God's Free Mercy | Prefatory Essay

8/14/2019 God's Free Mercy | Prefatory Essay

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God's Free MercyA Biblical and Theological Study

of the Doctrine of Election & Predestination

Andrew Johnson


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Abbreviations

Institutes John Calvin. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Library of Christian

Classics. 2 vols. Edited by John T. McNeil. Translated by Ford

Lewis Battles. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox), 1960, 2006.

BST Ephesians John R.W. Stott. The Message of Ephesians. The Bible Speaks

Today. NT Editor John R.W. Stott. (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP),

1979.

BST Romans John R.W. Stott. The Message of Romans. The Bible Speaks Today.NT Editor John R.W. Stott. (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP), 1994

Muller Richard A. Muller. Christ and the Decree: Christology and

Predestination in Reformed Theology from Calvin to Perkins. (Grand

Rapids: Baker Academic), 1986, 2008.

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Prefactory Essay

Few doctrines stir as much heated controversy and sharp division like that ofpredestination. Indeed, John Calvin remarked in his Institutes, If it is plain that it

comes to pass by God's bidding that salvation is freely offered to some while others are

barred from access to it, at once great and difficult questions spring up, explicable only

when reverent minds regard as settled what they may suitably hold concerning election

and predestination. A baffling question this seems to many. For they think nothing

more inconsistent than that out of the common multitude of men some should be

predestined to salvations, others to destruction.

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However baffling or disconcerting thedoctrine of predestination may be, it is nevertheless a doctrine which should not be

neglected or repudiated in the church; rather it is a doctrine that profits Christians to

understand. Rather than being a point of debate amongst theologians it should be a

soul-stirring truth that inspires praise to God for the glory of His grace.

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In approaching the doctrine of predestination in his Institutes, Calvin gives two

caveats that we must heed as we conduct our study. On the one hand it is against our

better interest to remain ignorant of predestination and on the other we must avoid

1 Institutes, 3.21.1

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being too curious about predestination so that we go beyond what the Lord reveals in

Scripture about His election.

We shall never be clearly persuaded, Calvin argues, as we ought to be, that

our salvation flows from the wellspring of God's free mercy until we come to know his

eternal election. Thus, he further observes, How much the ignorance of this principle

detracts from God's glory, how much it takes away from true humility, is well known.

The free mercy and gracious election of God means that our salvation comes about

solely from God's mere generosity and not because of anything in us that commended

us to him, such as works or even faith. If we have any part in our salvation, then God's

glory is detracted and we have cause for boasting rather than for humility. However,

since our salvation flows from God's free election, He is glorified and we are humbled,

for the salvation which He bestows freely on whomever He chooses is undeserved. Thisis what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote, by grace you are saved through faith,

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one

can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9 NET)

Not only does ignorance of predestination detract from God's glory and prevents

us from being as humble as we ought, moreover ignorance of this doctrine robs

Christians of any true security in their salvation. For, as Christ teaches, here is our only

ground for firmness and confidence: in order to free us of all fear and render usvictorious amid so many dangers, snares, and mortal struggles, he promises that

whatever the Father has entrusted into his keeping will be safe. Calvin is referring here

to John 10:28-29, where Jesus, speaking of His sheep says, I give them eternal life,

and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who has

given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's

hand. (John 10:28-29 NET) Calvin infers from this that all those who do not know

that they are God's own will be miserable through constant fear. For this reason, those

who would suppress any inquiry or teaching on predestination very badly serve the

interests of themselves and of all other believers.

In addition to this charge, Calvin also writes that ignoring or repudiating

predestination is to wickedly defraud believers of the blessing of their God or to

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accuse and scoff at the Holy Spirit for having published [in Scripture] what it is in any

way profitable to suppress.2 Moreover, Whoever, then, heaps odium upon the doctrine

of predestination openly reproaches God, as if he has unadvisedly let slip something

hurtful to the church.3 Finally, Calvin argues that if we should keep predestination a

secret because profane men...abruptly seize upon something to carp, rail, bark, or scoff

at, then we would have to keep secret the chief doctrines of the faith. Indeed, what

chief doctrine of the Christian faith has not been subject to scoffing by skeptics?

Would we wish to then be ignorant of the Trinity or of creation. Would we repudiate the

statement of Jesus that He is the only way to the Father; that it is only by calling on His

name that one can be saved and have eternal life?

If it is folly to neglect or repudiate the doctrine of predestination, there is danger

also in being too curious. Human curiosity renders the discussion of predestination,already somewhat difficult of itself, very confusing and even dangerous. Thus Calvin

warns:

First, then, let them remember that when they inquire into

predestination they are penetrating the sacred precincts of divine

wisdom. If anyone with carefree assurance breaks into this place, he will

not succeed in satisfying his curiosity and he will enter a labyrinth from

which he can find no exit. For it is not right for man unrestrainedly tounfold from eternity itself the sublimest wisdom, which he would have us

revere but not understand that through this also he should fill us with

wonder. He has set forth by his Word the secrets of his will that he has

decided to reveal to us. These he decided to reveal in so far as he

foresaw that they would concern us and benefit us.4

Calvin stresses, therefore, that our inquiry and knowledge of predestination should not

exceed the limits of God's revelation in Scripture. For we shall know that the moment

we exceed the bounds of the Word, our course is outside the pathway and in darkness,

and that there we must repeatedly wander, slip, and stumble. Let this, therefore, first of

2 Ibid.3.21.3

3 Ibid.3.21.4

4 Ibid. 3.21.1

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all be before our eyes: to seek any other knowledge of predestination than what the

Word of God discloses is not less insane that if one should purpose to walk in a pathless

waste, or to see in darkness.5 Calvin indeed refers to Scripture as the school of the

Holy Spirit, in which, as nothing is omitted that is both necessary and useful to know, so

nothing is taught but what is expedient to know. So where Scripture speaks on

predestination, Calvin entreats, permit the Christian man to open his mind and ears to

every utterance of God directed to him. However, where Scripture is silent, Calvin

requires such restraint that when the Lord closes his holy lips, he also shall at once

close the way of inquiry.6 Calvin's concern, in sum, is that we should not investigate

what the Lord has left hidden in secret, that we should not neglect what he has brought

into the open, so that we may not be convicted of excessive curiosity on the one hand,

or of excessive ingratitude on the other.7

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John Stott writes similarly to Calvin that, Scripture nowhere dispels the mystery

of election, and we should beware of any who try to systematize it too precisely or

rigidly.8 Peter Vermigli, a contemporary (1500-1562) of Calvin (1509-1564), also wrote

to the effect that,

The doctrine of predestination is obscure and unprofitable to any who

would seek out the divine reason for the election of one man and the

rejection of another. Nor should anyone refer to the doctrine of

predestination when inquiring concerning the propriety of an act.

Rather, we ought to seek out God's will as revealed in scripture:

predestination is not at all obscure as it is stated in scripture.9

However, the anti-speculative thrust of early Reformed doctrine in no way militates

against detailed discussion of predestination, election, and reprobation.10 Thus while

5 Ibid. 3.21.2

6 Ibid. 3.21.3

7 Ibid. 3.21.4

8 BSTEphesians, 37

9 Muller, 63

10 Ibid.

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we should not, on the one hand, seek an overly precise systematization of predestina-

tion, we should seek to know whatsoever God has revealed to us in Scripture concerning

His act of election.

In our study of this doctrine, we will seek to heed Calvin's caveat to not exceed

the bounds of Scripture and thus inquire into predestination beyond what the Lord has

revealed. However, the purpose of this book is to demonstrate that predestination is a

doctrine of Scripture and not the theological speculation of men like Augustine, Martin

Luther, or John Calvin and their successors. John Stott observes that:

[The doctrine of election] was not invented by Augustine of Hippo or

Calvin of Geneva. On the contrary, it is without question a biblical

doctrine, and no biblical Christian can ignore it. According to the Old

Testament, God chose Israel out of all the nations of the world to be hisspecial people. According to the New Testament he is choosing an

international community to be his 'saints', his holy or special people. So

we must not reject the notion of election as a weird fantasy of men, but

rather accept it (even though we do not fully understand it) as a truth

which God himself has revealed.11

Therefore, our discussion will be founded on God's revelation in Scripture. In this way

our study will be first and foremost a biblical examination of the doctrine of election.This means that much of this book will be composed of a series of essays exegeting

relevant passages of Scripture. In this edition we will focus on the teaching of the New

Testament, while looking at important Old Testament cross-references (a fuller

treatment of the OT may be given in a later edition). In our theological treatment we

will address the questions and objections that the doctrine of predestination often

inspires as well as explore more fully the benefits of this doctrine.

It should also be stressed here that this doctine in not merely for the Reformed or

the Calvinist; predestination is a biblical doctrine and is therefore a Christian doctrine.

While we would not go so far as to say that belief in predestination (or any particular

expression of the doctrine) is required for one to be saved, silencing this doctrine, as

11 BSTEphesians, 37

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Calvin observed, very badly serves the interests of Christiansfor the doctine of

election means what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9: that our salvation is not from

ourselves but that it is all the gift of God by grace and that we did not make ourselves

acceptable to God but we are His work of creation in Christ, created for good deeds. It

also means what Christ Himself said, that all who come to Him will not be cast out,

because they were chosen and given to Him by the Father (John 6:37-44).

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To be sure, many books have been written on this subject. Much exegesis has been

done, many debates have been conducted; I am not attempting in this book to advance

some new position. I am not seeking something independent of Arminian or Calvinist

theology (I am not ashamed to say that I am a Calvinist). I am not even trying to settle

the disagreement between these two schools of theology. I do, however, hope that this

study will be read by the non-Calvinist and that in reading he or she will as least begin

to appreciate that Scripture plainly teaches that his or her salvation is all by the grace of

God; that indeed, as Calvin wrote, it flows from the free mercy of God and is not based

on works or even human will.

It is for the fact that a predestinarian view of salvation says that salvation does

not depend on human will that many objections are raised. Calvin mentions those who

said that this whole discussion is dangerous for godly mindsbecause it hinders

exhortations, because it shakes faith, because it disturbs and terrifies the heart itself. 12

And, Calvin dismisses these as nonsense. John Stott gives five chief objections to the

doctrine of predestination.13 First, predestination is said to foster arrogance, since (it is

alleged) God's elect boast of their favoured status. Second, predestination is said to

foster uncertainty, and to create in people a neurotic anxiety as to whether they are

predestined and saved or not. Third, predestination is said to foster apathy. For if

salvation is entirely God's work and not ours, people argue, then all human responsibility

12 Institutes, 3.21.4

13 BSTRomans, 250-252

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before God has been underminded. Forth, predestination is said to foster

complacency, and to breed antinomians. For, if God has predestined us to eternal

salvation, why should we not live as we please, without moral restraint, and in definance

fo divine law? Finally, predestination is said to foster narrow-mindedness, as the elect

people of God become absorbed only in themselves. Stott summarizes his

counterpoints thusly: So the doctrine of predestination promotes humility, not

arrogance; assurance, not apprehension; responsibility, not apathy; holiness, not

complacency; and mission, not priviledge.14

It is also objected that predestination, if true, means that God violates the free

will of human beings. This is because, it is argued, God saves some against their will

dragging them into heaven kicking-and-screamingand condemns others who

otherwise would have chosen Christ and been savedthrowing them into hell withoutgiving them the opportunity to choose salvation. It is also objected that predestination

means that God is not all-loving since He only chooses to save some, but apparently

does not care about (or even hates) the rest. Moreover, it is objected (and Paul deals

`with this in Romans 9) that predestination is unjust. However, as we will see when we

go to the text of holy Scripture, these objections are not based on what is understood

from the Word of God, but from the philosophies and traditions of men.

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14 Ibid. 252

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God's Free Mercy | Prefatory Essay