Read about Calvinistic doctrine, including Predestination and Unconditional Election in this extract (with added sub-headings) from Some Foundational Truths of the Reformed Faith by Rev. Donald Beaton. Read also about the errors of Arminianism.

The Reformed Faith has held to the existence of an eternal, divine decree which, antecedently to any difference or desert in men themselves, separates the human race in two portions and ordains one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting death” (L. Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, p. 82). These words state the doctrine of Unconditional Election which is denied by Arminianism. It may be necessary, however, to point out here that the Westminster Divines purposely made a distinction between ”predestination unto everlasting life” and ”foreordination to everlasting death” (Conf. iii. 3).

Calvinists on Decree of Election

It is true the words are synonymous, but, as Dr. Cunningham has pointed out, ”Calvinists, in general, have held that there is an important difference between the way and manner in which the decree of election bears or operates upon the condition and fate of those who are saved and that in which the decree of reprobation, as it is often called, bears or operates upon the condition of those who perish; and the existence of this difference, though without any exact specification of its nature, the compilers of our Confession seem to have intended to indicate by restricting the word ‘predestinate’ to the elect, the saved; and using the word ‘foreordained’ in regard to the rest.

Prejudice against Calvinism

The Confession does not make use of the word ‘reprobation,’ which is commonly employed by theologians upon this subject; and the reason of this undoubtedly was, that it is an expression very liable to be misunderstood and perverted, and this to excite a prejudice against the truth which Calvinistic theologians intend to convey by it” (Hist. Theol., ii. 422).

The doctrine is thus stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith: ”Those of mankind that are predestinated unto 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 to everlasting glory, out of His mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving Him thereunto, and all to the praise of His glorious grace” (iii. 5).

Scripture Proofs

The Scripture proof of the doctrine is abundant. Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, says: ”He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and ‘without blame before Him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (I. 4, 5).

Then there is the famous passage in the Epistle to the Romans: ”For whom He did foreknow,[1] He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified” (viii. 29, 30). ”These five golden links,” says Dr. B. B. Warfield, ”are welded together in one unbreakable chain, so that all who are set upon in God’s gracious distinguishing view are carried on by His grace, step by step, up to the great consummation of that glorification which realizes the promised conformity to the image of God’s own Son. It is ‘election,’ you see, that does all this; for ‘whom He foreknew, them He also glorified”’ (Election, pamphlet, p. 10).

No Personal Merit

The Scriptures further represent election as occurring in the past, irrespective of personal merit: ”The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger” (Rom. ix. n, 12). The sovereignty of God’s choice comes out again clearly in the Pauline statement that Christ died for His people while they were yet sinners (Rom. v. 8). It has been well said that Arminianism takes this choice out of the hands of God and places it in the hands of man (Boettner, The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, p. 87).

Divine Sovereignty

The mystery of predestination should always be handled with care. The claims of divine sovereignty and the limitations of our knowledge should sober every reverent mind in approaching or dealing with this subject. Hence the words of the Westminster Divines deserve our attention when they say: ”The doctrine of this 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. So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that sincerely obey the Gospel” (iii. 8).

Read the full document here: Some Foundational Truths of the Reformed Faith , and for more articles on Calvinistic and Reformed Doctrine, Worship and Practice, click the main links below.

See the Westminster Standards here.

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