Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 3)

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 3

Of God’s Eternal Decree

(Part 3)

IV. These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

This chapter began with the declaration that God has “freely and unchangeably” ordained whatsoever comes to pass. He has done this without being chargeable for sin and without “doing violence” to the will of His creatures. The Confession continued and said that this decree encompasses the existence of God’s rational creatures. Specifically, some angels and men have been predestinated to everlasting life, while others have been predestinated to everlasting death.

This fourth paragraph elaborates on the decree as it touches angels and men. Following the earlier teaching that God’s decree, in general, is unchangeable, this section states that the “part” of God’s decree that touches His rational creatures, i.e., angels and men, is also unchangeable. What God has determined, He has determined. This is true of generalities and particulars, we might say.

This is the doctrine of God’s decree becomes personal, as we have stated before. Note that the writers of the Confession add “their number [is] so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.” This means God is sovereign in salvation. We are not able to add even one soul to the number of those who will be with God in eternity. Further, this implies a couple of significant things about evangelism.

First, since we know God has predestinated some men to everlasting life, we can go forth into the world preaching the gospel with confidence. Preaching, in its various forms, is, after all, how God brings these “chosen” men to Himself (cf. 1 Cor. 1:21). Therefore, the Church’s “evangelistic efforts,” if done according to the teaching of God’s Word, are certain to “succeed.”

Second, since the number of those predestinated to everlasting life is unchangeable settled, our approach to evangelism should incorporate this truth. Specifically, evangelism that emphasizes personal responsibility for the soul of the sinner, as though the sinner’s eternal destiny depends upon the Christian’s presentation of the gospel, is misguided. Biblical evangelism rests on three fundamental principles: first, a recognition of the spiritual condition of the sinner, i.e., he is dead in his trespasses and sins; second, an understanding that God has determined to use the humanly-proclaimed gospel to call those whom He has predestinated to everlasting life; third, an obedience to God’s command to take the good news of salvation to every creature. So, we would say, again, that evangelism that makes the Christian responsible for the eternal destiny of the sinner is not Biblical evangelism.

We should also add that any approach to evangelism that makes the sinner the determiner of his destiny is unbiblical. If the number of those predestinated to everlasting life has been set by God and if God’s choice was not based upon any merit or lack of merit in the sinner, then the sinner has nothing to do with it. If he has been predestinated to everlasting life, he will, at God’s appointed time, be regenerated. If he has not been predestinated to everlasting life, he will remain in his sins and be justly condemned for them.

All human beings are fallen in Adam; they are all rightly condemned by God’s holiness. The salvation of a sinner from this condition is, without question, an act of mercy on the part of God. He is under no obligation to save any and would be perfectly just to let every sinner suffer the consequences of his sin. The doctrine of God’s decree, as it touches human beings, is, therefore, a doctrine of great comfort, one that should humble us and make us grateful.

(To be continued)