? Godly repentance owns up to sin and regards it as hateful.

3. The repentant sinner sees the contrast between his sin and the holy nature of God and his laws. He realizes how great is the gulf fixed between the righteousness of God and his own character. He despairs of ever being able to make amends on his own.

4. There is appreciation of God's mercy in Christ. The repentant sinner realizes his abject state of helplessness and his need for a savior.

The final result of all this is a true metanoia--the Greek word typically translated as "repentance," connoting a real change, a real turning-around in one's life--that finds the once-rebellious sinner seeking to walk with God rather than from God or against God and submitting to him in obedience.

Tomorrow: The necessity but insufficiency of repentance.

Of Repentance unto Life, XV:1

Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.

Faith is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8); so is repentance (Acts 11:18, Zechariah 12:10). Both are preceded in the spiritual life of the nascent believer by regeneration, as was demonstrated in our discussion of chapter X. The natural man cannot of his own power or initiative repent or believe (Romans 8:5-8, 1 Corinthians 2:14). Instead, they are gifts given by God. But we must be clear that God does not repent and believe for us. Repentance and faith are assertions of the new nature in Christ, man's response to God's work within him. These cannot be separated. They are also continuous features of the Christian life.

The Confession terms repentance an "evangelical grace" because it has to do with the evangel, or gospel of salvation. This repentance is to be preached by every minister along with faith (Mark 1:14-15).

Some may object that we have argued the natural man cannot obey God's command to repent and believe so he is relieved of the responsibility so to do; one cannot be held accountable for that which it is impossible for one to do, or so goes the reasoning. Yet this is simply not the case. Recall how we demonstrated that the fault for the natural man's inability to obey God's righteous commands lies with himself. His inability to obey caused by his own disobedience does not obviate his responsibility to obey.

Tomorrow: Repentance characterized.

Of Saving Faith, XIV:3

This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.

The Westminster divines had a very realistic (which is to say, biblical) view of the Christian life. They knew that Christian experience is typified by highs and lows. Anyone who tries to tell you, "Accept Jesus, and all your problems will disappear," is selling you a wagonload. The Bible is replete with examples of believers who faced many difficulties in their lives.

But that's not where we place our emphasis. Instead, we look to Christ himself, "the author and finisher of our faith." Our lives may be shaky, but he is ever firm and steady. What he has started he most assuredly will bring to completion.

Assurance is the subject of chapter XVIII; we'll explore the topic in greater detail there.

Tomorrow: Repentance.

Of Saving Faith, XIV:2

By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein; and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.

The effects of true faith include belief in the truth of the word of God. This is a key distinction between the believer and the unbeliever. Many non-Christians complain that the Scriptures make no sense to them, or they scoff and mock at the "immorality" and "contradictions" contained therein. On the other hand, it is the testimony of many who have come to faith that suddenly the Scriptures come alive to them, that they for the first time appreciate the beauty and seamlessness of the word, that it all makes sense and marvelously coheres. Along with this comes a recognition of God's authority in the Scriptures. As R. C. Sproul has observed, the reader often stands in judgment over any other book, but when reading the Scriptures they stand in judgment over him. Hence comes obedience to the commands, trembling at the warnings, and embrace of the promises.

The Confession then enumerates the classical division of the components of saving faith:

1. Notitia--knowledge; an understanding of the content of Christian belief.

2. Assensus--acceptance; acknowledgement that the content is, in fact, true.

3. Fiducia--trust; consigning one's eternal fate to the object of faith.

One may have knowledge, and may even accept that such knowledge comports with reality (i.e., is true), but until one trusts oneself to that knowledge one lacks faith.

Tomorrow: The Victor and the victory of faith.

Of Saving Faith, XIV:1

The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.

Faith is a gift or grace, as plainly taught in the second chapter of Ephesians. This point is worth emphasizing, as it differs from conventional evangelical thought, which commonly sees all men as capable of faith. This I dispute strenuously. As the Confession states, the Holy Spirit works sovereignly within the hearts of those whom the Father has chosen and enables them to believe effectively--see the previous discussion of effectual calling.

The ordinary means by which grace comes into the life of a Christian are the word of God, the sacraments, and prayer. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The sacraments are the gospel preached to our other senses (sight, touch, taste, smell). And prayer is the vehicle of our daily communication with God, by which we may saturate our souls with his word. There are other means of grace (Christian fellowship, for example) but these are chief and the Confession concentrates upon them.

Tomorrow: The effects of true faith.

Of Sanctification, XIII:3

In which war [the "continual and irreconcilable" war between the Spirit and the flesh, as per paragraph 2], although the remaining corruption, for a time, may much prevail; yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part does overcome; and so, the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

We are assured that--not because of us, but because of God--victory over sin and corruption is inevitable. In Philippians 2:13 we learn that God works and we work; his work does not make our work unnecessary but it does make it certain. By ourselves we can do nothing (John 15:5).

An analogy can be made with the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. When the Allied invasion succeeded, it became inevitable that they would, in time, defeat the Nazis. Still, the war continued for almost another year with occasional setbacks (e.g., the Battle of the Bulge). Thus it is with the struggle of sanctification.

One must guard against the error of perfectionism. Some branches of Christianity have taught the possibility of sinless perfection in this life. However, the overwhelming testimony of Scripture and experience is against this. The concept leads to "classes" of Christians (the few perfectly sanctified and the rest mired in residual sin), the idea that a Christian may be justified but not sanctified (so-called carnal Christians), and the possibility of total victory over sin in this life (contra 1 John 1:8-10).

Tomorrow: Saving faith.

Of Sanctification, XIII:2

This sanctification is throughout, in the whole man; yet imperfect in this life, there abiding still some remnants of corruption in every part; whence arises a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.

Just as total depravity affects the entire man, so sanctification is entire in its extent. While the believer in Christ is sanctified in part, and never completely in this life, it is his whole being that is sanctified according to degrees. But it is not as though his will is sanctified while his mind is not. The incompleteness comes from the residual or abiding remnants of corruption. The presence of this persistent corruption produces a conflict with the new nature in Christ, and a war of natures ensues. Indeed, the remaining corruption may for a while prevail, but eventually the regenerate part overcomes, leading to growth in grace and holiness.

Tomorrow: The inevitable victory.

Of Sanctification, XIII:1

They, who are once effectually called, and regenerated, having a new heart, and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ's death and resurrection, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them, the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified; and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.

All those called and regenerated by the Spirit of God are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The means by which the Spirit accomplishes sanctification, or the recasting of the creature into the image of Christ are fourfold:

1. By virtue of Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11).

2. The indwelling of God's word and Spirit.

3. The destruction of the dominion of sin, along with the weakening and mortification of natural lusts.

4. Divine quickening and strengthening in all saving graces, until true holiness is realized, without which no one will see the Lord.

Unlike justification, which is a one-time-for-all declaration of our new position before God in Christ, sanctification is a process. Like any process, there are advances and reverses. This we will discuss in greater detail next time.

Tomorrow: The direction of sanctification in the life of the believer.

Of Adoption, XII

All those that are justified, God vouchsafes, in and for His only Son Jesus Christ, to make partakers of the grace of adoption, by which they are taken into the number, and enjoy the liberties and privileges of the children of God, have His name put upon them, receive the spirit of adoption, have access to the throne of grace with boldness, are enabled to cry, Abba, Father, are pitied, protected, provided for, and chastened by Him as by a Father: yet never cast off, but sealed to the day of redemption; and inherit the promises, as heirs of everlasting salvation.

Adoption of the believer by God follows (logically, not necessarily temporally) immediately upon regeneration, conversion, and justification. God adopts all those justified in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:4-5). This action is entirely centered in and predicated upon Jesus's relationship to the Father. But there is a difference--Christ is the eternally-begotten Son whereas believers are adopted children.

There is great richness in being counted children of God (1 John 3:1-10). Adopted in Christ, we enjoy tremendous privileges such as access to God. We are treated in every way as a good parent would treat a child. The relationship is permanent--no Christian need ever fear disinheritance and abandonment. We are heirs of the promises of God.

This makes for a great distinction between believers and natural men. While all humans are God's creatures, only Christians may count God as Father. This flies in the face of conventional thinking, summarized in the old saw, "the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of men." According to the Scriptures, the natural man is actually the child of the devil (John 8:31-47).

We have arrived at a good stopping point. Upon my return from a short Thanksgiving weekend trip, I will resume this blog with chapter XIII, looking at sanctification. Thank you for your attention and kind words of encouragement so far.

A Short Summary of Justification

When God justifies a sinner, he looks at him and sees Jesus Christ. The identification of the one with the other, based upon God's sovereign saving work within that sinner and the sinner's faith in Christ alone (which faith itself is a gift of God), is so complete that the regenerated and repentant sinner is said to be united with Christ and to enjoy all the spiritual benefits that come with that union. This should not be taken to confuse Christ and the Christian ontologically--it is not as though the Christian loses his identity as a distinct individual. But even though distinct he is no longer separate. He enjoys the righteousness of Christ. He is clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He is counted by God as Christ.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Tomorrow: We are the family of God.

Of Justification, XI:6

The justification of believers under the old testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the new testament.

In essence the Confession is summarizing here what was more explicitly stated in chapter VII in its discussion of God's covenant: "There are not therefore two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations." The basis of man's salvation was, is, and always shall be Jesus Christ, the only name given under heaven by which we must be saved.

Tomorrow: Justification summarized.

Of Justification, XI:5

God continues to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

One of the concepts with which the early church struggled as it lapsed into a moralistic rather than grace-based faith was the fact of post-conversion (and increasingly post-baptism) sins. Their lack of understanding that Christ's work and the application of that work to the believer covered all sins inevitably led to the kind of thinking that produced the penitential system. Numerous additional errors flowed out of that flawed theology.

Here the Confession rightly puts the biblical case: A sinner justified in Christ remains justified despite his subsequent sins. This is no license to sin, however (Romans 6:1). Godly sorrow for sin, humble repentance, and renewed faith are essential. God still regards sin as disobedience. He disciplines his children but he does not disinherit or abandon them. More will be said on this subject in the chapter on perseverance.

Tomorrow: No plan "B."

Of Justification, XI:4

God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

Although the justification and salvation of God's elect is certain from eternity past--for when God decreed their election their salvation was secured--the saving benefits of Christ's work must be applied to them in time. Before they are regenerated, receive the gifts of repentance and faith, are converted and justified, they are as yet unsaved. The accomplished redemption must be applied by the Spirit. So it simply does no good to charge that it matters not that God's elect actually come to faith in Christ, that they will be saved regardless. This is a straw man and an unjust argument against Reformed teaching.

Tomorrow: The problem of sins committed after justification.

Of Justification, XI:3

Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to His Father's justice in their behalf. Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them; and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their justification is only of free grace; that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

The Confession here asserts the substitutionary ("in their behalf") satisfaction theory of Christ's atonement. That is no minor fact for us in the early 21st century to notice given the current attack upon that theory. But the Confession also doesn't spend a lot of time on the concept, instead being more concerned to point out that this is all of grace.

Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God, was given by the Father on behalf of believers; the Father accepted his "obedience and satisfaction" in place of theirs. Both the giving and the accepting were/are entirely of grace. God has never been under any obligation to save sinners. That he does so through Christ is entirely gracious and of his free will. The purpose or end of this was not chiefly that sinners would be saved (think of it as a happy secondary effect) but that God would be praised for both his glorious grace and glorious justice.

This may not make a man happy--indeed, the natural man will not understand it and will typically mock, scoff, and rage against it. It is contrary to much of what passes for the "gospel" in the contemporary West, our thinking even in the church being so man-centered that we vainly imagine that God has orchestrated all this primarily for our benefit.

Tomorrow: The decree and application of justification.

Of Justification, XI:2

Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.

The phrase "the alone instrument of justification" means that faith is the sole means by which the believer is justified. The means is not the basis; it is a vehicle or tool (hence, "instrument"). This faith receives and rests "on Christ and his righteousness;" it is that selfsame Christ and the righteousness thereof that provides the basis.

The Confession also asserts that faith, while "the alone instrument," is not alone in the sense that faith is all there is in the believer. Instead, the whole panoply of saving graces, such as adoption and sanctification, comes along with faith. No believer is "barely" justified. Being in Christ gets one the whole kit and kaboodle.

I imagine that must be one of the rare instances where "kit and kaboodle" enters into otherwise serious theological discussions.

Furthermore, this faith is no mere "dead" faith. It is not bare intellectual assent, or even consent. It is an active and living and loving faith that models Christ to others, which is a necessary outworking of the sanctification that inevitably accompanies justification. Although good Christian works do not contribute to the basis of our salvation they are necessary accompaniments that, so to speak, justify our justification to a watching world. And to ourselves, for they are a witness to the activity of the Holy Spirit within us, providing us an assurance of salvation.

Tomorrow: God's justice and grace demonstrated in the salvation of sinners.

Of Justification, XI:1

Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

Persons familiar with the concept of the ordo salutis, or the "order of salvation," sometimes referred to as the "golden chain," will recognize that starting with the previous chapter the Confession has embarked upon an exploration of the spiritual events attending salvation. Here the link of justification is fastened to the initial link of the effectual call, at which we have just finished looking.

Justification in the NT is predominantly a legal concept. It amounts to a declaration of righteousness, a legal judgment. The sinner, brought before the bar of God's holy and perfect justice, expects condemnation but in Christ receives justification. The way in which this works out is the subject of the whole chapter.

Those whom God has called effectively--those whom the Spirit has regenerated--are justified freely by God. All those; there is no such thing as an unjustified regenerate. Just what this means is then set out in a series of (mostly negative) statements:

1. When he justifies a sinner, God does not infuse righteousness into him. He does not make the sinner in and of himself righteous. Instead, God calls the sinner righteous or imputes righteousness to him; the basis of this declaration/imputation we have yet to see. This concept is fired directly against the Roman Catholic idea of infusion. It is the reason Roman Catholic apologists decry the Protestant concept of justification as a "legal fiction"--they don't understand how God can justifiably declare an unrighteous person righteous if he is not in fact righteous himself.

2. God justifies a sinner by pardoning his sins and accepting him as righteous. Again, the basis for a holy and just God being able to do this is forthcoming. God does not, as the mistaken wag once remarked on his deathbed, simply forgive people because "that's his job."

3. The reason for God's pardoning and accepting the sinner has nothing to do with anything done in him (by God) or by him. Instead, the basis of justification is for the sake of Jesus Christ alone. Here the Confession hints at what is forthcoming.

4. Nor does God impute or credit faith/belief or any other "evangelical obedience" (repentance, confession, etc) as the basis of righteousness. It is not because I believe in Christ--my faith, which in any event does not arise from me even though I exercise it--but because I believe in Christ that I am justified. On such simple distinctions and emphases do much truth and error rise.

5. Finally we get to the meat of the matter. God, in justifying a sinner who exercises faith in Christ, imputes or counts toward that sinner the obedience and satisfaction--the real righteousness--of Christ himself. Those who rest upon Christ and his righteousness alone by faith are justified by God.

6. This faith, as already remarked, is not of the sinner himself, but is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

The recovery and proclamation of this stupendous concept by Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation. It is the heart of the gospel.

There is much more to be unpacked in the next few days. This subject is of critical importance. It has always come under attack whenever it has been boldly proclaimed. It is today under renewed attack. The biblical Christian must strive to make this concept part of his very warp and woof.

Tomorrow: The instrumental cause of justification.

The Free Offer of the Gospel and the "Parable of the Pit"

The outward or external call of God in the gospel is a well-meant, free offer. All are permitted to come--indeed, all are commanded to come. But not all will come. As we have seen, the natural man is unable to come without God's work of regeneration. No one is able to respond savingly to God's call apart from God's enabling.

So often then one hears the objection, "That's not fair! How can I be expected to obey if I'm not able to obey?" The objector assumes that he must play the hand he's dealt and he can't help it if his cards are inadequate. But the objector forgets--or ignores--that the reason he is unable is his own fault, not God's.

It is said there was a great landowner who hired a man to work in his garden. The landowner explained the tasks expected of the man and warned him of a deep pit within the garden, not to jump into it as there was no escape from it and the man would not be able to accomplish his work. As soon as the landowner departed, the hired man threw down his tools, ran to the pit, and jumped in. Immediately he saw that it was indeed impossible for him to climb out again. He languished there for many hours. When the landowner returned at the end of the day, he saw that the work had not been done. He found the hireling in the pit and asked him why the work was not done. The man complained that he could not do the work because he was trapped in the pit. The landowner reminded him of the warning as well as his responsibility to do the work for which he was hired. That he was unable to do the work because of circumstances of his own making does not mitigate his responsibility.

It is not told in the story what happened to the hired man, but there is a rumor that the landowner had pity on him and sent his son later to help the man out of the pit. The son even cleaned up the man (for it was very dirty in that pit) and gave him his own clean clothing to wear...

Tomorrow: Justification.

Of Effectual Calling, X:4

Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.

Those whom God has not chosen, or has passed over, for salvation--the reprobate--may and often do receive the outward call of God as mediated through the preaching of the word. They may even benefit from what the Confession calls "some common operations of the Spirit," by which is meant the benefits that non-Christians enjoy as members of a Christian society. Here the scoffer is likely to sneer, "What benefits?" Persons who know their history of Western civilization should be able to answer that without difficulty. Several good books have been written recently on this subject and may be consulted with profit. Rodney Stark is probably the best author to give to a skeptic because he writes from a position of neutrality more so than advocacy.

However, because the Spirit does not work sovereignly within the hearts of the reprobrate to regenerate them and give them repentance and faith, these never truly come to Christ (even despite outward appearances) and cannot be saved. Apart from Christ there is no salvation. It matters not how well the non-Christian practices his or her religion. All of those efforts are literally dead ends. We must be on our guard here. It is a most "pernicious" thing--a very bad thing--to tell non-Christians otherwise. It is never a kindness to avoid offense by offering false hope.

Tomorrow: The parable of the pit.

Of Effectual Calling, X:3

Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit, who works when, and where, and how He pleases: so also are all other elect persons who are not capable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.

Nowhere is the sovereignty of God in the salvation of men better illustrated than in the cases of elect persons dying in infancy or rendered incapable (e.g., by mental handicap) of responding to the preached gospel. This is a doctrine of immense comfort. It assures us that of all the people given to Christ by the Father he will lose none of them. There is no circumstance of man that thwarts the sovereign election of God, no obstacle that can be thrown in the path of God's accomplished purposes. The Spirit of God regenerates a human being at the appointed time. He has no need of an "age of accountability;" he is not rendered impotent by mental incapacity. Faith and repentance, as we shall see, are the gifts of God, gifts he bestows upon whom he pleases.

Tomorrow: Those who are not sheep of the Good Shepherd.

Of Effectual Calling, X:2

This effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it.

The Confession here takes special pains to re-emphasize the sovereignty of God's grace and the essentially monergistic nature of regeneration (which is synonymous with "effectual calling" for all intents and purposes). It also denies the foreknowledge view that insists God's election is based on his perfect foreknowledge of those who will of their own unaided volition exercise faith in Christ. Instead, the unregenerate man is wholly passive--until he is by the Spirit made alive (regenerated) and renewed unto spiritual life he can do nothing to effect his own salvation. Only by the sovereign work of the Spirit within him is he enabled to respond to God's call and accept the grace "offered and conveyed" therein.

This is not what we hear from most evangelical pulpits in America, to the undying shame of the American church. Instead, the "gospel" proclaimed there is man-centered, far more interested in preserving the myth of man's autonomy with respect to salvation than in upholding the biblical teaching that "salvation is of the Lord."

Tomorrow: Infants and salvation.

Of Effectual Calling, X:1

All those whom God has predestinated unto life, and those only, He is pleased, in His appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by His word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature to grace and salvation, by Jesus Christ; enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to understand the things of God, taking away their heart of stone, and giving unto them a heart of flesh; renewing their wills, and, by His almighty power, determining them to that which is good, and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ: yet so, as they come most freely, being made willing by His grace.

That God effectively calls men and women unto himself reflects his goodness. Election and all that it entails are based upon God's good pleasure. He is not obligated to save any, but is free to save whom he chooses. God has not overlooked any of his people, nor does he amend his perfect decisions. His choice is not conditioned by anything foreseen in a man; it arises purely out of his own purposes and pleasure. This is the great difference between the Calvinist and Arminian perspectives on election. And all of this happens at the "appointed and accepted time."

God uses the means of word and Spirit to accomplish his purposes in his chosen ones. God so directs events that his elect are exposed to the preaching of the gospel. It may therefore be supposed that where the gospel is not preached or the word is not seen or heard God has no people, for God cannot be thwarted. God calls men out of their natural state of sin and death unto grace and salvation by Jesus Christ.

The Spirit's work within a man or woman so chosen is prevenient, monergistic, mysterious, sovereign, and effectual. By this work minds are enlightened, affording the ability to understand the things of God; hearts of stone are taken away and replaced by hearts of flesh; wills are renewed, such that the ability to will and do the good is restored; and men are thereby determined to that which is good by the almighty power of God.

The inevitable response is like that of a spiritual resurrection--once dead in sin and trespasses, the person is made alive in Christ. What does a dead man contribute to his resurrection but his own stinking corpse? By the Spirit are men effectively drawn to Christ, coming freely, being made willing by God's grace. They are spiritually quickened and renewed. And they are enabled to answer the call of God and embrace the offer of grace.

Praise God that he mercifully works within sinful men to save them and does not leave them in the wreck and ruin of their corruption!

Tomorrow: The outward call.

The Confession on Free Will

One of the more persistent canards perpetuated by theological opponents of Reformed Christianity is that it denies free will. As we have demonstrated through our discussion of chapter IX this is simply not the case unless one insists that the only acceptable definition of free will is the so-called libertarian definition that is more or less synonymous with autonomy of the creature. No creature is independent of his Creator.

Even in his fallen state man retains real liberty. He makes legitimate choices. He does what he wants to do. What Reformed Christianity, and the Westminster Confession of Faith, emphasize is that man is bound by his nature, and fallen man has a thoroughly sinful nature. He cannot will or do the good because it is not in him to will or do the good. Only when the Holy Spirit sovereignly regenerates a man and restores to him man's original ability to will and do the good is his rendered capable of obeying God; even then, the war between the new nature and the old sin nature results in many lapses along the way.

The day after tomorrow: How God calls a man to himself.

Of Free Will, IX:5

The will of man is made perfectly and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only.

Man in glory is a free moral agent who is perfected in his abilities in like manner to the nature of Christ himself and is "forever perfectly free and immutably disposed to perfect holiness." Think of it--an eternity of living precisely as our Creator intended us to live with no fear of messing up. We will be allowed to realize our full potential, the handicap of sin and corruption having been put far behind us. We will enter fully into the joy of the Lord.

Tomorrow: Free will summarized.

Of Free Will, IX:4

When God converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of grace, He frees him from his natural bondage under sin; and, by His grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so, that by reason of his remaining corruption, he does not perfectly, nor only, will that which is good, but does also will that which is evil.

The Confession here speaks of the man regenerated by the Spirit of God. Freed from his bondage to sin, the Christian regains the ability to will and do the good. He is restored to a situation similar (not identical) to that of pre-fall Adam. Yet the residual effects of sin--the old nature--remain, so there is a conflict of tendencies. Sanctification in the life of the Christian leads to increasing victory over sin, though progress may be slow and sporadic, accompanied by setbacks.

Tomorrow: The will of the glorified man.

Of Free Will, IX:3

Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.

Fallen man retains his freedom; he is able to choose and act upon his choices. What he lost in the fall was his ability to will the good. He is free to will and do the good but cannot--his fallen nature will not permit it. Recall what was said in chapter VI, paragraph 4: "[U]tterly indisposed, diasabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil." The natural man (man in his current fallen state) cannot will any spiritual good accompanying salvation--none seeks after God, none are able to subject themselves to the law of God, and none can please God (see Romans 3). All are dead in trespasses and sins, as Paul says in Ephesians 2. Furthermore, fallen man lacks the spiritual wherewithal to effect his own conversion. A dead man does not breathe.

Tomorrow: The breath of new life.

Of Free Will, IX:2

Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God; but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.

The Confession here embarks upon a discussion of the four states of man, starting with the state of original innocency. Adam was created as good. Prior to the fall, he had both the freedom and ability to obey God perfectly, yet it was within him to change subject to external temptations and the stimulation of his creaturely nature. Because we now have no experience of such a state it is not possible for us to comprehend either it or what exactly happened that produced the fall.

Tomorrow: The effects of the fall.