Chapter 3 - of God's Decree
1 From all eternity, by the perfectly wise and holy counsel of His own will, God has freely and unchangeably determined everything that will ever happen. However, this decree does not make God the author of sin, nor does He have any fellowship with those who sin. It also doesn't violate the free will of His creatures or eliminate the genuine freedom and unpredictability of secondary
causes; instead, God's decree actually establishes them. In all of this, we see His immense wisdom in orchestrating everything, and His power and faithfulness in bringing His decree to pass.
2 God knows everything that may or can happen under any circumstance. However, He doesn't decree something because He foresees it happening or because it would occur under certain conditions.
3 God, in His sovereign plan and to showcase His magnificent glory, has predetermined or predestinated certain individuals and angels for eternal life through Jesus Christ. This is all to the praise of His glorious grace. Conversely, others are left to continue in their sinful ways, leading to their rightful condemnation. This, too, serves to demonstrate the praise of His glorious justice.
4 Those angels and individuals whom God has predestined and foreordained are uniquely and unalterably appointed. Their total number is so precisely determined that it's impossible to add to it or subtract from it.
5 Before the world was even made, God, by His eternal and unchanging plan, and by the secret will and good pleasure of His own heart, chose in Christ those among humanity who are foreordained unto eternal life. He did this purely out of His boundless grace and love, and not because of any condition or cause in humanity that might have moved Him to do so.
6 Since God has chosen the elect for glory, He also, by the eternal and completely free decision of His will, planned all the necessary steps to bring them to that glory. Therefore, those who are chosen, having fallen into sin through Adam, are redeemed by Christ. They are effectively called to faith in Christ through His Spirit working at the right time, are declared righteous, adopted as His children, made holy, and preserved by His power through faith unto salvation. Only the elect are redeemed by Christ, or are effectively called, declared righteous, adopted, made holy, and saved.
7 The doctrine of predestination, a profound and complex truth, requires careful and wise handling. It's crucial that as people study God's will as revealed in the Bible and faithfully obey it, they can, by the certainty of their effectual calling (meaning God's undeniable drawing of them to salvation), be confident in their eternal election. When approached this way, the doctrine of predestination will lead to praise, reverence, and awe for God. It will also cultivate humility, diligence, and rich comfort for all who genuinely follow the gospel.