As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.
Opponents of the doctrine of election sometimes argue that it makes salvation a moot point--God has already decided who will be saved and who will not, so why sweat the details. These critics forget that God's decrees establish the validity of second causes (means) and that he employs many good things to work out salvation in the lives of Christ's people, such as his provision of the Scriptures, preachers, evangelists, prayer, etc.
Notice the harmony of the Trinity in man's salvation: Elect by the Father, redeemed by Christ the Son, and saved through the application of the benefits of Christ by the Holy Spirit. This concept is sometimes called the covenant of redemption. From eternity past, the Father decreed the elect, the Son agreed to be the Redeemer of the elect, and the Spirit agreed to apply redemption to all those chosen by God. God does not work at cross-purposes with himself. All those appointed to salvation by God will certainly be saved (John 6:39), for the triune God works tirelessly to bring about his purposes.
All humans begin fallen in Adam, from which group some are redeemed by Christ. A crucial point to keep in mind is that it is not as though God has saved some and cast others into irredeemable sin. Rather, all are sinners, justly deserving God's wrath and judgment. He graciously spares some who would otherwise be doomed. The elect are effectually called unto faith by the Spirit working in due season, re-emphasizing what was said above. Chapter X of the Confession explains effectual calling in more detail.
The elect are "justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept" by God's power. See Romans 8:28-30. Each of these topics gets a chapter and we will examine each in its turn.
God has purposed to save none but the elect. If a man is called unto faith, is justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept, he is of the elect and will be saved.
Tomorrow: What of those not chosen to salvation?
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