Summary Statement of AAPC's Position on the Covenant, Baptism, and Salvation (Revised)
The following is a revised edition of our statement. We have been greatly blessed by the discussions, disagreements, and questions that have been raised about our initial statement. It was intended as a “summary” of our views and never intended to be anything other than a summary of our views (i.e., it was not intended to erect some new standard of orthodoxy or to imply that we were settled on these points and could not be challenged or dissuaded from them, and it was certainly not intended to erect another wall to divide the Church or as a means to denounce or exclude from fellowship our brothers who might disagree with us). These statements represent some degree of theological exploration in regard to the significance and meaning of covenant, baptism, and in the way we think of salvation. This revision is a response to the critique and instruction we have received and is an effort to make our position more clear and (we trust) more easily understood. We continue to study and learn and continue to be open to further correction and instruction.
1. Salvation is by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not of works. It is founded upon the obedience, death, and resurrection of the faithful Second Adam, Jesus Christ. Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein sinners are accepted as righteous in God’s sight by virtue of the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone (WSC Q. 33). This justifying faith is always accompanied by all other saving graces and virtues (WCF 11.2). Justifying faith, therefore, is never vain but one that works by love (Gal. 5:6).
2. From before the foundation of the world, God has sovereignly chosen a multitude no man can number for salvation. The basis of His election was solely His grace and mercy and nothing in the creature. The number of the elect can neither increase nor diminish. All who were chosen by God from the beginning will be surely saved eternally. Not one will be lost.
3. God works out His eternal decree of salvation in history by means of His covenant. Salvation, therefore, may be viewed from two basic perspectives, the decretal/eternal and the covenantal/historical. The Bible ordinarily (though not always) views election through the lens of the covenant. This is why covenant members are addressed consistently as God’s elect, even though some of those covenant members may apostatize, proving themselves in the end not to have been among the number of those whom God decreed to eternal salvation from before the foundation of the world. Thus, the basis for calling them God’s “elect” was their standing as members of the Church (which is the body of Christ) and not some knowledge of God’s secret decree. The visible Church is the place where the saints are “gathered and perfected” by means of “the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God” (WCF 25.3).
We cannot separate covenant and election, but, to do full justice to the Biblical teaching, we must distinguish them. Following the Biblical model, it seems that we must view fellow church members as elect and regenerate and, at the same time, hold before them the dangers of falling away. This does not contradict the decretal/eternal perspective, because our knowledge of God’s decree is only creaturely. We can never, in this life, know with absolute certainty who are elect unto final salvation. For this reason, we have to make judgments and declarations in terms of what has been revealed, namely, the covenant (Dt. 29:29). The covenant is the visible, historical context in which the eternal decree of election comes to eventual fruition.
4. This covenant is made with believers and their children (Acts 2:39; WLC Q. 166). It is publicly manifested in the Church, the body of Christ to which we are solemnly admitted by means of baptism (WCF 28.1). The Church is not merely a human community, and the Church’s enactments of the means of grace are not merely human works. God works through the administration of the sacraments by the power of His Spirit and His word of promise (WCF 27.3). The Church herself is God’s new creation, the city He promised to build for Abraham. The Church is not merely a means to salvation, a stepping-stone to a more ultimate goal. Rather, the Church herself is the historic manifestation of God’s salvation (WCF 25.1,2), the partially-realized goal in history that will be brought to final fulfillment at the last day. When someone is united to the Church by baptism, he is incorporated into Christ and into His body; he becomes bone of Christ’s bone and flesh of His flesh (Eph. 5:30). He becomes a member of “the house, family, and kingdom of God” (WCF 25.2). Until and unless that person breaks covenant, he is to be reckoned among God’s elect and regenerate saints.
5. Those who have been solemnly admitted to the Church by baptism (WCF 28.1) are bound to receive and rest upon Christ by faith, repenting of their sins, yielding obedience to his commands, making diligent use of the outward means of grace, and thereby persevering by faith to the end of their days. This perseverance is itself a gift of God and not a result of the “willing” or the “running” of the people of God.
6. God uses means by which His Spirit works salvation in the hearts of His elect: the preaching of the Word, the faithful administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the communion of the saints (WSC #85,88,91). These means have been entrusted to the Church (WCF 25.3). By these, through the blessing of the Spirit, the Church becomes the “mother of all believers” (Gal. 4:26). Apart from the Church and its ministry of these means of grace, there is ordinarily no salvation (WCF 25.2).
7. By baptism, one enters into covenantal union with Christ and is offered all his benefits (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:1ff; 2 Cor. 1:20). As Westminster Shorter Catechism #94 states, baptism signifies and seals “our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace.” Baptism in itself does not, however, guarantee final salvation. What is offered in baptism may not be received because of unbelief. Or, it may only be embraced for a season and later rejected (Matt. 13:20-22; Luke 8:13-14). Those who “believe for a while” enjoy blessings and privileges of the covenant only for a time and only in part, since their temporary faith is not true to Christ, as evidenced by its eventual failure and lack of fruit (1 Cor. 10:1ff; Hebrews 6:4-6). By their unbelief they “trample underfoot the Son of God, count the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified an unholy thing, and do despite to the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29) and thus bring greater condemnation upon themselves.
8. God has decreed from the foundation of the world all that comes to pass, including who would be saved and lost for all eternity. Included in His decree, however, is that some persons, not destined for final salvation, will be drawn to Christ and His people only for a time. These, for a season, enjoy real blessings, purchased for them by Christ’s cross and applied to them by the Holy Spirit in his common operations through Word and Sacrament (Hebrews 6:4-6; Matthew 25:14ff; etc.).
9. Salvation depends upon being united to Christ. Clearly, those who are eternally saved are those who continue to abide in Him by the grace of God. There are those, however, who are joined to Him as branches in the vine, but who because of unbelief are barren and fruitless and consequently are cut off from the vine and from salvation. Jesus says these “believe for a while” but do not bear fruit unto salvation. Why God would do this is a mystery, but the teaching of Scripture is clear: some whom He adopts into covenant relation, He later hardens (Rom. 9:4, 18, 11:1ff). In such instances God has not changed His decree regarding such people; to the contrary, He carries out His sovereign purposes in and through their unbelief and rebellion. Those elect unto eternal salvation are always distinguished by their perseverance in faith and obedience by the grace of God.
10. Once baptized, an individual may be truly called a “Christian” because he is a member of the household of faith and the body of Christ (I Cor. 12). However, not all who are “Christians” in this sense will persevere to the end. Some will “fall from grace” and be lost (Gal. 5:4; 1 Cor. 10:1-5). Though the difference between those who are predestined to eternal life and those who “believe for a while” is not merely one of duration (i.e., God works “effectually” in those whom He has predestined to eternal life so that they do not fall away in unbelief), the Bible does not explain the distinction between the nature of the work of the Spirit in the reprobate and the nature of His work in the elect, and even uses the same language for both.
For example, the same language that describes the Spirit coming upon Saul (1 Sam. 10:6) is used when the Spirit comes upon David (1 Sam. 16:13), Gideon (Jdg. 6:34), Jephthah (Jdg. 11:29), and Samson (Jdg. 14:6, 9; 15:14). Yet in four of these five cases (David, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson), the man in question was clearly given persevering faith and brought to final salvation by the Spirit’s work (cf. Heb. 11:32). The Biblical narrative, however, appears to draw no distinction between Saul’s initial experience of the Spirit and the experience of those who obtained final salvation. While God, no doubt, predestined Saul’s apostasy (since He foreordains all that comes to pass), God was not the author of Saul’s apostasy (cf. WCF 3.1). Saul seems to receive the same initial covenantal grace that David, Gideon, and other men who persevered in faith received, but he did not persevere in that grace. Though this was according to God’s eternal decree and though God could surely have preserved him in faith, Saul fell in unbelief. The responsibility for his failure, however, is his alone. Saul’s failure to persevere was due to his own rebellion. Herein lies the great mystery of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility (cf. WCF 3.1, 8). [1]
11. None of those elect unto final salvation can lose that salvation, however much he may backslide (John 10; WCF 17). God preserves all those whom He has chosen to eternal salvation in covenant faithfulness. The Biblical language regarding salvation, however, is more complicated. Sometimes the term “salvation” is used in an eschatological sense with reference to its ultimate goal of eternal life. In that eschatological and final sense, of course, it would be most improper to speak of anyone “losing their salvation.” All whom God has ordained to eternal life will surely be saved. But there is also another sense in which all those in the covenant are “saved.” They have been delivered out of the world and brought into the glorious new creation of Christ (thus, the Scripture speaks of those who had “known the way of righteousness,” “been cleansed from their former sins,” “have tasted of the heavenly gift,” etc.), but not all will persevere in that “salvation.” [2] Jesus spoke of those in the new covenant who were united to Him, but then cut off because they did not persevere in the fruit-bearing that is the evidence of a lively faith, by which we abide in Christ (John 15). Whatever the precise complexion and content of that union for those who do not persevere, nonetheless, if Jesus Himself is salvation, must we not conclude that being cut off from Him means being cut off the from source of salvation and, in that specific sense, from salvation itself?
12. The Bible often speaks of salvation in relational and covenantal categories. “Salvation” is a matter of being rightly related to God through Christ. But relationships are not static, unchanging entities. They are fluid and dynamic. Our salvation covenant with the Lord is like a marriage. If we continue to rest upon Christ in faith, we will live with Him happily ever after. If we break the marriage covenant, He will divorce us. It is probably unwise and pastorally inept, especially for tender consciences, to speak of this in terms of “losing one’s salvation,” but it seems contrary to Scripture to say that nothing at all is lost. To draw such a conclusion appears to deny the reality of the covenant and the blessedness that is said to belong even to those who ultimately prove themselves reprobate (Heb. 10:26ff).
13. With this understanding, the “five points of Calvinism” are still preserved, but they have been
enriched by a nuanced covenant theology following the tradition and teaching of Augustine and
Calvin. Framing the issues in this way, in no way compromises God’s absolute sovereignty and
gracious initiative in salvation. At the same time, however, it holds covenant breakers
accountable for their apostasy. As such, this position appears to uphold the Scripture’s teaching
on the nature of the Church and the efficacy of the sacraments together with the genuineness of
the covenantal promises and threats. Moreover, it does so in a way that is fully consistent with
Reformed and Westminsterian theology. This is not to say that it is the only way in which the
fullness of Reformed and biblical doctrine may be maintained. Nevertheless, on this
understanding of the application of God’s sovereign and covenantal grace, we lose nothing
affirmed by our Westministerian tradition and yet maintain a rich, workable, and pastorally
useful understanding of how the sovereign God applies His salvation in history.
_____________________
Endnotes
1. We recognize, as the Canons of Dort point out, that the difference between those who are predestined to eternal life and those who “believe for a while” is not merely one of duration. God does work “effectually” in those whom He has predestined to eternal life so that they do not fall away in unbelief. In this sense, we may say that there are things which are true of the “elect” which are never true of the reprobate. But these distinctions normally manifest themselves over time and, thus, are impossible to recognize at the beginnings of one’s Christian experience within the visible Church. As they manifest themselves over time, they certainly become a matter for concern and pastoral care, exhortation, and intervention, as we continually call people to faith and repentance. But it is only in the face of final apostasy that we can know with certainty who was and was not “effectually called.”
In their reading of Heb. 6:4-5, some theologians try to draw subtle distinctions to make highly refined psychological differences between blessings that do not secure eternal salvation and true regeneration, which does. For at least two reasons, it is highly unlikely the writer had such distinctions in mind. First, it is by no means certain that those who have received the blessings listed in 6:4-5 will fall away. The writer merely holds it out as a possibility, a danger of which they must beware. In fact, he expects these people to persevere (6:9). If, however, the blessings catalogued imply something less than regeneration, and these people might persevere after all, we are put in the awkward position of saying that non-regenerate persons persevered to the end (cf. 2 Cor. 6:1)! Second, the illustration immediately following the warning in 6:7-8 indicates these people have received some kind of new life. Otherwise, the plant metaphor makes no sense. The question raised does not concern the nature of the grace received in the past (i.e., real regeneration vs. merely common operations of the Spirit), but whether or not the one who has received this grace will persevere.
Thus, Hebrews 6 does not call upon us to develop two psychologies of conversion and faith, one for the “truly regenerate” and one for the temporary believer destined to apostatize. Nor does it call upon sinners to discern their own deceitful and inconstant hearts, for even the elect would fall away were it not for the continued grace of God (cf. Canons of Dort, 5th Head, Articles 3 & 8; cf WCF 17.2). Rather, Hebrews calls upon us to turn from ourselves and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1ff). Such a faith perseveres and bears fruit in keeping with repentance.
2. Illustrations of this abound in the Scripture: In Jude (5) the Israelites are said to have been “saved” and then destroyed, because they did not persevere. In the preface to the Ten Commandments Israel is addressed as God’s redeemed people. However, many of those who were “redeemed” did not continue trusting their Deliverer and perished. Peter (2 Peter 2) speaks of a similar class of people. Redeemed by Christ, they then deny Him and are destroyed. All of these are given as warnings to new covenant believers lest they follow these examples of apostasy. Paul specifically says the record of the Israelites who failed to persevere and were destroyed was “written for our admonition” in the new covenant era (I Cor. 10:11).
Summary: God, in eternity past, elected in Christ a great multitude to salvation. This election was wholly gracious and unconditional, having its source only in the free mercy and good pleasure of God. In the fullness of time, the Father sent His Son to die as the propitiatory substitute for those whom He elected to eternal salvation. The atoning work of the Son is fully sufficient for their salvation and completely accomplished their redemption. The Holy Spirit works in these same chosen ones to apply Christ’s saving work to them and to keep them faithful to the Savior their entire lives. Because of the hardness of their hearts, this work of grace must be, ultimately, irresistible. No one chosen to eternal salvation can be lost, and no non-elect person can attain eternal salvation.
God’s eternal decree to gather His elect into a people for His name is worked out in history. Election is in no way a “process” nor is it at all dependent upon our obedience either foreseen or actual, but it does becomes manifest in the administration of Word and Sacrament as one responds to the preached gospel and enters the Church in baptism. Christ is present in His Church by His Spirit to see to it that all His elect ones are brought to faith in Him.
God, however, mysteriously has chosen to draw some into the covenant community who are not elect unto eternal salvation. These non-elect covenant members are truly brought to Christ, united to Him in the Church by baptism and receive various gracious operations of the Holy Spirit. Corporately, they are part of the chosen, redeemed, Spirit-indwelt people. Sooner or later, however, in the wise counsel of God, these fail to bear fruit and fall away. In some sense, they were really joined to the elect people, really sanctified by Christ’s blood, really recipients of new life given by the Holy Spirit. God, however, has chosen not to uphold them in the faith, and all is lost. They break the gracious new covenant they entered into at baptism.
Thus, the covenant is a true revelation of God’s salvation, for, in the covenant community, all God’s people, even those who are only temporarily counted among their number, find gracious blessings. The covenant really is gospel-good news-through and through. Yet only those who, by faith alone, continue to persevere in the covenant, trusting and resting upon the Lord of covenant, inherit final salvation. Those who fall away lose the temporary covenantal blessings they had enjoyed. Ultimately, this is because God decreed that these covenant breakers would not share in the eschatological salvation of Christ. Of course, these apostates cannot blame God for their falling away. It is their own fault, since God’s overtures of love towards them in the context of the covenant were sincere. Conversely, those who do persevere to the end cannot claim any credit or make any boast. All they have done has been because of God’s grace which preserved them and kept them faithful.
All covenant members are invited to attain to a full and robust confidence that they are God’s eternally elect ones. Starting with their baptisms, they have every reason to believe God loves them and desires their eternal salvation. Baptism marks them out as God’s elect people, a status they maintain so long as they persevere in faithfulness. By looking to Christ alone, the preeminently elect One, the One who kept covenant to the end and is the Author and Finisher of the faith of God’s people, they may find infallible assurance (WCF 18.1-2). Those who take their eyes off Christ in unbelief, who desert the Church where His presence is found, will find that their false hopes and carnal presumptions have perished (WCF 18.1), having made a shipwreck of their faith and proven themselves to have received the grace of God in vain.
Unanimously adopted by the Session of Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church on April 3, 2005.