Westminster Confession of Faith, 17: "Perseverence of the Saints"
THE WESTMINSTER
CONFESSION OF FAITH
We just don’t periodically repair to the Confession
for quarterly Presbytery meetings.Rather, it is the sober intellectual assessment that this reflects the
teaching of Scriptures. Further, it is not just an academic exercise, but is
confessed ex animo, with animus and
heart.
CHAPTER XVII
Of The
Perseverance of the Saints.
I. They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved,
effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor
finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere
therein to the end, and be eternally saved.
II. This perseverance of the saints depends, not
upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election,
flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the
efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the
Spirit and of the seed of God within them; and the nature of the covenant of
grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.
III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations
of Satan and of the world, the prevalancy of corruption remaining in them, and
the neglect of the means of their perseverance, fall into grievous sins; ad for
a time continue therein: whereby they incur God's displeasure, and grieve his
Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts;
have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and prevalancy
others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment