“Assurance Does Not Lead to Carelessness” -- Article Thirteen, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 13: Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness

Neither does the renewed confidence of perseverance produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit.

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Given the number of articles under the Fifth Point of Doctrine addressing the matter of assurance of one’s salvation actually leading to godliness rather than carelessness or indifference to godly living, it is clear that this was a charge frequently raised by the Dutch Arminians (as well as Rome).

The reality is that Christians can and do fall into serious sin—a point acknowledged in previous articles. But in the case of God’s elect, if and when they fall into serious sin, they are eventually restored to God’s favor, even if the consequences of their sin remain a factor in their lives. Since this is the case, those who are restored find themselves taking greater care not to allow such a thing to happen again, as well as possessing a deeper understanding of the grace and mercy of God toward his wayward sheep.

There are a number of biblical cases in which this is evident. In Psalm 51, for example, David cries out for forgiveness, desiring to have his transgressions blotted out (v. 1) and to be washed and cleansed of his sins (v. 2). His sin was exposed by Nathan the prophet after David arranged for the death of Bathsheba’s husband. His sin is before him (v. 3), he acknowledges that he has done evil in God’s sight (v. 4), and he asks for a clean heart (v. 10), praying not to be cast away, nor have the Holy Spirit taken away. Throughout the Psalm, David prays for full restoration before God, the joy of his salvation restored, an increase of wisdom, and to be an example to others. Article Thirteen is, in effect, a summary of Psalm 51—the perfect illustration of what the Canons describe as “a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance,” and to come to know again “his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit.”

Much the same can be said of the apostle Peter. After Jesus predicted his coming death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Matthew 26:1-2), it was Peter who sought to change our Lord’s mind, only to be sternly rebuked by Jesus. Jesus turned to Peter and said, “get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23). And it was Peter who was adamant that he would never deny Jesus, only to lose his nerve and do so three times after Jesus predicted that this would happen (Mark 14:29-31). Therefore, it was an act of grace and kindness that Jesus made one of his first post-resurrection appearances to Peter, assuring him of forgiveness and restoration (Luke 24:33-34; John 21:15-25).

At Pentecost, we learn Peter was filled with the Spirit and transformed into a bold preacher of the gospel—starting with his famous Pentecost sermon in the temple courts, as recounted in Acts 2:14-21. Some three thousand people were converted that day (Acts 2:41). Peter continued preaching in Jerusalem, with many people healed and demons cast out as a manifestation of the advancing kingdom of God (Acts 3-4).

When Paul is forced to rebuke the Corinthians (as recounted in 2 Corinthians 7:8-12), he tells them,

For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

According to Paul, godly sorrow produces repentance, longing, and zeal—the very point being made by the authors in article thirteen.

Those who reject the confessional Protestant focus on the assurance of one's salvation—such as the Arminians and the Roman Catholic Church—do so because they view the primary motivation for Christian living as the fear of punishment and the hope of reward. The assurance of one’s salvation flies in the face of such motivation, instead grounding Christian living in gratitude for all that God has done on the sinner’s behalf—the saving merits of Jesus Christ received through faith alone, which provide an unshakable footing for the Christian life.