It is a measure of the great spiritual distance between the founding fathers of the Church of England and ourselves that they knew the doctrine of election to be “full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort.” (Article XVII of the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion.) In this short article we shall consider what a comforting doc­trine election was to them and why it sometimes is not so to us.

Lest any reader should protest that election is a peculiarity of Genevan Calvinism and unworthy of any normal Christian’s credit, we merely draw his attention to the following texts of Holy Scripture. After all, that is the test: Is it a scriptural doctrine, or is it not? If it is not, we are perfectly justified in rejecting it. But if it is, we should immediately receive it, whether we can grasp it or not, for it is the testimony of God.

• “For the elect’s sake the days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:22).
• “If it were possible they should deceive even the elect” (Mark 13:22).
• “Shall not God avenge his own elect?” (Luke 18:7).
• “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?” (Rom. 8:33).
• “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (1 Pet. 1:2).
• “Make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10).

These texts settle the issue. They clearly teach that God chooses some to salvation, and that those so chosen are called God’s elect. When considered en masse, these form a people that no man can number. Yet each individual in that mass is known and loved by God from all eternity. The texts cannot refer to the election of nations rather than individuals, for Scripture itself sharply distinguishes between the two: “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it” (Rom. 11:7). Besides, both the book of Psalms and the Savior Himself speak of elect individuals: “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee,” “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (Ps. 65:4; John 15:16).

William Plumer is right, therefore, to point out that “the doctrine of a divine election of sinners to the blessings of salvation is as certainly taught in the Old Testament as in the New,” and also to regret “that a truth, which has often caused the hearts of God’s servants to break forth into thanksgivings, should have been rejected by some and by others received with suspicion.” Whether we realize it or not, our salvation depends on our election. And whether Arminians deny it or not, as John Wesley and Fletcher of Madeley did, their salvation too depends on it. To hold the doctrine of election may not be essential to salvation, but to be one of God’s elect certainly is. To realize that God has chosen us in Christ to eternal salvation, and in that realization to exclaim “Why me?” is one of the most joyful experiences of a believer’s life.

Let us savor some of the “sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort” that our early Reformers drew from the doctrine of election.

First, they made it the source of all their loving obedience to God:

God chooseth us first and loveth us first, and openeth our eyes to see His exceeding abundant love to us in Christ; and then love we again, and accept His will above all things, and serve Him in that office whereunto He hath chosen us.William Tyndale

Second, they saw it as the fountain of all their holiness:

We must serve God in holiness in respect of Himself: we must serve man in righteousness in respect of God ... Holiness is the end of our election: “He chose us before the foundation of the world that we might be holy.” Edwin Sandys

Third, they traced to it both their conflict with sin and recovery from sin:

This is the difference between God’s children, who are regenerate and elect before all time in Christ, and the wicked castaways, that the elect lie not still continually in their sin, as do the wicked, but at length do return again by reason of God’s seed, which is in them hid as a spark of fire in the ashes; as we may see in Peter, David, Paul, Mary Magda­lene, and others ... And therefore they ought to rejoice, and here through to comfort themselves in their conflicts, which are testimonials, and most true, that they are the elect and dear “children of God”; for else they could not nor should not feel any such strife in them.

John Bradford

Fourth, they found it the basis of their perseverance in the faith:

And this certainty of our salvation the Spirit of God testifieth to our spirit ... being assured of God’s constant favour and eternal love towards us; who never leaveth unfinished that which He hath begun, nor forsaketh him whom He hath chosen. Edwin Sandys

God hath chosen you from the beginning: His elec­tion is sure forever. The Lord knoweth who are His. You shall not be deceived with the power and subtlety of antichrist, you shall not fall from grace, you shall not perish. This is the comfort which abideth with the faithful when they behold the fall of the wicked ... Although all the world should be drowned with the waves of ungodliness, yet will I hold by the boat of His mercy, which shall utterly preserve me. If all the world be set on fire with the flame of wickedness, yet will I creep into the bosom of the protection of my Lord; so shall no flame hurt me. He hath loved me, He hath chosen me, He will keep me. John Jewel

Fifth, they found in it their comfort when suffering martyrdom for Christ:

In that glorious resurrection he (the martyr) shall not only see continual and perpetual joy and con­solation, but also the victory and triumph over all persecution, trouble, sin, death, hell, the devil, and all other persecutors and tyrants of Christ and of Christ’s people ... their souls forever praising the Lord, and conjunction and society everlasting with the blessed company of God’s elect in perpetual joy. John Hooper

All ye that be my true lovers and friends, rejoice and rejoice with me again, and render with me hearty thanks to God our heavenly Father, that for His Son’s sake, my Saviour and Redeemer Christ, He hath vouchsafed to call me, being else without His gracious goodness in myself but a sinful and a vile wretch, to call me (I say) unto this high dignity of His true prophets, of His faithful apostles, and of His holy, elect and chosen martyrs: that is, to die, and to spend this temporal life in the defence and maintenance of His eternal and everlasting truth. Nicholas Ridley

Why do so many of us today lack such “sweet, pleasant and unspeakable comfort”?

The reason with some is their lack of assurance that they are among the elect. “How dare I claim to be one of God’s elect,” they say, “when I still find so much sin and love of sin in myself?”

My dear friend, let me encourage you from my experience with probably the most godly and gracious man I ever knew. My fellow theology student and I were visiting the late Rev. Donald MacFarlane, Dingwall. During family prayer he prayed: “Lord, Thou knowest how much we love sin.” For a man so near to Christ and heaven to acknowledge this was a tremendous relief to me. I thought: “If such a godly man as Mr. MacFarlane still finds the love of sin in his heart, there is hope for me yet!”

The reason why others derive no comfort from the doctrine of election is that they secretly despise it. They say: “If I am chosen, I shall be saved, so I can live how I like. If I am not, I shall be lost, so I’ll simply do what I can.” So they sit down and do nothing.

Still others take umbrage in antinomian presumption. “I once had an experience of conversion, and know I am saved. I do not need to strive after holiness. Christ is my holiness. Neither am I under the law. I have the Spirit, and He guides me through life. Calls to mortify sin, and crucify self, and watch, and pray, are legalistic. And even though I sometimes sin, God sees no sin in me, and He loves me just as I am. Why do you make such heavy weather of religion? I am one of God’s elect, and I am going to glory.”

What shall we say to those who speak in this way? Well, we must tell them plainly that they are self-deceived. First, they pervert the doctrine of election; then they abuse it to their own destruction. My dear friend, God will never excuse you if you turn the great source of comfort to the godly into a pillow of security in sin of the ungodly. You must use all the God-given means at your disposal to make your calling and election sure. You must seek the Lord with all your heart. You must come to Christ. You must turn from your sins. You must wrestle, and fight, and pray. If you do not, you will be lost. You will not fall short of salvation because of the doctrine of election, but because you “neglect the great salvation.” Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die? Christ receives sinners, and why not you? Unless you find salvation in Him, the Day of Judgment will leave you condemned — not because of election, but because of unbelief, impenitence, sloth, and hatred of God and Christ and holiness. May God grant you faith, repentance, and a holy life, that you may dwell with God’s elect now and in eternity.