CHAPTER 3 - OF GOD’S DECREE

1689 London Baptist Confession

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1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass(1). yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein(2). nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established(3). in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree(4).

(1) God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass

nkjv@Isaiah:46:10 @Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, "My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'

nkjv@Ephesians:1:11 @In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

nkjv@Hebrews:6:17 @Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

nkjv@Romans:9:15 @For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."

nkjv@Romans:9:18 @Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

(2) yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein

nkjv@James:1:13 @Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

nkjv@1John:1:5 @This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

(3) nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established

nkjv@Acts:4:27-28 @"For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

nkjv@John:19:11 @Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."

(4) in which appears His wisdom in disposing all things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree

nkjv@Numbers:23:19 @"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

nkjv@Ephesians:1:3-5 @Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

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Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions(5), yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions(6).

(5) Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions

nkjv@Acts:15:18 @"Known to God from eternity are all His works.

(6) yet hath He not decreed anything, because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions

nkjv@Romans:9:11-13 @(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

nkjv@Romans:9:16-18 @So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

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By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ(7), to the praise of His glorious grace(8). others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice(9).

(7) By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ

nkjv@1Timothy:5:21 @I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

nkjv@Matthew:25:34 @Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

(8) to the praise of His glorious grace

nkjv@Ephesians:1:5-6 @having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

(9) others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise of His glorious justice

nkjv@Romans:9:22-23 @What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

nkjv@Jude:1:4 @For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

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These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished(10).

(10) These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished

nkjv@2Timothy:2:19 @Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

nkjv@John:13:18 @"I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, "He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.'

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Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love(11), without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto(12).

(11) Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to His eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love

nkjv@Ephesians:1:4 @just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

nkjv@Ephesians:1:9-11 @having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

nkjv@Romans:8:30 @Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

nkjv@2Timothy:1:9 @who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

nkjv@1Thessalonians:5:9 @For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

(12) without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving Him thereunto

nkjv@Romans:9:13 @As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

nkjv@Romans:9:16 @So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

nkjv@Ephesians:2:5 @even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

nkjv@Ephesians:2:12 @that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

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As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto(13). wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ(14), are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified(15), and kept by His power through faith unto salvation(16). neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only(17).

(13) As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so He hath, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto

nkjv@1Peter:1:2 @elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

nkjv@2Thessalonians:2:13 @But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,

(14) wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ

nkjv@1Thessalonians:5:9-10 @For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

(15) are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified

nkjv@Romans:8:30 @Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

(16) and kept by His power through faith unto salvation

nkjv@1Peter:1:5 @who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

(17) neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only

nkjv@John:10:26 @But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.

nkjv@John:17:9 @"I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

nkjv@John:6:64 @But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

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The doctrine of the 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(18). so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise(19), reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility(20), diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel(21).

(18) he doctrine of the 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

nkjv@1Thessalonians:1:4-5 @knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

nkjv@2Peter:1:10 @Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

(19) so shall this doctrine afford matter of praise

nkjv@Ephesians:1:6 @to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

nkjv@Romans:11:33 @Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out

(20) reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility

nkjv@Romans:11:5-6 @Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

nkjv@Romans:11:20 @Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear.

(21) diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the gospel

nkjv@Luke:10:20 @Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Further Resources:

Child Threads:
New - GodsDecree An attempt to better explain the Decree of God section of the 1689 and WCF confessional statement.