As we discussed last week, a major concern with the doctrine of election is that viewing some people as elect would seem to cause arrogance, but in fact this idea actually leads to humility. Another common concern is that it may lead to Christians not seeking to live lives of obedience because their fate is already sealed. This has long been an objection to this teaching, as seen in the final section of the Canons of Dort. This section is a rejection of false accusations about the teachings affirmed in the Canons, with one of these false accusations being “that this teaching makes people carnally self-assured, since it persuades them that nothing endangers the salvation of the elect, no matter how they live, so that they may commit the most outrageous crimes with self-assurance; and that on the other hand nothing is of use to the reprobate for salvation even if they have truly performed all the works of the saints.” Not only do the Canons of Dort seek to refute this objection or misunderstanding, but they also show how the doctrine of election offers pastoral help in the form of assurance and actually leads to lives of holiness.
Assurance Given by the Doctrine of Election
Article 12 of Point 1 discusses this assurance: “Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.” Christians can have assurance, though it may vary and waver at times. This assurance comes both from God’s promises to save people who have faith and also from seeing certain things in their life — in particular, faith, repentance, and the desire to follow God. Therefore, rather than election causing someone to feel free to live however they wish, it should lead to seeking to follow God and find fruit of that in his or her life, as assurance comes from having this heart.
This idea of finding assurance of one’s election and salvation from the fruit that one sees in their life can actually lead to people not having assurance or being overly inquisitive into their lives (something that the Canons warn about in Article 12 of Point 1 quoted above), even moving people to despair rather than joy. This was something that happened in early American churches in the Puritan tradition; at times, people felt like they had to have a crisis of faith and a life filled with a certain number of works to feel saved and prove it to others. From my experience, when people struggle with the question of whether they are really saved, it is a sign that God is at work in their lives, convicting them of sin, and drawing them deeper in faith. One can have false assurance and must beware of that, but if one believes in Christ, he or she should find confidence and assurance – and should have this assurance in life. Numerous Bible verses show us that we should have assurance of our salvation, knowing that God will fulfill His promise to save us. Section 6 of the Rejection of Errors after Main Point 1 notes that the Scriptures “teach that ‘the elect cannot be led astray’ (Matthew 24:24), that ‘Christ does not lose those given to him by the Father’ (John 6:39), and that ‘those whom God predestined, called, and justified, he also glorifies’ (Romans 8:30).”
Election and Assurance Leads to Holiness
Article 13 also deals with the idea of assurance, noting that assurance does not cause one to be negligent in following God but actually leads to one being obedient: “In their awareness and assurance of this election, God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God, to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them. This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it, make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured. By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen.”
The doctrine of election encourages good work and actually helps keep good works in their place. These works do not happen to earn salvation or cause one to be saved, but are the fruit, the result of one being saved. In fact, the doctrine of election does not simply say that God chose people to save but that he chose to make people holy, as we see in Ephesians 1:4: “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” When we rightly understand election, it does not lead us to godlessness but rather to godliness. As we read in 2 Peter 1:10, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall”; the qualities referred to here are those described in the previous verses that describe a life of godliness and holiness.
Article 8 of this first main points also highlights this idea that election leads to us living in the way of salvation: “For Scripture declares that there is a single good pleasure, purpose, and plan of God’s will, by which he chose us from eternity both to grace and to glory, both to salvation and to the way of salvation, which God prepared in advance for us to walk in.” Article 9 also speaks to this: “Accordingly, election is the source of every saving good. Faith, holiness, and the other saving gifts, and at last eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits and effects. As the apostle says, ‘He chose us’ (not because we were, but) ‘so that we should be holy and blameless before him in love’ (Eph. 1:4).”
Therefore, the Canons of Dort show us that the idea of election not only gives us confidence of our eternal destiny but also motivates us to live in light of this calling in the present.
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