The doctrine of election has been misused and misunderstood, so that some have wandered into a reckless or prodigal lifestyle because their end is secure as one of the elect, while others have despaired because they could not be assured of their election and therefore their salvation. Instead, the doctrine is meant to give us assurance of what we have believed on and thus rest in Christ's finished work.
Christ calls to Himself all sinners and promises them rest, and He is in earnest that all men should come to Him and allow themselves to be helped, to whom He offers Himself in His Word, and wishes them to hear it and not to stop their ears or despise the Word. Moreover, He promises the power and working of the Holy Ghost, and divine assistance for perseverance and eternal salvation.
…
But [the true judgment concerning predestination] must be learned alone from the holy Gospel concerning Christ, in which it is clearly testified that God has consigned them all to unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all, and that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and believe in the Lord Christ. (Rom 11:32; Ezek 18:23; 33:11; 2 Pet 3:9; 1 John 2:2.)
Whoever, now, is thus concerned about the revealed will of God, and proceeds according to the order which St. Paul has observed in the Epistle to the Romans, who first directs men to repentance, to knowledge of sins, to faith in Christ, to divine obedience, before he speaks of the mystery of the eternal election of God, to him this doctrine is useful and consolatory.
Christ calls to Himself all sinners and promises them rest, and He is in earnest that all men should come to Him and allow themselves to be helped, to whom He offers Himself in His Word, and wishes them to hear it and not to stop their ears or despise the Word. Moreover, He promises the power and working of the Holy Ghost, and divine assistance for perseverance and eternal salvation.
…
But [the true judgment concerning predestination] must be learned alone from the holy Gospel concerning Christ, in which it is clearly testified that God has consigned them all to unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all, and that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and believe in the Lord Christ. (Rom 11:32; Ezek 18:23; 33:11; 2 Pet 3:9; 1 John 2:2.)
Whoever, now, is thus concerned about the revealed will of God, and proceeds according to the order which St. Paul has observed in the Epistle to the Romans, who first directs men to repentance, to knowledge of sins, to faith in Christ, to divine obedience, before he speaks of the mystery of the eternal election of God, to him this doctrine is useful and consolatory.
Epitome of the Formula of Concord, XI.7, 9-10
No comments:
Post a Comment