Article 7: Renewal to Repentance

For, in the first place, God preserves in those saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Secondly, by his Word and Spirit he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; experience again the grace of a reconciled God; through faith adore his mercies; and from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

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Article Seven is, in many ways, a summation of what was set forth in the previous articles (four through six), where much of the biblical evidence regarding these questions was introduced. Serious sin (often called “backsliding”) is indeed an issue for some at various points in their Christian lives. As set out in these prior articles, Christians can and do fall into serious sin—usually through carelessness, temptation, or rebellion.

Many branches of the Christian family, especially the Arminians, at whom these “canons” are aimed, hold that genuine Christian believers can sever themselves from Christ, fall away, and be lost. Those who are Christ’s, but who commit the unpardonable sin, the sin which leads to death, or a final act of apostasy, will indeed suffer eternal loss just as any other unbeliever would.

The Reformed do not deny that Christians can fall into serious sin and suffer temporal loss, experience God’s fatherly discipline, and feel conviction of their sins through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. But the authors of the canons do not believe such people can suffer eternal loss. This is not because it is taught that the elect are strong enough, or so spiritually attuned, that they can hang on to the end. No, the Reformed doctrine of the “perseverance of the saints” grows out of a proper understanding of Jesus Christ’s work on behalf of those chosen by the Father, for whom the Son has died, and who have been called to faith and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not allow the elect to perish, and indeed the work of Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king is, in part, to preserve God’s chosen unto the end.

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