Canons of Dordt (12)

The teaching of God's good pleasure as the sole cause of election is comforting for a poor people. This is for those who cannot find any qualities, any merits in themselves, and who have tried all they could to make themselves acceptable in God's sight and whose efforts have failed. They know what spiritual bankruptcy is. To such ones it is a wonder that the Lord does not do it for their sakes, but for His great and holy Name's sake.

That sinners will be saved is only because it has pleased the Lord to do this. This is an offense to a proud creature who wants to have the credit for himself, but it is good tidings and a sweet comfort for those who know that all they can present to the Lord is sin and guilt. It is through Him alone. Nothing has to be added by them. Of that good pleasure they will sing and praise the Lord forever.

God's election is unchangeable and cannot be annulled or recalled, and the elect cannot be cast away. This is what we read in Article 11:

And as God Himself is most wise, unchangeable, omniscient, and omnipotent, so the election made by Him can neither be interrupted nor changed, recalled, or annulled; neither can the elect be cast away nor their number diminished.

The people of Israel lived under the ministration of the covenant and had received the signs and seals of this covenant. But during their forty-year stay in the wilderness, those external signs of the covenant were missing, until they entered into the land of Canaan. Then they again received the signs of this covenant. We see that the external signs were subject to interruption, and there was a changeable situation. However, God's gracious election is unchangeable. It was necessary that our fathers emphatically state this, for the Remonstrants taught the opposite, that is, a changeable election, since, in their opinion, God's decrees were also changeable. In their teaching this election depended on the fulfillment of certain possible conditions, and again they proclaimed a changeable God who has to wait for the willingness and faithfulness of man. Scripture, however, teaches us something different. It tells us that no one will pluck God's people out o f the hand of Christ. The apostle testified in Romans 8 that those “whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” God's election is unchangeable because God Himself is unchangeable.

Our article speaks of the attributes of God, who is the most wise, unchangeable, omniscient, and omnipotent Lord.

God's wisdom

God's wisdom is evident in all His works, not only the work of creation, but also the work of recreation, the work of redemption by Christ, the Son of God's good pleasure. All God's works testify of this wisdom, “O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches” (Psalm 104:24).

When Paul meditates upon the work of salvation, he exclaims in Romans 11:33, “O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”

If we only might see God's wisdom in His leadings with us in our lives, it would bring us to adoration and worship. We often imagine that we know better than He what is good for us or what we need. It requires grace and light from above not only to submit to His ways, to agree with them, but also to praise God for them. When the Lord gives His children to look back and to reflect on the way in which He has led them, they may see His wisdom, even when their plans failed, when He took away what they cherished and gave them what they did not desire to have, when He led them in ways that they did not understand. But still these were ways of wisdom.

God is unchangeable

God is also unchangeable. This is what the prophet said in Malachi 3:6.,“For I am the LORD, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

We may regret things we promised or actions we have done, but even our unfaithfulness will not take away the faithfulness of God.

We read in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” He is the faithful One. Oh, the unchangeableness of the God of the covenant is such a comfort for a changeable and unfaithful people.

God's omniscience

There is also God's omniscience. Nothing is hidden from Him. We may make plans and meet unexpected obstacles. However, the Lord knows all things because He has decreed everything.

When God elected His people, He knew what kind of people they would be. Even our best friends can disappoint us. God's people will also be disappointed with themselves, but this is not so with God. He knew that they would be rebellious, stubborn, foolish, and unthankful people.

Although we may fail others or ourselves, this is not possible with God, for “He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.” Yes, we often grieve Him by our unbelief, pride, world conformity, and backslidings. But He knew what His people would be. He did not elect them for any reasons in themselves, but only because of His good pleasure.

God's omnipotence

Our fathers also mention God's omnipotence.

We may have good intentions, beautiful plans, sincere desires, but we may find ourselves helpless and unable to do what we desired to do. However, God is almighty, and no one can resist His power. We read in Daniel 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?”

God speaks and it is done, He commands and it stands fast.

The teaching of the Remonstrants is so comfortless. It speaks of a God who waits for what we might do and whose grace can be resisted. Our fathers knew that God will fulfill His counsel. The almighty God chooses sinners, and no one is too far gone for Him. He is able to save the most wretched, hopeless sinner.

The poet says in Psalm 65:4, “Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee.”

God's church is surrounded by mighty, mortal enemies, but they are kept by the power of God unto salvation. No, there is not one that can prevent God's purposes from being fulfilled. God's children cannot sin themselves out of that eternal love and good pleasure of God. They may fall deeply, but they can never fall away from God's election. David could not, nor Peter, nor anyone of God's chosen people. The Lord is faithful to the end, and He is able to save to the uttermost.

This should never lead to an antinomian spirit. God's children are responsible for what they do with the many blessings they have received from the Lord. They can grieve God and bring great darkness upon themselves, but God will not alter the Word that He has spoken. The poet sings of it, “He will finish perfectly what He for me has undertaken.”

Human bulwarks can fall

The mighty and strong towers of the World Trade Center collapsed after the terrorists attacked them. The strongest human bulwarks can be destroyed, but not God's covenant faithfulness. God's church can never fall from the hand of Christ.

The world is changing fast. If our grandparents could see our world with its highly developed technology, they would marvel. Perhaps they would also be very afraid. Surely there is reason to be afraid when we look at the power of iniquity, the temptations of the world, and all that threatens also our churches and families. Jehoshaphat knew that in himself there was no might against that great company that came against him. Luther, however, knew that the almighty, unchangeable God was his fortress. May this also be the hope and comfort for God's poor children.

Keep the Bucket Under the Spout

During the first half of the previous century there lived a simple and true preacher of the Word in England by the name of Charles James. We would do well to heed his advice also today.

Preaching at Swindon during one very dry summer from Hebrews 10:25 and exhorting to constant attendance on the means of grace, he said, “It has been a very dry time lately, and you ladies like a drop of nice rain water for your bit of washing; at least my wife does, and she was anxiously looking up to the heavens, hoping for some signs of a shower. I told her to keep the bucket under the spout, and if there should be a shower in the night, she would be sure to catch some.” He then applied it to the subject in hand: so should we be found constant in attendance in the means of grace, both public and private; we never know what we may miss by neglect, or when there may be a shower of heavenly blessing. “So you must keep the bucket under the spout, friends.”

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen