1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 3.4 The Certainty of God

Table of Contents

The Text

Luke 12:7 (CSB) Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The Chapter

These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.

The Confession

These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed

2 Timothy 2:19 (CSB) Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.

We know that salvation is of the Lord. That means every facet of salvation--from election to calling to atonement to justification to adoption to sanctification to glorification is on the Lord alone.

and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished

John 13:18 (CSB) “I’m not speaking about all of you; I know those I have chosen. But the Scripture must be fulfilled: The one who eats my bread has raised his heel against me.

The Jehovah's Witness, a sect out and apart from the Christian orthodox faith, was founded and established by the notion that we, as mankind, should know this set number and work towards being apart of that set number. The Jehovah's Witnesses has that number and within their religion, they know the right things to do to be within that set number. But there are no guarantees that you will be saved.

And in a way, they are correct but not in the way you think. Jehovah's Witnesses know the right thing to do and will strive with all of their might to do the right thing. But the right thing does not guarantee their salvation.

But we know that salvation is of God because of his Son, we know that we have full assurance that we are saved. We know this because has nothing to do with our will, our sincerity, our baptisms, our filling of the Holy Spirit, our gifts or our perfect attendance but rather on the God who alone saves.

John 1:12–13 (CSB) But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

You might be curious, "Well, what is that number?" If God told you that set number, would that increase or decrease your anxiety? Would that increase or decrease your love for God. Truth be know: only God knows that set number. But thank God we are not mere numbers to him--we are his beloved children whom he adores and cares for all of our days.

Now, because we are finite beings with tiny perspectives, it would seem that God is increasing those numbers:

Acts 2:46-47 (CSB) Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

But that is just it, we are not like God in that we know the end from the beginning. We can't see it. But we do see the work of the Holy Spirit after he has wielded his incredible, almighty power:

John 3:8 (CSB) The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”