Loved From Eternity: Election as an Unshakeable Anchor

In a human heart prone to doubt and despair, the certainty that I am loved by God with an eternal love is an anchor that cannot be shaken. When we face temptations, when we see ourselves as frail and inadequate, when we are overcome by repentance over our sins, we can cling to the truth that God has already chosen us and that nothing can separate us from his love. In Ephesians -14, Paul writes, “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.” This is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people to the praise of his glory. This text is masterfully interpreted by Calvin as a declaration that the elect are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The seal is not a passive mark. It is an active guarantee that the Holy Spirit will continue his work in the elect until final consummation. Calvin affirms that assurance of salvation includes what is called perseverance of the saints. If God chose a people for himself, it is not possible that this people would fall from grace in a definitive and irretrievable way. God preserves his elect unto the end. This does not mean that the elect will not sin or that they will not face spiritual falls. It means that despite stumbles and failures, God never abandons them and continues his work of grace until final consummation. Perseverance is not an isolated act of the believer holding himself firm by his own effort. It is a continuation of God’s work that having begun in us through election and effectual calling never ceases. Calvin uses the image of a shepherd caring for his sheep. If a sheep stumbles and falls, the shepherd does not abandon it. He rescues it and brings it back to the flock. So also God cares for his elect. This is an immense consolation for the believer who knowing his weakness and his propensity to sin can rest in God’s preserving grace. An important question that Calvin addresses is, “How can I be sure that I am elect?” If election is an eternal decree of God, how can I know if I am part of that decree? Calvin responds with an important distinction. Election is known to God from eternity but is revealed to us through signs. The main sign that I am elect is genuine faith in Christ. When I come to believe in Christ genuinely, when I am regenerated and begin to experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit, I can have confidence that I am one of the elect.