Article 18: The Proper Attitude Toward Election and Reprobation

To those who complain about this grace of an undeserved election and about the severity of a just reprobation, we reply with the words of the apostle, Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? (Rom. 9:20), and with the words of our Savior, Have I no right to do what I want with my own? (Matt. 20:15). We, however, with reverent adoration of these secret things, cry out with the apostle: Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond tracing out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen (Rom. 11:33-36).

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We come to the final article of the First Head of Doctrine—the first point of the so-called five points of Calvinism. Article eighteen addresses the matter of how we, as the people of God, are to respond to the biblical teaching about election and reprobation. There are at least four possible responses to these doctrines, although the Canons take note only of two. We begin by dealing with the two responses identified in article eighteen.

The first possible response one might have comes from those who, when faced with this doctrine, react by calling God’s fairness into question. As the Canons note, “to those who complain about this grace of an undeserved election and about the severity of a just reprobation, we reply with the words of the apostle, Who are you, O man, to talk back to God? (Rom. 9:20),” and with the words of our Savior, “have I no right to do what I want with my own? (Matt. 20:15).” Like it or not, God is our creator and is absolutely sovereign over us. He does what he wills with his creatures and with his creation. As the fallen children of Adam, we must deal with the fact that were it not for the electing grace of God, all of us would remain unbelievers, under his just judgment.

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