With application to the elect:
“The Lord has made wonderful for Himself”
• […] of all the saints, and of their election; which act is expressed by their being set apart, or separated from others… and which is a marvelous act of grace. It is an amazing instance of grace that God should make one to differ from another, and separate them from their mother’s womb, and call them by His grace. [None] are set apart or chosen by God for their godliness, or holiness; for they are chosen through sanctification of the Spirit, and not because they were, or it was foreseen they would be, holy. Holiness, faith, godliness, and good works, are the fruits of election, and not the causes of it. God is good, and gracious, and merciful unto [he] whom is an object of His free grace and favor; and therefore He chooses and sets him apart of His own grace and mercy, and according to His sovereign will and pleasure: and that “for Himself”; for His own use and service, for His praise and honor, and to the glory of His grace; which is His grand end in predestination, election, and in all spiritual blessings. And now all attempts against such persons are in vain; all charges against them are of no avail; all methods, whether by open force of persecutors, or by the cunning of false teachers, that lie in wait to deceive, to prevail against them, prove failures: and God will avenge His elect that cry unto Him day and night. JG
• The fact that the godly are the chosen of God, and are, by distinguishing grace, set apart and separated from among men. Election is a doctrine which un-renewed men cannot endure, but nevertheless, it is a glorious and well-attested truth, and one which should comfort the tempted believer. Election is the guarantee of compete salvation, and an argument for success at the throne of grace. The Lord’s elect shall not be condemned, nor shall their cry be unheard. David was king by divine decree, and we are the Lord’s people in the same manner; let us tell our enemies to their faces, that they fight against God and destiny, when they strive to overthrow our souls. O beloved, when you are on your knees, the fact of your being set apart as God’s own peculiar treasure, should give you courage and inspire you with fervency and faith. Since He chose to love us He cannot but chose to hear us. CHS
• What rare persons the godly are: “The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor” Prov. 12:26. As the flower of the sun, as the wine of Lebanon, as the sparkling upon Aaron’s breastplate, such is the orient splendor of a person embellished with godliness. The godly are precious; therefore they are set apart for God. We set apart things that are precious; the godly are set apart as God’s peculiar treasure (Ps. 135:4); as His garden of delight (So. 4:12); as His royal diadem (Isa. 43:3); the godly are the excellent of the earth (Ps. 16:3); comparable to fine gold (Lam. 4:2); double refined (Zech. 13:9). They are the glory of the creation (Isa. 46:13). Thomas Watson
• [The Lord has set apart for Himself] every particular godly man… in His eternal choice, in His effectual calling, in the special disposals of His providence and operations of His grace; His people are
purified unto Him a peculiar people. Godly men are God’s separated, sealed, ones; He knows those that are His, and has set His image and superscription upon them; He distinguished them with uncommon favors:
They shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I make up my jewels. MH
It would appear to me that there will be those that read this and are stricken with horror over the idea of election. But still the doctrine of election stands true and it is appropriately applied here whether in consideration of the placement of David on the throne or in more eternal considerations involving the salvation of the elect. So let us take some time and consider what this doctrine is and what it means literally and in application.
I had initially wrestled with the idea of whether or not to spend some time on this subject knowing that it can be the cause of so much strife. It is not the conflict that in and of itself bothers me, but I wondered if considering it here might lead those that wrestle with this, or even flat out revile this doctrine, to step away from the study. I do not desire this in any way, but when the opportunity presents itself to share the blessed truths that exist in the word of God then how can one refrain from doing so in spite of the offense that may arise from such an action? Furthermore, as I studied this I ran across a paragraph in Francis Turretin’s “Institutes of Elenctic Theology” (vol. 1, pp 329-331) where he discusses this same question and answers it well. He says, “[…] we think this doctrine should be neither wholly suppressed from a preposterous modesty nor curiously pried into by a rash presumption. Rather it should be taught soberly and prudently from the word of God so that two dangerous rocks may be avoided: on the one hand, that of “affected ignorance” which wishes to see nothing and blinds itself purposely in things revealed; on the other, that of “unwarrantable curiosity” which busies itself to see and understand everything even in mysteries. They strike upon the first who (sinning in defect) think that we should abstain from the proposition of this doctrine; and upon the latter who (sinning in excess) wish to make everything in this mystery scrupulously accurate… and hold that nothing should be left undiscovered… in it. Against both, we maintain (with the orthodox) that predestination can be taught with profit, provided this is done soberly from the word of God. If, on account of the abuse of some persons, we should abstain from the proposition of this mystery, we must equally abstain from most of the mysteries of the Christian religion which the wicked abuse or laugh at and satirize (such as the mystery of the Trinity, the incarnation, the resurrection and the like). Our only object should be to increase our faith, not to feed curiosity; to labor for edification, not to strive for our glory.” This will be my attempt here as well.
To start, if we are to consider election then we must consider it under the heading of the word predestination. There are two functions of predestination to consider here: (1) election; which is in regards to the calling of the saints to God and the means ordained to accomplish the act; (2) reprobation; which is God’s damnation of the wicked. Both are detrimentally presented in far too many circles today; I have seen, even from the Reformed camp, a legitimate lack of fundamental understanding here. I cannot treat this as exhaustively as it deserves so I am going to try and highlight the best that I can find from the men I have consulted on this and if you are sparked to learn more or are left with a desire for a deeper understanding I would urge you to read the men I quote and with your bible in hand actively seek to gain an appropriate level of understanding here. As Turretin says, “[This] is one of the primary doctrines and foundations of faith. It cannot be ignored without great injury to the church and to believers. For it is the fountain of our gratitude to God, the root of humility, the foundation and most firm anchor of confidence in all temptations, the fulcrum of the sweetest consolation and the most powerful spur to piety and holiness.”
There is in the books I have been reading on this subject a great deal of discussion on the meaning and application of the various words that are used in the bible in regards to this doctrine. I have omitted those considerations here due only to the length they would have added to this study. But it is an entirely fruitful use of your time should you so desire to look into the matter beyond the limited scope of this study in particular. I would even say it is important for you to do so seeing as though, without exception, every author spent time addressing these words in some way.
Overview
The Augustinian scheme includes the following points: (1.) That the glory of God, or the manifestations of His perfections, is the highest and ultimate end of all things. (2.) For that end God purposed the creation of the universe, and the whole plan of providence and redemption. (3.) That He placed man in a state of probation, making Adam, their first parent, their head and representative. (4.) That the fall of Adam brought all his posterity into a state condemnation, sin, and misery, from which they are utterly unable to deliver themselves. (5.) From the mass of fallen men God elected a number innumerable to eternal life, and left the rest of mankind to the just recompense of their sins. (6.) That the ground of this election is not the foresight of anything in the one class to distinguish them favorably from the members of the other class, but the good pleasure of God. (7.) That for the salvation of those thus chosen to eternal life, God gave His own Son, to become man, and to obey and suffer for His people, thus making a full satisfaction for sin and bringing in everlasting righteousness, rendering the ultimate salvation of the elect absolutely certain. (8.) That while the Holy Spirit, in His common operations, is present with every man, so long as he lives, restraining evil and exciting good, his certainly efficacious and saving power is exercised only in behalf of the elect. (9.) That all those whom God has thus chosen to life, and for whom Christ specially gave Himself in the covenant of redemption, shall certainly… be brought to the knowledge of the truth, to the exercise of the faith, and to perseverance in holy living unto the end. Charles Hodge, “Systematic Theology”, vol. 2, pg. 333
We say… that Scripture clearly proves this much, that God by His eternal and immutable counsel determined once for all those whom it was His pleasure one day to admit to salvation, and those whom, on the other hand, it was His pleasure to doom to destruction. We maintain that this counsel, as regards the elect, is founded on His free mercy, without any respect to human worth, while those whom He dooms to destruction are excluded from access to life by a just and blameless, but at the same time incomprehensible judgment. In regard to the elect, we regard calling as the evidence of election, and justification as another symbol of its manifestation, until it is fully accomplished by the attainment of glory. But as the Lord seals His elect by calling and justification, so by excluding the reprobate either from the knowledge of His name or the sanctification of His Spirit, He by these marks in a manner discloses the judgment which awaits them. John Calvin, “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”, 3.21
Election
The words
election and
to elect are found 28 times in the New Testament. [What is meant] in the great majority of instances [is] God’s eternal election of individual men to everlasting life… and it signifies the purpose or the act of God in choosing His own people to salvation. […] in the economy of salvation, as revealed to us, the act of sovereign election is specially attributed to the Father, as His personal part, even as redemption is attributed to the Son, and sanctification to the Spirit (Jn. 17:6, 9; 6:64-65; 1 Thess. 5:9).
The only question which touches the true matter of debate is, what is the ground of the eternal predestination of individuals to salvation? Is it the foreseen faith and repentance of the individuals themselves, or the sovereign good pleasure of God? Every Christian must take one side or the other of this question. If he takes the side which makes foreseen faith the ground, he is an Arminian no matter what else he holds. If he takes the side which makes the good pleasure of God the ground, he is a Calvinist.
Calvinists hold… that God’s decrees are absolute and relate to all classes of events whatsoever. They therefore maintain that while nations, communities, and individuals are predestined absolutely to all of every kind of good and bad that befalls them, nevertheless the Scriptures teach specifically an election (1) of individuals, (2) to grace and salvation, (3) founded not upon the foreseen faith of the persons elected, but upon the sovereign good pleasure of God alone.
[The elect] are always spoken of as… having grace or glory as [their] end (Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13). The elect in Scripture are explicitly distinguished from the mass of the visible Church, and hence their election could not have been merely to the external privileges of that Church (Rom. 9:7). The names of the elect are said “to be written in heaven” and to be in “the book of life” (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 4:3).The blessings which it is explicitly declared are secured by this election are gracious and saving, they are the elements and results of salvation, inseparable from it, and pertain not to nations but to individuals as their subjects, e.g. “adoption as sons,” “to be conformed to the image of His Son,” etc. (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:5; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Thess. 5:9; Rom. 9:15-16). It is expressly declared in Scripture that this election is not conditioned upon works of any kind (Rom. 11:4-7; 2 Tim. 1:9; Rom. 9:11). A.A. Hodge, “Outlines of Theology”, pp. 215-220
[Election] is immutable, and therefore renders the salvation of the elect certain. God realizes the decree of election by His own efficiency, by the saving work which He accomplishes in Jesus Christ. It is His purpose that certain individuals should believe and persevere unto the end, and He secures this result by the objective work of Christ and the subjective operations of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:29-30; 11:29; 2 Tim. 2:19). It is the firm foundation of God which stands, “having this seal, the Lord knows those that are His.” And as such it is the source of rich comfort for all believers. Their final salvation does not depend on their uncertain obedience, but has its guarantee in the unchangeable purpose of God. The divine election should never be identified with any temporal selection, whether it be for the enjoyment of the special grace of God in life, for special privileges and responsible services, or for the inheritance of glory hereafter, but must be regarded as eternal (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:4-5). Election does not in any way depend on the foreseen faith or good works of man, as the Arminians teach, but exclusively on the sovereign good pleasure of God, who is also the originator of faith and good works (Rom. 9:11; Acts 13:48; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 1:2). Since all men are sinners and have forfeited the blessings of God, there is no basis for such a distinction in them; and since even the faith and good works of believers are the fruit of the grace of God (Eph. 2:8, 10; 2 Tim. 2:21), even these, as foreseen by God, could not furnish such a basis. [None of this] means that man cannot oppose its execution to a certain degree, but it does mean that his opposition will not prevail. Neither does it mean that God in the execution of His decree overpowers the human will in a manner which is inconsistent with man’s free agency. It does mean, however, that God can and does exert such an influence on the human spirit as to make it willing (Ps. 110:3; Phil. 2:13). The fact that God favors some and passes by others, does not warrant the charge that He is guilty of injustice. We can speak of injustice only when one party has a claim on another. If God owed the forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all men, it would be an injustice if He saved only a limited number of them. But the sinner has absolutely no right or claim on the blessings which flow from divine election. As a matter of fact he has forfeited those blessings. Not only have we no right to call God to account for electing some and passing others by, but we must admit that He would have been perfectly just, if He had not saved any (Matt. 20:14-15; Rom. 9:14-15). The purpose of this eternal election is twofold: (1) the proximate purpose is the salvation of the elect (Rom. 11:7-11; 2 Thess. 2:13). (2) The final aim is the glory of God. Even the salvation of men is subordinate to this. That the glory of God is the highest purpose of the electing grace is made very emphatic in Eph. 1:6, 12, 14. Louis Berkhof, “Systematic Theology”, pp. 114-115
Reprobation
[Augustine] speaks of the reprobate as subjects of predestination, so that there can be no doubt about it that he taught a double predestination. However, he recognized their difference, consisting in this that God did not predestinate unto damnation and the means unto it in the same way as He did to salvation, and that predestination unto life is purely sovereign, while predestination unto eternal death is also judicial and takes account of man’s sin.
The Reformers of the sixteenth century all advocated the strictest doctrine of predestination. Calvin firmly maintained the Augustinian doctrine of an absolute double predestination. At the same time he, in his defense of the doctrine against Pighius, stressed the fact that the decree respecting the entrance of sin into the world was a permissive decree, and that the decree of reprobation should be so construed that God was not made the author of sin nor in any way responsible for it.
[Reprobation] contains two elements:
preterition or the determination to pass by some men; and
condemnation (sometimes called
precondemnation) or the determination to punish those who are passed by for their sins. Preterition is a sovereign act of God, an act of His mere good pleasure, in which the demerits of man do not come into consideration, while precondemnation is a judicial act, visiting sin with punishment. The reason for preterition is not known by man. It cannot be sin, for all men are sinners. We can only say that God passed some by for good and wise reasons sufficient to Himself. On the other hand the reason for condemnation is known; it is sin. Preterition is purely passive, a simple passing by without any action on man, but condemnation is efficient and positive. Those who are passed by are condemned on account of their sin. […] while it can be said that God is the author of regeneration, calling, faith, justification, and sanctification, of the elect, and thus by direct action on them brings their election to realization, it cannot be said that He is also the responsible author of the fall, the unrighteous condition, and the sinful acts of the reprobate by direct action on them, and thus effects the realization of their reprobation. God’s decree undoubtedly rendered the entrance of sin into the world certain, but He did not predestinate some unto sin, as He did others unto holiness. And as the holy God He cannot be the author of sin.
Since the bible is primarily a revelation of redemption, it naturally does not have as much to say about reprobation as about election. But what it says is quite sufficient (Matt. 11:25-26; Rom. 9:13, 17-18, 21-22; 11:7; Jude 4; 1 Pet. 2:8). Louis Berkhof, “Systematic Theology”, pp. 109-110, 116-118
The biblical writers are as far as possible from obscuring the doctrine of election because of any seemingly unpleasant corollaries that flow from it. On the contrary, they expressly draw the corollaries which have often been so designated, and make them a part of their explicit teaching. Their doctrine of election, they are free to tell us, for example, does certainly involve a corresponding
doctrine of preterition. The very term adopted in the New Testament to express it… embodies a declaration of the fact that in their election others are passed by and left without the gift of salvation; the whole presentation of the doctrine is such as either to imply or openly assert, on its very emergence, the removal of the elect by the pure grace of God, not merely from a state of condemnation, but out of the company of the condemned – a company on whom the grace of God has no saving effect, and who are therefore left without hope in their sins; and the positive just reprobation of the impenitent for their sins is repeatedly explicitly taught in sharp contrast with the gratuitous salvation of the elect despite their sins. But, on the other hand, it is ever taught that, as the body out of which believers are chosen by God’s unsearchable grace is the mass of justly condemned sinners, so the destruction to which those that are passed by are left is the righteous recompense of their guilt. Thus the discrimination between men in the matter of eternal destiny is distinctly set forth as taking place in the interests of mercy and for the sake of salvation from the fate which justly hangs over all, God is represented as in His infinite compassion rescuing those chosen to this end in His inscrutable counsels of mercy to the praise and glory of His grace; while those that are left in their sins perish most deservedly, as the justice of God demands. B.B. Warfield, “The works of Benjamin B. Warfield”, vol. 2 “Biblical Doctrines”, pp 62-63
Personal Summary:
We have here before us such a splendid verse for our study. I must admit that I had not intended that this verse would take so long to complete, but there were volumes of material worth reading in relation to it. So, please forgive my lack of timeliness.
We see here a wonderful example of the Christian life from start to finish in this verse, regardless of what application you would give to it from above. My best estimate is that there is an element of all three here and that this has application to the real experience of David, the messianic experience of Christ, and the perpetual experience of the elect. As such, we see that it is God that calls us to salvation; it is God who accomplished our salvation in the person and work of Christ; it is God who sustains, perseveres, and strengthens us through the efficacious work of the Spirit; and it is God who inclines His ear to hear the prayers of His people sanctified by the Spirit and pleaded for by the Son. What beauty lies in such a reality!
I know there are some that will cringe over the inclusion of this topic here; yet, it is where the study of the word of God has led us. But what I cringe about myself is the ability of those that profess to be Christians to resist this doctrine. I don’t say that from a sense of superiority or a desire to defeat them in debate or even merely for some warped satisfaction of being right. I say it because it is everywhere attested to in the word of God. I have seen the twisted rebuttals; they have been tried and found wanting as they always will. I myself cannot resist this truth; I thank the Lord for that.
But beyond the orthodoxical considerations; I do not believe that one can fully begin to enjoy the beauty and safety and surety of the Christian faith without this doctrine being present with them always. Words would fail me if I tried to explain the beauty of it. Far from being this hideous injustice, as it is perceived by the world, it is at its very core as sublime as any other doctrine could attempt to be. In my mind I am forever humbled and quite frankly baffled that 1) the Lord chose me in eternity, and if we are to consider prescience than let it be here that we fall at the cross and give thanks that the Lord chose us in spite of His perfect foreknowledge of our sin; 2) that the Son asked for me (Ps. 2:8) as His inheritance; 3) that He willingly in obedience to the Father and in love for the Father and His chosen people laid down His life for me (Jn 10:17-18), and that in spite of knowing that the human race would revile Him from the moment of His birth until He comes again to take us home; 4) that the Spirit extended to me the effectual call, without which I would have giddily denied the free offer of grace until my ultimate demise and spent eternity in hell, and that He has given me the gift of faith and brought me into the holy family of God Himself; 5) that the Spirit sanctifies and conforms me ever more to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29) and perseveres me until the day that I am taken home to be with my beautiful, loving, righteous God for eternity (2 Tim. 1:12). What could be more beautiful than a condescending God that accomplishes 100% of the requirements of my salvation in spite of the sin I was born under and then willingly committed throughout my life; indeed the sin which I still battle with to this day and which I will always battle with! Yet, He loved me regardless. Nothing can be more beautiful than this.
I fear that those that fail to see such beauty, even as it smacks them in the face with every ounce of its splendor, have failed to focus on the heart of the Gospel message, that they take too lightly the dire predicament they may be in; ultimately I fear that their own sense of autonomy has become their god. I fear that they are either not in the fold, or if they are, that they remain stunted forever and that they should be especially inclined to this doctrine which they profane by what they teach in their churches and homes, for in spite of their reviling this precious truth, God has saved them anyway and in the end it is the truth of this doctrine that will rest them safely in heaven regardless of what they have believed on this earth. For this much I am sure of, when we get to heaven we will all be entirely convinced and grateful for this doctrine to the very last man. It is only the wicked that sits in hell that will regret that the doctrine of predestination was true and it assured his judicious damnation every bit as much as it assured the salvation of the righteous.
I leave with the cry we hear so often, the cry that with flippant effort is hurled into the midst of conversation because it is something we profess as Reformed Christians. But it is at the heart of the study we have endeavored in here and it is why we are saved and why we are here at all, let us never forget or cease to say with unwavering conviction and passion…. Soli Deo Gloria!
