The Second Helvetic Confession
CHAPTER X
Of the Predestination of God
and the Election of the
Saints
GOD HAS ELECTED US OUT OF GRACE. From eternity God has
freely, and of his mere grace, without any respect to men, predestinated or
elected the saints whom he wills to save in Christ, according to the saying of
the apostle, “God chose us in him before the foundation of the world”
(Eph. 1:4). And again: “Who saved us and called an with a holy calling,
not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which
he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the
appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 1:9 f.).
WE ARE ELECTED OR PREDESTINATED IN CHRIST. Therefore,
although not on account of any merit of ours, God has elected us, not directly,
but in Christ, and on account of Christ, in order that those who are now
engrafted into Christ by faith might also be elected. But those who were
outside Christ were rejected, according to the word of the apostle, “Examine
yourselves, to see whether you are holding to your faith. Test yourselves. Do
you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet
the test!” (II Cor. 13:5).
WE ARE ELECTED FOR A DEFINITE PURPOSE. Finally, the saints
are chosen in Christ by God for a definite purpose, which the apostle himself
explains when he says, “He chose us in him for adoption that we should be
holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption to be his
sons through Jesus Christ that they should be to the praise of the glory of his
grace” (Eph. 1:4 ff.).
WE ARE TO HAVE A GOOD HOPE FOR ALL. And although God knows
who are his, and here and there mention is made of the small number of elect,
yet we must hope well of all, and not rashly judge any man to be a reprobate.
For Paul says to the Philippians, “I thank my God for you all” (now he
speaks of the whole Church in Phillippi), “because of your fellowship in
the Gospel, being persuaded that he who began a good work in you will bring it
to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is also right that I have this
opinion of you all” (Phil. 1:3 ff.).
WHETHER FEW ARE ELECT. And when the Lord was asked whether
there were few that should be saved, he does not answer and tell them that few
or many should be saved or damned, but rather he exhorts every man to “strive
to enter by the narrow door” (Luke 13:24): as if he should say, It is not
for you curiously to inquire about these matters, but rather to endeavor that
you may enter into heaven by the straight way.
WHAT IN THIS MATTER IS TO BE CONDEMNED. Therefore we do
not approve of the impious speeches of some who say, “Few are chosen, and
since I do not know whether I am among the number of the few, I will enjoy
myself.” Others say, “If I am predestinated and elected by God,
nothing can hinder me from salvation, which is already certainly appointed for
me, no matter what I do. But if I am in the number of the reprobate, no faith
or repentance will help me, since the decree of God cannot be changed.
Therefore all doctrines and admonitions are useless.” Now the saying of
the apostle contradicts these men: “The Lord’s servant must be ready to
teach, instructing those who oppose him, so that if God should grant that they
repent to know the truth, they may recover from the snare of the devil, after
being held captive by him to do his will” (II Tim. 2:23 ff.).
ADMONITIONS ARE NOT IN VAIN BECAUSE SALVATION PROCEEDS FROM
ELECTION. Augustine also shows that both the grace of free election and the
predestination, and also salutary admonitions and doctrines, are to be preached
(Lib. de Dono Perseverantiae, cap. 14 ff.).
WHETHER WE ARE ELECTED. We therefore find fault with those
who outside of Christ ask whether they are elected. [Ed. 1568 reads: "whether
they are elected from eternity?"] And what has God decreed concerning them
before all eternity? For the preaching of the Gospel is to be heard, and it is
to be believed; and it is to be held as beyond doubt that if you believe and are
in Christ, you are elected. For the Father has revealed unto us in Christ the
eternal purpose of his predestination, as I have just now shown from the apostle
in II Tim. 1:9-10. This is therefore above all to be taught and considered,
what great love of the Father toward us is revealed to us in Christ. We must
hear what the Lord himself daily preaches to us in the Gospel, how he calls and
says: “Come to me all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you
rest” (Matt. 11:28). “God so loved the world, that he gave his only
Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life”
(John 3:16). Also, “It is not the will of my Father that one of these
little ones should perish” (Matt. 18:14).
Let Christ, therefore be the
looking glass, in whom we may contemplate our predestination. We shall have a
sufficiently clear and sure testimony that we are inscribed in the Book of Life
if we have fellowship with Christ, and he is ours and we are his in true faith.
TEMPTATION IN REGARD TO PREDESTINATION. In the temptation
in regard to predestination, than which there is scarcely any other more
dangerous, we are confronted by the fact that God’s promises apply to all the
faithful, for he says: “Ask, and everyone who seeks, shall receive”
(Luke 11:9 f.) This finally we pray, with the whole Church of God, “Our
Father who art in heaven” (Matt. 6:9), both because by baptism we are
ingrafted into the body of Christ, and we are often fed in his Church with his
flesh and blood unto life eternal. Thereby, being strengthened, we are
commanded to work out our salvation with fear trembling, according to the
precept of Paul.
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