Articles

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Of God’s Eternal Decree (Part 6) VII. The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extends or withholds mercy, as He pleases, for the glory of His sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praised of His glorious justice. The Confession has said a portion of humanity ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Of God’s Eternal Decree (Part 5) VI. As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power, through faith, ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Of God’s Eternal Decree (Part 4) V. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, has chosen, in Christ, unto everlasting glory,  out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or ...

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. ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Of God’s Eternal Decree (Part 2) II. Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions; yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. This paragraph is inserted to guard against a misunderstanding likely to arise when the doctrine of God’s decree is explained as the Confessions explains it. Some would ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 3 Of God’s Eternal Decree (Part 1) One of the most astonishing, humbling, and comforting doctrines found in the Bible is the teaching concerning God’s eternal decree. Let us begin by saying that the writers of the Confession are to be commended for not ignoring this important teaching as has been done by many throughout the history of the Church. Whatever the Scripture says is valuable and it is our duty as ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 2 Of God, and of the Holy Trinity (Part 2) II. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 2 Of God, and of the Holy Trinity (Part 1)   I. There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory; most loving, ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter I Of the Holy Scripture (Conclusion)   VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as, in all controversies ...

Survey of the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 1 Of the Holy Scripture (Continued) VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the ...