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GOD’S PURPOSE OF GRACE
Election is the gracious purpose of
God, according to which He regenerates, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is
consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in
connection with the end. It is a glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness,
and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and
promotes humility. All true believers endure to the end.
Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never
fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may
fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit,
impair their graces and comforts, bring reproach on the cause of Christ, and
temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation. Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:5-8; 1 Samuel
8:4-7, 19-22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 31:31ff; Matthew 16:18-19; Matthew
21:28-45; Matthew 24:22, 31; Matthew 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; Luke 2:29-32; Luke
19:41-44; Luke 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; John 3:16; John 5:24; John 6:44-45, 65;
John 10:27-29; John 15:16; John 17:6, 12, 17-18; Acts 20:32; Romans 5:9-10;
Romans 8:28-39; Romans 10:12-15; Romans 11:5-7, 26-36; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 1 Cor.
15:24-28; Ephes. 1:4-23; Ephes. 2:1-10; Ephes. 3:1-11; Col. 1:12-14; 2 Thes.
2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 2:10, 19; Hebrews 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 1:2-5, 13; 1
Peter 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 1 John 2:19; 1 John 3:2 |