The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF)
WCF 3.5-6
5. Before the foundation of the world was laid, God chose in Christ those of mankind who are predestined to life for everlasting glory, according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will. He did this out of his mere free grace and love, without any foreseeing of their faith, their good works, their perseverance in either of these, or any other thing in the creature that might act as conditions or causes moving him to it. Read more
5. Before the foundation of the world was laid, God chose in Christ those of mankind who are predestined to life for everlasting glory, according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will. He did this out of his mere free grace and love, without any foreseeing of their faith, their good works, their perseverance in either of these, or any other thing in the creature that might act as conditions or causes moving him to it. Read more
WCF 3.3-4
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some people and angels are predestined to everlasting life and others are foreordained to everlasting death. 4. These angels and people thus predestined and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably intended, and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or decreased. (WCF 3.3-4) Someone once explained salvation by way of illustration in that God was like a man who walked past a well in the middle of nowhere and heard a whole bunch of His enemies at the bottom of it crying out for help. Read more
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some people and angels are predestined to everlasting life and others are foreordained to everlasting death. 4. These angels and people thus predestined and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably intended, and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or decreased. (WCF 3.3-4) Someone once explained salvation by way of illustration in that God was like a man who walked past a well in the middle of nowhere and heard a whole bunch of His enemies at the bottom of it crying out for help. Read more
WCF 3.1-2
1. God, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordained everything that ever happens, yet in such a way that God is not the author of sin nor is violence done to the will of the creatures, nor is the power or possibility of secondary causes taken away, but rather established. 2. Although God knows everything that may or can come to pass based on all possible conditions, yet he has not decreed anything just because he foresaw it as future, or as what would happen because of such conditions. Read more
1. God, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordained everything that ever happens, yet in such a way that God is not the author of sin nor is violence done to the will of the creatures, nor is the power or possibility of secondary causes taken away, but rather established. 2. Although God knows everything that may or can come to pass based on all possible conditions, yet he has not decreed anything just because he foresaw it as future, or as what would happen because of such conditions. Read more
WCF 2.3
3. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. (WCF 2.3) For the past few weeks we have been looking at the glorious and wonderful nature of our God. Read more
3. In the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. (WCF 2.3) For the past few weeks we have been looking at the glorious and wonderful nature of our God. Read more
WCF 2.2
2. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; he alone is in and to himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, to, and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he has complete sovereign dominion over them, to do through them, for them, or upon them whatever pleases him. Read more
2. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness, in and of himself; he alone is in and to himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which he has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but only manifesting his own glory in, by, to, and upon them. He is the only fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, and he has complete sovereign dominion over them, to do through them, for them, or upon them whatever pleases him. Read more
WCF 2.1
There is only one living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of those who diligently seek him; and in addition, most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. Read more
There is only one living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of those who diligently seek him; and in addition, most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty. Read more
WCF 1.9-10
9. The unerring rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. Therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not multiple, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. 10. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and by which all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits are to be examined, and in whose judgment we are to rest, can be nothing other than the Holy Spirit speaking in Scripture. Read more
9. The unerring rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself. Therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not multiple, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. 10. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and by which all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits are to be examined, and in whose judgment we are to rest, can be nothing other than the Holy Spirit speaking in Scripture. Read more
WCF 1.8
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), were immediately inspired by God. By His unique care and providence they have been kept pure in all ages and are therefore authentic, so that in all controversies of religion, the Church’s final appeal is to them. Read more
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), were immediately inspired by God. By His unique care and providence they have been kept pure in all ages and are therefore authentic, so that in all controversies of religion, the Church’s final appeal is to them. Read more
WCF 1.7
7. Not all things in Scripture are equally plain in themselves, nor are they equally clear to all people. Yet those things that are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly discussed and made clear, in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated but also the uneducated may reach a sufficient understanding of them with the adequate use of ordinary means. Read more
7. Not all things in Scripture are equally plain in themselves, nor are they equally clear to all people. Yet those things that are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly discussed and made clear, in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the educated but also the uneducated may reach a sufficient understanding of them with the adequate use of ordinary means. Read more
WCF 1.6
6. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory and for mankind’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly written down in Scripture or may be deduced from Scripture by good and necessary consequences. Nothing at any time is to be added to Scripture, whether by new revelations of the Spirit or the traditions of mankind. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and we acknowledge that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, that are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. Read more
6. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory and for mankind’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly written down in Scripture or may be deduced from Scripture by good and necessary consequences. Nothing at any time is to be added to Scripture, whether by new revelations of the Spirit or the traditions of mankind. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, and we acknowledge that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, that are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. Read more