Westminster Project 3.7-8
7. God decided, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, by which he extends or withholds mercy as he pleases, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by the rest of mankind and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.
8. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, so that people, giving attention to the will of God revealed in his Word and yielding their obedience to it, may be assured of their eternal selection based on the certainty of their effectual calling. This doctrine should provide matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and it should produce humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all who sincerely obey the Gospel.
(WCF 3.7-8)
These last two sentences sum up the realities first presented in the third chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). From eternity past, God was pleased to ordain some to salvation while passing over others. This was not done in reaction to anything seen in the creature through “the tunnel of time,” but “according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will,” all “to the praise of His glorious justice.”
Admittedly, the doctrine of predestination and election is incredibly difficult. As we live in linear time and God exists outside of time—seeing all—this may be one of those truths we will not fully comprehend until the Kingdom comes. The biblical writers were very aware of this reality; not everything is meant to be fully understood by us mere creatures, even when revealed, because God is not our invention but our Creator (Deut. 29:29; Job 38:4–11; Isa. 55:8–9).
That said, Scripture clearly teaches that God is sovereign over all things, including who is saved and who is not (Rom. 9; 2 Tim. 2:19–20; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4). Therefore, by faith, we trust this truth and ponder the depths of God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge, rather than protesting (Rom. 9:20; 11:33).
I struggled with this doctrine for many years because the Great Commission given to the church is to “Go … and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Jesus] has commanded” (Matt. 28:19–20, ESV). I wondered, what’s the point if some are not “chosen”? This is why trusting God’s good purposes in predestination and election is so vital. As we have seen in chapter 3 of the confession, because of sin, our deadness toward God is so deep-seated that if God did not give spiritual ears to hear, everyone would be lost (Isa. 6:9–13; Matt. 11:15).
On one hand, election and predestination are hard to comprehend, but on the other, the commission is very simple: go and share the gospel. Together, these truths mean that because God is sovereign over salvation, His people will hear the gospel, believe it, and turn to Christ. Without His sovereignty, it would indeed be a hopeless endeavor.
This is where the confession becomes pastoral. The divines warned that although this is biblical teaching, it must be discussed with care. We handle this doctrine wisely because to the tender conscience, it might cause despair; to the arrogant, laziness. Neither is a good result. The doctrine of predestination glorifies God by keeping Him where He belongs in our worship—as the Savior and rescuer of His people. For those of tender conscience, He will not cast anyone out who comes to Him (John 6:37–40), nor can anyone be lost once they belong to Him (John 10:28–30). For those who may be drifting in their Christian life, this doctrine serves as a good reminder to examine whether they are truly trusting Christ and obeying His Word (Rom. 11:33; 2 Pet. 2:10).
At the end of the day, God will be glorified in the midst of His people because, from start to finish, it is He who planned and made everything possible for our salvation (Rom. 8:28–30).