Recently, my brother, father, and I went to the Reformation Conference that was held in Grand Rapids this year. One of the pamphlets that I picked up for free was the Canons of Dort, a wonderful collection of doctrines that was compiled in the Synod of Dort. Under their The First Main Point of Doctrine: Divine Election and Reprobation, they give several articles outlining God’s election of the redeemed race. It is hard to single out any one article as they all build upon each other, but I thought I would focus this post around article 9.

Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith
.     This election was not founded upon foreseen faith and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition in man, as the prerequisite, cause, or condition on which it depended; but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc. Therefore election is the fountain of every saving good, from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to the testimony of the apostle: he hath chosen us (not because we were, but) that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Eph 1:4).

In other words, our faith was not our own, but it was given to us. God did not look through the annuls of time and decide to chose those who would come to Him. He decided, rather, who would have faith, and later puts that faith in our hearts.

Joshua Reynolds on Conservative Cornerstones – Finding Conservative Thought in Olde Books. Check out my Authoring Conservatism Post. Look up my two books, The Williams House and Treasure on the Southern Moor in my bookstore!