1689 LBCF: Of God's Decree

          Faithful Baptists from the seventeenth century proved that they believed the Bible's
     declaration of the sovereignty of God over everything.  He didn't just create the
     world and sit back and watch His creation, stepping in only when things went wrong.
     God is in control of whatever comes to pass, according to His glory and purpose.


                                                1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith

                                                Chapter 3:  Of God's Decree


          1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel
     of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass; yet so
     as thereby is God neither the author of sin nor hath fellowship with any therein; nor is
     violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second
     causes taken away, but rather established; in which appears his wisdom in disposing all
     things, and power and faithfulness in accomplishing his decree.
     (Isaiah 46:10; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 9:15; Acts 4:27,28; John 19:11; Numbers 23:19)


          2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed
     conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that
     which would come to pass upon such conditions.
     (Acts 15:18; Romans 9:11, 13, 16, 18)


          3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are
     predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise of his
     glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation, to the praise
     of his glorious justice.
     (1 Timothy 5:21; Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:5,6; Romans 9:22, 23; Jude 4)


          4. These angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained, are particulary and un-
     changeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either
     increased or diminished.
     (2 Timothy 2:19; John 13:18)


          5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the
     world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel
     and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of
     his mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or
     cause moving him thereunto.
     (Ephesians 1:4, 9, 11; Romans 8:30; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Romans 9:13;
     16; Ephesians 2:5, 12)