Special Prudence and Care
Chapter 3: Of God’s Eternal Decree
8. The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care, that men, attending the will of God revealed in his Word, and yielding obedience thereunto, may, from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of their eternal election. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.
Perhaps you have heard the term "cage stage Calvinist." It refers to a person who, upon discovering the excellent doctrines of grace as taught in the scriptures and as celebrated in the Reformation (in which John Calvin was a prominent figure), becomes a nuisance to the people around them. It is called the cage stage because both they and other people would be better off if they were in a cage for the extent of this stage. Usually such a person becomes a nuisance by being extremely heavy handed with the way they share these truths with others. Another way of referring to the behavior could be zeal without wisdom, humility, or tempered by grace. And I think this is a better term because, to be frank, this isn't a tendency which is limited to the newly minted Calvinist.
God calls the Christian to speak at all times with words seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). This doesn't mean salty word, but savory words; words that are pleasant and not harsh--words that are gracious, kind, polite, reasonable without compromising the truth. And this should certainly be the case when sharing the faith with someone, or discussing truth with other Christians. This is because we must recognize that this is God's Word, not ours, and that God is at the center, not us. Gracious words are those that acknowledge and bow down to their master who is in Heaven; harsh words tend to come from those who for all intents and purposes still sort of view themselves as the master.
So it is no wonder that we see the Assembly hear exhorting the church to show special prudence and care for the mystery of predestination. First and foremost, we are to acknowledge that we only know what God has given us, and that there is plenty He has withheld from us. This means that even the most celebrated "master" of theology has barely scratched the surface of who God is. None of us should ever assume we have all knowledge on a subject. Yet at the same time, what God has given to us in His word must diligently be studied, and the student of scripture must pursue a faithful understanding of what the Spirit is saying to the church, rather than attempting to make the scriptures fit their own paradigm. To treat the mystery of predestination with prudence and care is to neither presume to explain things we do not know about it, nor to ignore that which God has clearly given us. Consider what the Canons of Dort say on the subject: "So also today in God’s church, for which it was specifically intended, this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people." (The First Main Head of Doctrine, Article 14)
The doctrine of election and predestination is a teaching which the church is to treasure, and to use to encourage and strengthen God’s people. This doctrine is to give Christians assurance, as the WCF says. We also must recognize that it is a hard doctrine for many to understand, and harder for many people to reconcile with, therefore those who teach it must teach it with patience and gentleness. There also must be a humility which accompanies approaching this truth; as the Canons of Dort says, it must be done “without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High,” which means without leaving behind what God has told us in His word and delving into far flung speculation. This caution should really be our position when it comes to any teaching, since our prerogative must be What God has declared to be true, rather than what “sounds good” to my sensibility or imagination.
Another important statement we receive here from the Westminster Assembly is what a proper understanding of predestination should produce in the life of the Christian. Rather than encouraging spiritual laziness, presumption, and freedom to sin, we are told that what it will produce in the heart of the elect: reverence, praise, admiration of God, humility, diligence, and “abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.” This means that those who truly understand the wonders of this gift will not abuse it, but will respond with genuine thankfulness and devotion to God in the knowledge that He chose them before the foundation of the world to inherit His Kingdom (Ephesians 1:11).
Along with this, the certainty of salvation in Jesus Christ means the certainty of being made perfect in holiness one day. As John says in his first epistle: “Beloved, we are children of God now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2). John wrote to give certainty to Christians who were being harassed by false teachers (5:13), and what response was John expecting from such information? He didn’t withhold it from those he was writing out of fear that it would create spiritual laziness. No! He was eager to proclaim the certainty of the salvation Jesus gives, and here is the expected response of those who truly have assurance in the saving grace of Christ: “And everyone who thus hopes in Him, purifies Himself, as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3).
God calls the Christian to speak at all times with words seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). This doesn't mean salty word, but savory words; words that are pleasant and not harsh--words that are gracious, kind, polite, reasonable without compromising the truth. And this should certainly be the case when sharing the faith with someone, or discussing truth with other Christians. This is because we must recognize that this is God's Word, not ours, and that God is at the center, not us. Gracious words are those that acknowledge and bow down to their master who is in Heaven; harsh words tend to come from those who for all intents and purposes still sort of view themselves as the master.
So it is no wonder that we see the Assembly hear exhorting the church to show special prudence and care for the mystery of predestination. First and foremost, we are to acknowledge that we only know what God has given us, and that there is plenty He has withheld from us. This means that even the most celebrated "master" of theology has barely scratched the surface of who God is. None of us should ever assume we have all knowledge on a subject. Yet at the same time, what God has given to us in His word must diligently be studied, and the student of scripture must pursue a faithful understanding of what the Spirit is saying to the church, rather than attempting to make the scriptures fit their own paradigm. To treat the mystery of predestination with prudence and care is to neither presume to explain things we do not know about it, nor to ignore that which God has clearly given us. Consider what the Canons of Dort say on the subject: "So also today in God’s church, for which it was specifically intended, this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people." (The First Main Head of Doctrine, Article 14)
The doctrine of election and predestination is a teaching which the church is to treasure, and to use to encourage and strengthen God’s people. This doctrine is to give Christians assurance, as the WCF says. We also must recognize that it is a hard doctrine for many to understand, and harder for many people to reconcile with, therefore those who teach it must teach it with patience and gentleness. There also must be a humility which accompanies approaching this truth; as the Canons of Dort says, it must be done “without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High,” which means without leaving behind what God has told us in His word and delving into far flung speculation. This caution should really be our position when it comes to any teaching, since our prerogative must be What God has declared to be true, rather than what “sounds good” to my sensibility or imagination.
Another important statement we receive here from the Westminster Assembly is what a proper understanding of predestination should produce in the life of the Christian. Rather than encouraging spiritual laziness, presumption, and freedom to sin, we are told that what it will produce in the heart of the elect: reverence, praise, admiration of God, humility, diligence, and “abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel.” This means that those who truly understand the wonders of this gift will not abuse it, but will respond with genuine thankfulness and devotion to God in the knowledge that He chose them before the foundation of the world to inherit His Kingdom (Ephesians 1:11).
Along with this, the certainty of salvation in Jesus Christ means the certainty of being made perfect in holiness one day. As John says in his first epistle: “Beloved, we are children of God now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2). John wrote to give certainty to Christians who were being harassed by false teachers (5:13), and what response was John expecting from such information? He didn’t withhold it from those he was writing out of fear that it would create spiritual laziness. No! He was eager to proclaim the certainty of the salvation Jesus gives, and here is the expected response of those who truly have assurance in the saving grace of Christ: “And everyone who thus hopes in Him, purifies Himself, as He is pure.” (1 John 3:3).