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Predestination: Eternal Election | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reform Thinking, our deep dive segment where we sift
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through sources you share aiming to bring, well, clarity and
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maybe some fresh perspective to subjects that really matter.
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And today, we're looking at a topic that's certainly stirred
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minds and hearts for centuries. Definitely.
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Especially within that stream of Reformed thought, we're diving
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into John Calvin's understanding of predestination.
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Predestination, A concept many find, let's say, perplexing at
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first. Right.
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Puzzling is a good word. Yet, as our sources reveal, when
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you approach it with careful attention, maybe a posture of
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humility, this doctrine can yield what Calvin actually
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called a very sweet fruit. It's quite a shift in
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perspective from how it's often perceived.
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It really is. So our mission in this deep dive
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is to ask what Calvin lays out concerning God's internal
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determination for humanity. We're drawing directly from his
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foundational writings here. Sticking close to the source.
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Good. Exactly.
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Well, first consider the specific pitfalls associated
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with his doctrine when it's misunderstood or approached the
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wrong way. Which Calvin himself was very
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keen to one against. He was, and then we'll turn our
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attention to what Calvin presents as its many spiritual
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benefits for believers. So it's not just abstract
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theology. Not at all.
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It's about understanding God's character in a way that truly
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shapes our faith, our daily walk.
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OK, so let's start to unpack this.
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Sounds good, and it's quite striking how Calvin, right from
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the bet go in his discussion, immediately sets the boundaries.
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He tells us how we should rightly approach this doctrine.
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He fences it off in a way. You could say that, yeah.
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Our sources highlight two distinct opposing errors that
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people tend to fall into. OK, what are those?
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Well, on one side there's this uncontrolled intellectual
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curiosity, a desire to, you know, pry into every divine
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secret going way beyond what God has actually chosen to reveal.
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Trying to know too much. Precisely.
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And then on the other side, there's this fearful tendency to
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want to keep the doctrine hidden, almost hush it up, as if
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just mentioning it were too dangerous or unsettling.
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So 2 extremes, digging too deep versus burying it completely.
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Exactly. Let's maybe look at that first
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danger first, this unrestrained human curiosity.
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Calvin warns really strongly against it.
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How does he describe it? He pictures individuals with
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this mindset as wandering in forbidden bipaths and thrusting
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upward to the heights, basically trying to search out and unravel
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every hidden secret God holds. Like trying to map out eternity
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on their own terms. Right.
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Our sources liken it to trying to unfold from eternity itself,
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the sublimest wisdom, a wisdom God actually intends for us to
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Revere and accept by faith. Not fully map out with our
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limited reason. So it's a misuse of our
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intellect. Calvin calls this kind of
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seeking, pushing beyond God's revealed word.
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He calls it insane. Wow, strong language.
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It is. It's depicted as trying to walk
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in a pathless waste or as you mentioned, sea in darkness.
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These pursuits are considered foolish and dangerous, nay, even
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deadly. Like deadly.
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Because, he says, if someone with carefree assurance breaks
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into this place, they will not succeed in satisfying their
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curiosity and they will enter a labyrinth from which he can find
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no exit. And spiritually speaking.
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Exactly. Confusion, spiritual ruin, not
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genuine understanding. He uses this analogy too much.
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Honey is not good. Meaning meaning that this
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pursuit of glory, like a deeper grasp of God's hidden plans,
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isn't turned into true glory or benefit for the person digging.
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It just leads to disorientation and harm.
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OK, so that clearly outlines the danger of unchecked curiosity.
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Which brings up the obvious question, what is the right way
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then? How should we approach such a
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weighty matter? That's the crucial pivot.
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Because our sources point to a single essential guide for
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understanding predestination, don't they?
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They do 1 guide. And that guide is the word of
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the Lord. Calvin describes it as the sole
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way that can lead us in searching for all that's
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permissible to hold concerning God.
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The only reliable path. And the Soul light to illuminate
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our vision of all that we should see of Him.
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Scripture isn't just, you know, a collection of facts.
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It's called the school of the Holy Spirit.
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A place where divine wisdom is imparted.
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I like that image. Me too.
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And within this school, we find that nothing truly necessary or
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spiritually useful is left out. And importantly, nothing
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unhelpful is taught either. Right, so the implication is
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pretty clear. If God chose to reveal something
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in His Word, if it's there in Scripture, then it is for our
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good. It's for our edification, our
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instruction. It's meant to be known, not
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feared or ignored. Exactly.
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We are certainly encouraged to open our minds and hearts to
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every utterance of God, to diligently seek out what He is
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made known. But, and this is key, there's a
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vital restraint needed. A limit, Yes.
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When God stops teaching, when His Word becomes silent on a
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particular point, then we too should stop inquiring.
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There's a kind of learned ignorance that's actually wise.
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That's the phrase Calvin uses. Yeah, learned ignorance.
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We shouldn't feel embarrassed to be ignorant of things God
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intentionally kept hidden. It's respecting the boundary God
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himself has set. Precisely.
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Moses makes this clear, doesn't he?
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The secret things belong to our God, but He has manifested them
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to us and to our children. So investigate what's revealed,
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but don't try to pry into what's kept secret.
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Exactly. It's not an excuse for laziness,
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but it means we shouldn't try to investigate what God hid, but
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just as importantly, we should not neglect what he has brought
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into the open. So avoiding the other extreme
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all. Right, so we don't swing from
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excessive curiosity to what Calvin calls excessive
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ingratitude for the truth God has revealed.
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Which connects back to that second danger you mentioned
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earlier, the desire to just suppress the whole doctrine.
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Yes, let's talk about that. Some people may be trying to
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avoid the first problem go too far the other way.
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Right out of a genuine desire, maybe to cure the problem of
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excessive curiosity or seeing the confusion it can cause, they
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all but require that every mention of predestination be
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buried. To pretend it's not there.
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Pretty much they advocate avoiding any discussion of it as
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we would a reef, implying it's just too dangerous, too
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destructive, better left completely untouched.
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You can almost see the logic wanting to protect people from
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confusion. You can, and Calvin acknowledges
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their desire for sobriety. Their caution is praiseworthy in
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itself, but our sources say they descend too low a level.
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How so? They are described as being so
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cautious or fearful that they desire to bury predestination in
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order not to disturb weak souls. But to do this to hide what God
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Himself has opened up in His Word.
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Well, Calvin sees that as accusing God indirectly of
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stupid thoughtlessness. As if we know better than God
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what's safe to reveal. Exactly as if they think God was
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unwise to reveal something they perceive as perilous, and
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they're now fixing his mistake by hiding it.
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That's a serious charge. It is, and suppressing what God
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has laid open in Scripture is portrayed as wickedly to defraud
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believers of the blessing of their God.
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It's not just an intellectual disagreement, it's seen as
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causing spiritual harm. Depriving believers of something
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beneficial. Yes, and it's also seen as
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accusing and scoffing at the Holy Spirit for revealing
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something that is in fact profitable for believers to know
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and understand. So.
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Trying to silence the doctrine is seen as an attack on God
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himself. Ultimately, yes.
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Whoever heaps odium upon the doctrine of predestination
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brings contempt or discredit upon it, openly reproaches God,
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Calvin says. As if God had unadvisedly let
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slip something hurtful to the church.
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So suppressing the truth, even with good intentions, can lead
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to what he calls a brutish ignorance.
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A willful spiritual blindness? Yes.
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OK, so we've set the boundaries. Don't be overly curious about
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the hidden things, but don't ignore or suppress what is
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revealed. That clears the ground.
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Now let's get to the heart of it.
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What is predestination itself, as Calvin understood?
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It right the definition. Our sources give a concise but
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really comprehensive description.
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OK, laid on us. It's defined as God's eternal
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decree by which He compacted with himself what he willed to
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become of each man. Compacted with himself, what
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does that phrase suggest? It suggests an internal,
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self-sufficient decision God made within his own being,
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before creation, independent of anything outside himself.
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It's a foundational, unchangeable plan God
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established. OK.
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And what's the outcome of this decree?
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Well, the definition continues. All are not created in equal
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condition, meaning instead it's eternally determined that
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eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for
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others. So each person is ultimately
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predestined to life or to death. That's the language used.
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And this plan, this decree, is described as eternal and
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unchangeable. God once established by His
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eternal and unchangeable plan those whom He long before
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determined once for all to receive into salvation, and
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those whom, on the other hand, He would devote to destruction.
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That sounds very absolute. It is for those chosen for
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salvation, the elect. The plan is explicitly founded
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upon his freely given mercy without regard to human worth.
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Grace alone. Purely conversely, for those who
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are given over to damnation, this exclusion is based on God's
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just an irreprehensible but incomprehensible judgment.
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Irreprehensible, but incomprehensible.
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That's a key pairing of words. It really is.
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It highlights that God's judgment is always just, always
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right, beyond any valid criticism, even if the specific
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reasons behind individual cases of damnation are not fully
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revealed or understood by us. So it's God's sovereign choice
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that makes the difference. Yes, it's by God's bidding that
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salvation is freely offered to some while others are barred
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from access to it. And this diversity, this
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difference in outcomes, reveals what Calvin calls the wonderful
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depth of God's judgment. It underscores that God acts
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according to his own counsel, his own will, which is often
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beyond our full grasp. Precisely.
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Now, something that often gets tangled up with this is God's
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foreknowledge. How does Calvin handle that?
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Yes, a crucial distinction. He carefully separates God's
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foreknowledge from His predestination.
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This is vital because many people mistakenly equate them or
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think foreknowledge causes predestination.
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So what is foreknowledge according to the sources?
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When a foreknowledge is attributed to God, it means that
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all things always were and perpetually remain under His
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eyes. Everything past, present, future
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is just present to God. Exactly.
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To God there is nothing future or past, but all things are
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present. He doesn't just think about
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things like we remember the past, He truly looks upon them
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and discerns them as things placed before Him.
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Wow, that's hard to wrap your head around.
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It is, and this divine foreknowledge is immense,
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reaching throughout the universe to every creature.
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Think of it less like God predicting the future and more
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like him eternally knowing all things in a single timeless
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present moment. So he doesn't just see what we
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will choose. He sees our choices as if
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they're already happening before him.
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OK, but crucially, this foreknowledge isn't the cause of
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predestination. Absolutely not.
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Our sources firmly reject that idea.
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While both are attributes of God, making foreknowledge the
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determining factor is called absurd.
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Why absurd? Because, Calvin argues, it
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generates numerous petty objections that ultimately
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obscure God's sovereign will. It makes it seem like God is
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reacting to us rather than acting according to his own
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purpose. Can you give an analogy maybe?
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Sure. Think of an architect who
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perfectly foresees every detail of a house they plan to build
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Every beam, brick, color. Their complete knowledge of the
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finished house doesn't force the house to be built.
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Right. Their knowledge is part of their
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overall plan and purpose for the house.
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Exactly in the same way, God's foreknowledge isn't a passive
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observation that then triggers his decrees.
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Instead, it's an attribute of His eternal mind that
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encompasses and is totally consistent with His sovereign
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plan. That distinction is vital.
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Then it keeps the focus on God's will.
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Yes. It protects the truth that God's
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sovereign will not anything foreseen in us, not our works,
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faith or choices, is the ultimate basis for His eternal
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determination. His actions flow from his own
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nature, His own good pleasure. Not from reacting to us that
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distinction between foreknowledge and
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predestination. That's a real light bulb moment
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for many, isn't it? It clarifies so much.
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So OK, we have the definition, the distinction from
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foreknowledge. What about real world examples?
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Does Calvin point to how this plays out historically?
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He absolutely does. Our sources make it clear that
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God demonstrated this principle not just with individuals, but
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gave us a huge illustration in the entire story of Israel, the
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descendants of Abraham. The chosen people.
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Right. This is presented as a general
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election where one people, Israel, is peculiarly chosen
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from all others, while other nations are effectively set
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aside or rejected. And this is obvious.
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Calvin says the unique separation of Abraham's lineage
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was apparent to anyone observing history.
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The ultimate reason remains hidden in God's secret counsel.
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But Moses points clearly to one factor.
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Which is. God's freely given love.
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That's the sole reason given for this choice.
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And this is where it gets really compelling, right?
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Because it wasn't based on Israel being better or more
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numerous. Not at all.
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That's the astonishing part Moses keeps highlighting.
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This choice was not due to Israel's numbers, their merit,
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or any inherent worthiness. It was solely by God's freely
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given love. In fact, weren't they described
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pretty negatively sometimes? Starkly described as a stubborn
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and stiff necked people, that phrase really hammers home their
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undeserving nature. God chose them simply because he
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delighted in their fathers and loved them.
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So Israel itself becomes a picture of God's free choice.
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A visible image, the sources call it.
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God's clear preference for one nation over others stands as
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proof of his freedom. It shows God has not been bound
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by any laws, but is free. Meaning we can't demand equal
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treatment from God. Exactly.
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We can't demand an equal apportionment of grace.
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The very inequality of His grace proves that it is free.
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Wow, that cuts off any room for Israel to boast, doesn't it?
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Completely. It forces them to acknowledge
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their position came entirely from God's unmerited favor, not
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their own doing. OK, so.
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That's the general election of a nation.
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Does it get more specific? Yes, building on that idea of
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God's unconstrained freedom, our sources then move to what they
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call a second, more limited degree of election or a more
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special grace. How does that work?
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This is seen even within that chosen family of Abraham.
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It shows God's sovereign choice extends beyond just the nation,
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down to individuals within it. OK, select who?
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Classic examples are Ishmael and Esau.
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Despite being direct descendants of Abraham, despite even having
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the sign of circumcision, they were cut off from adoption.
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Even though they were technically part of the lineage,
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yes. Ishmael, the elder son,
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initially held equal rank with Isaac, but was cut off.
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Then Esau, the first born of Isaac, was similarly cut off
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from the covenant line. And the promise continued
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through Isaac and Jacob instead. Correct.
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The prophet Malachi puts it incredibly starkly.
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Was not Esau Jacob's brother yet?
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I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.
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That really drives home the idea of God's sovereign choice
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operating outside normal expectations like birthright.
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It does. It underscores Israel's own
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extraordinary obligation because they were chosen and separated
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even from others within what seemed like a holy house.
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Are there other examples mentioned?
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Yes, God rejecting Saul as king despite his initial position and
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choosing the tribe of Judah, not Joseph or Ephraim for the
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Messiah's lineage. These all highlight the
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marvelous secret of God's grace in His choices.
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Now, does this mean people like Ishmael or Esaw weren't
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responsible for their actions? Ah, good question, The sources
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clarified. They were indeed cut off by
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their own defect and guilt for violating the covenant.
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Their sin played a role in their rejection.
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Though there's human responsibility, too.
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Yes, but their initial preference by God over other
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nations was still a singular, unmerited benefit.
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And crucially, God was under no obligation to grant them
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continued or saving grace. OK, that makes sense.
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So this then leads us to think about those within the outwardly
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chosen nation, Israel, who didn't ultimately hold to the
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covenant or truly come to faith. What about them?
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Right. What happens when not everyone
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in the chosen group perseveres? Exactly.
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That's where the idea of the Remnant comes in, doesn't it?
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And it's a sobering but important truth.
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Very much so. Our sources explain that the
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general election of a people is not always firm and effectual.
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Meaning the national calling doesn't automatically save every
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individual within it. Correct, because God does not
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immediately give the Spirit of regeneration, that life giving
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work of the Holy Spirit to all individuals within that
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outwardly chosen group, the spirit which enables them to
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persevere in the covenant to the end.
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And experience shows this right. Plainly, of the great multitude
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many fall away and disappear, so that often only a slight portion
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remains. This signals that God does not,
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with indiscriminate grace, effectually elect all.
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It's not a blanket election that guarantees salvation for
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everyone born into Israel, no. Apostle Paul argues, using
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Malachi that a special mode of election is used for part of the
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people, not everyone. This is why God is said to
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preserve a remnant for himself, a smaller.
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Elect group within the larger nation Exactly.
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It's for this spiritual offspring alone within Israel
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that God's plan was intrinsically effectual unto
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salvation. So it highlights a big.
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Distinction a very significant. One, while many might be
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outwardly called, maybe part of a chosen group through birth or
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national identity, only a select remnant is genuinely brought to
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salvation. Their election is effectual and
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truly enduring. And these are the ones who?
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Are truly united to Christ, Yes. Engrafted to their head, Christ,
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and because of God's preserving grace, they are never cut off
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from salvation. It separates outward profession
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from inner reality, showing God's saving purpose is always
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achieved in those He has truly chosen.
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OK, that. Concept of the Remnant clarifies
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things further. Now, shifting focus slightly,
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how does this doctrine relate to the source or origin of
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salvation itself? Well, this is where
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predestination gets right to the absolute core.
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Our sources declare that salvation flows from the
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wellspring of God's free mercy and mere generosity, not just a
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side. Point but foundational.
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Foundational. It's stressed powerfully by the
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idea that God pays no reward. Since he can owe none, He
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doesn't owe us anything, and he chooses utterly disregarding
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works so our. Actions don't factor into his
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choice, not into the basis. Of his choice, No.
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The sources quote Paul forcefully here.
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If it is by grace, it is no more of works.
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Otherwise grace would no more be grace.
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They're mutually exclusive. If works are involved, it kills
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grace precisely. If human works, merits or even
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foreseen worthiness played any role, it would completely negate
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the freeness of grace, like with Israel.
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Being chosen exactly. When one nation is preferred,
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it's consistently taught they excel solely by God's.
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It's freely given love, not any inherent quality they had and
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understanding. This unearned favor is critical
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for what? For fostering.
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Genuine humility true humility in the believer the inequality
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in election the fact that God does not indiscriminately adopt
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all but gives to some what he denies to others serves a
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purpose which is to. Illumine.
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God's grace. By this contrast, it underscores
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that salvation isn't based on universal desert, as if everyone
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deserved it equally, but on God's particular unmerited favor
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towards some. OK, So what?
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Does all of this mean for us personally then, as believers
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trying to live out our faith? You mentioned humility.
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Yes, humility. Is a primary application.
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Our sources are quite. Clear on this right?
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This doctrine is actually necessary for true humility.
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Absolutely necessary. It acts as the spiritual
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mechanism, you could say, that helps us sincerely feel how much
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we are obliged to God. How so?
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Think. About it.
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If we ignore this, if we believe our salvation is even partly due
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to our own efforts, our good choices, maybe some foreseen
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potential in US, it detracts from God's glory and it takes
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away from true humility. So ignoring.
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Predestination actually fosters pride, Calvin argues.
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That those who try to obscure or get rid of this truth
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essentially tear humility out by the very roots.
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Wow. Strong claim it is.
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But when we truly grasp that salvation is solely from God's
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mere generosity, with 0 human worth or works contributing to
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it, it just fundamentally roots out any occasion to boast no
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room left. For I did this or I deserve
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this? None.
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This doctrine ensures that all gifts, every single blessing
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tied to our salvation, gets credited entirely 100% to God's
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freely given love. It prevents us feeling like.
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God owes us something. Exactly.
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Instead, it fosters this deep, constant sense of gratitude and
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absolute dependence on Him. It truly keeps God at the
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absolute center of our salvation.
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So humility. Is a major benefit.
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Are there others mentioned in the sources beyond humility?
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Yes, definitely. Connecting this to a broader
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picture, this doctrine isn't just about humbling us.
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It also illuminates the very nature of the church and,
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perhaps most pastorally, offers profound security for individual
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believers. Security.
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How does predestination lead to security?
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That seems counterintuitive to some.
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It can seem that way. Initially, but our sources state
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this doctrine is our only ground for firmness and confidence.
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The only ground. That's the assertion.
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The idea that our salvation rests ultimately on God's
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eternal, unchangeable choice, not on our own fluctuating
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faithfulness brings immense security because God's plan.
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Doesn't change precisely. It has the power to free
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believers of all fear and render us victorious amid so many
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dangers, snares and mortal struggles.
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Our security isn't based on our feelings today or our
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performance tomorrow. Where's the base then?
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It's tied directly. To Christ's own promise that
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whatever the Father has entrusted into his keeping will
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be safe. It's an assurance rooted in
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God's own faithfulness and power.
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So not. Knowing this actually leads to
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anxiety, Calvin argues. That without this knowledge,
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without understanding, their salvation is eternally secure in
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God's purposes. All those who do not know that
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they are God's own will be miserable through constant fear,
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because they're. Relying on themselves right the.
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Knowledge of God's eternal choice provides A steadfastness,
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a deep, settled peace that overcomes earthly worries and
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internal doubts. OK, so humility.
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And assurance? What about the church?
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How does predestination illuminate the nature of the
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church? Well, it helps us.
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Understand the Church in its true spiritual essence, beyond
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just the visible institution. Our sources explain that the
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true Church could not otherwise be found or recognized among
22:51
creatures. Why not?
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Because it lies marvelously hidden both within the bosom of
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a blessed predestination and within the mass of a miserable
22:59
condemnation. Meaning.
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The true believers are mixed in with unbelievers in the visible
23:03
church, and only God knows for sure who belongs to His eternal
23:07
plan, essentially. Yes, it reveals God's underlying
23:11
choice and setting apart humanity.
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The true church, the actual body of the elect, isn't just an
23:17
organization you can join. It's a spiritual reality
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stemming from God's eternal decree.
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So how? Do we see this election play
23:24
out? How is it revealed for the
23:26
elect? God's electing determination is
23:28
revealed not directly like a divine announcement, but through
23:33
their call to salvation. Salvation, hearing the gospel
23:36
and responding in faith, and their subsequent justification
23:39
by faith. So the experience.
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Of salvation is the sign of election.
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These are seen. As the tangible signs of this
23:45
eternal plan unfolding in time, they lead the elect ultimately
23:49
into the glory in which the fulfillment of that election
23:51
lies. God's work in someone is the
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evidence of His choice of them, and conversely for the non.
23:56
Elect for those appointed. To destruction, God reveals what
23:59
awaits them, the sources say, by shutting off the reprobate from
24:02
knowledge of his name or from the sanctification of his
24:05
Spirit. So their.
24:06
Lack of response or lack of spiritual life becomes the
24:09
observable mark. Yes, these.
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Are the ways God's judgment upon them is made known, showing the
24:14
distinction rooted in His hidden but always just will OK now
24:19
here's. Where as we know, it often stirs
24:21
up questions in opposition. Calvin knew this right?
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Oh, absolutely. He was very aware that this
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doctrine, despite its grounding in Scripture as he saw it,
24:30
frequently sparked controversy. What kind of opposition?
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Did he anticipate our sources mentioned?
24:35
Profane men who will abruptly seize upon something to carp,
24:40
rail, bark, or scoff at predestination, just like they
24:44
might attack. Other core doctrines exactly.
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Just as they would at other Central Christian teachings like
24:49
the Trinity or maybe the Creation account.
24:51
The criticisms could range from finding it unfair to deeming it
24:54
illogical or just plain disturbing.
24:57
But Calvin. Wasn't swayed by this
24:58
opposition, not in the least. His stance is firm,
25:01
unapologetic. He states God's truth is so
25:04
powerful that it has nothing to fear from the evil Speaking of
25:08
wicked men. So the truth.
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Stands regardless of criticism, right he?
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Argues that such shamelessness from detractors shouldn't deter
25:15
believers from proclaiming and accepting these foundational
25:18
truths God has revealed. God's truth doesn't need our
25:21
defense or approval to be true. OK.
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But what about concerns from within the church?
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What about the claim that the doctrine might be dangerous for
25:32
godly minds? Yes, the pastoral concern,
25:35
that's an important question often raised the idea that.
25:38
It might hinder exhortations to live a godly life, like if I'm
25:42
elect why bother? Or that it might shake a
25:44
believer's faith or even just terrify people with uncertainty.
25:47
Exactly. Those kinds of concerns our
25:50
sources indicate Calvin dismisses these claims pretty
25:52
strongly, calling them nonsense. Why nonsense?
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He points to history. Specifically to Abestin, who has
25:58
a major theological influence for him.
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Augustine also taught extensively on predestination
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and faced similar. Criticisms.
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Yes, he was. Frequently charged with
26:06
preaching predestination too freely.
26:08
Yet Augustine, like Calvin, later overwhelmingly refuted the
26:12
charge. So the lesson is.
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The lesson is clear. While we must not pursue hidden
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things with that excessive curiosity going beyond God's
26:19
Word, we also crucially should not neglect what He has brought
26:23
into the open act to that balance.
26:25
Exactly to. Neglect the revealed truth would
26:28
be to show excessive ingratitude for God's blessings and his
26:31
clear revelation and. Trying to hide it out of fear is
26:35
misguided, deeply misguided. In Calvin's view, it's akin to
26:39
accusing God indirectly of stupid thoughtlessness, as if
26:43
God hadn't foreseen the supposed is a danger that we, in our
26:46
human judgment, think we've wisely avoided by suppressing
26:49
his truth. So.
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Ultimately, rejecting or disparaging the doctrine is seen
26:54
as to heap scorn on. Predestination to openly dismiss
26:57
It is, in Calvary view, to openly reproach a God as if he
27:01
had unadvisedly let slip something hurtful to the church.
27:04
God's truth, including this truth, stands firm on its own
27:07
divine authority. Right, so.
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Wrapping things up then, we've walked through Calvin's
27:11
understanding of predestination. You've seen how it's defined.
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God's eternal decree, His unchangeable plan for each
27:17
person founded entirely. On His free mercy for some, the
27:21
elect and his just, though often hidden or incomprehensible to
27:26
us, judgment for others we've considered.
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The absolute necessity of scripture as our guide the soul,
27:32
light and way, revealing what we need, but also wisely limiting
27:36
our speculation respecting the. Revealed and the hidden.
27:40
We looked at the. Historical examples in Israel
27:42
the national election, the individual choices within that
27:45
the remnant, all illustrating God's sovereign freedom
27:48
demonstrating. His grace isn't bound by human
27:50
expectations or merit, and we've seen the.
27:53
Deep blessings. This understanding brings true
27:56
humility, profound assurance for the believer, and a clear.
27:59
Understanding of the church itself, both visible and
28:02
invisible, it really brings us. Back, doesn't it, to that
28:04
central concept? God's complete freedom in his
28:07
choices? Absolutely.
28:08
And the unearned generosity that underpins salvation from its
28:11
eternal beginning to its final completion.
28:14
It's a doctrine that really does keep God firmly on his throne
28:17
and us in. A posture of, well, complete
28:20
gratitude, stripping away any ground for human boasting.
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It makes it clear. Salvation is his work entirely,
28:26
his work from start to finish. His grace is truly free
28:30
precisely because it's utterly disconnected from anything in
28:33
us. A doctrine then.
28:35
That, far from being primarily A cause for anxiety or fear, can
28:38
actually ground a believer in the steadfastness, the rock
28:41
solid nature of God's own character providing a real.
28:44
Anchor for the soul, especially in turbulent times.
28:47
Well, thank you for joining. Us on this deep dive into a
28:49
weighty but rewarding topic. Perhaps consider, as you go
28:52
about your week, how knowing Jod's sovereign hand in all
28:55
things and his unmerited grace towards his own might reshape
28:59
your daily walk, your own sense of humility, and your security
29:02
in him.