One of the caricatures of the Augustinian-Reformed position is that the elect are given a special revelation—indeed, some Reformed folk have held this but none of our churches confesses such a thing—whereby they knew with infallible certainty that they are elect. This is not what we confess. We do believe that assurance is of the essence of faith.

The doctrine of unconditional election and conditional reprobation has often met with resistance in the church. The early post-apostolic church spoke of the elect and of God’s election and found opposition to it. Augustine rather innocently wrote, “Command what you will, give what you command” and stirred up tremendous resistance fro Pelagius and Coelestius. When, in the 9th century, Gottschalk of Orbais taught the high-Augustinian (anti-Pelagian) doctrines of unconditional election, reprobation, and definite atonement, he was placed under house arrest by is monastic order for the rest of his life. In the 16th century Luther was opposed by Erasmus and Calvin by Pighius and Bolsec. The opponents of the high, Augustinian doctrines have often caricatured them. We see this today in the opposition to them in the Southern Baptist Convention.

One of the caricatures of the Augustinian-Reformed position is that the elect are given a special revelation—indeed, some Reformed folk have held this but none of our churches confesses such a thing—whereby they knew with infallible certainty that they are elect. This is not what we confess. We do believe that assurance is of the essence of faith. Certainly doubt is not of the essence of faith. Those among the Reformed who are waiting for “the blessing” (a sort of second blessing) before they receive assurance (or before going to the Lord’s Table) are missing a great truth. One essential aspect of faith is a “heartfelt trust,” or a confidence (fiducia) in the Lord’s promises. Yet, faith as it is in itself is one thing and faith as we sinners experience it, in this life, is often something else. We stop looking to Christ and to his promises. We refuse to see the ways that he has worked in us. Too often we are tempted to try to discern the Lord’s secret will even though Deuteronomy 29:29 tells us explicitly not to do it. “The revealed things” are for us and for our children.

When we do struggle with assurance, the temptation is to look to the extraordinary but the pastors who gathered at the Synod of Dort knew that to be a mistake. Faith believes what it does not see.

ART. XVI. Those who do not yet experience a lively faith in Christ, an assured confidence of soul, peace of conscience, an earnest endeavor after filial obedience, and glorying in God through Christ, efficaciously wrought in them, and do nevertheless persist in the use of the means which God hath appointed for working these graces in us, ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to rank themselves among the reprobate, but diligently to persevere in the use of means, and with ardent desires devoutly and humbly to wait for a season of richer grace. Much less cause have they to be terrified by the doctrine of reprobation, who, though they seriously desire to be turned to God, to please him only, and to be delivered from the body of death, can not yet reach that measure of holiness and faith to which they aspire; since a merciful God has promised that he will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed. But this doctrine is justly terrible to those who, regardless of God and of the Saviour Jesus Christ, have wholly given themselves up to the cares of the world and the pleasures of the flesh, so long as they are not seriously converted to God.

The counter-intuitive response to doubt and uncertainty is to press on in trust, to make use of the ordinary means instituted by the Lord: the preaching of the holy gospel and the use of the holy sacraments. Too often, when we struggle, we abandon the very things that the Lord has instituted to help us. Were one hungry, should he fast to cure his hunger? No. He should eat. When one thirsts, he takes a drink of water. When we struggle is exactly the time that we should be most attendant to public worship, to the preached gospel, to the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer. It is in the communion of the saints that the Lord has promised to meet us and to bless us and to encourage us. Isolation is a breeding ground for unhealthy introspection and doubt.

One of the fears that sensitive consciences have is that one has been reprobated. They need to trust God’s promises. Reprobates do not fear that they are reprobate. Believers have no cause to be terrified that they are reprobate. Rather, their sensitive conscience should lead them to trust the Lord’s promises. They need especially to lean on the mercy of God in Christ. Remember how wicked David was. Did God abandon him because of his great sins of adultery and conspiracy to commit murder? No. Did God reprobate Abraham for lying about his wife? No. When we think this way we have effectively tried to turn the covenant of grace into a covenant of works but we are not under works but grace.

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