The Person and the Situation

by Lee Ross

The elected Christian is in the world only to increase this glory of God by fulfilling His commandments to the best of his ability. But God requires social achievement of the Christian because He wills that social life shall be organized according to His commandments. . . . This makes labour in the service of impersonal social usefulness appear to promote the glory of God and hence to be willed by Him. (Weber, 1905/1984, p. 108-109) Mere labor for the Lord was not enough, however. The pursuit of the common good had to be energetic and wholehearted so as to quell one’s doubts about one’s own election. On the one hand it is held to be an absolute duty to consider oneself chosen, and to combat all doubts as temptations of the devil, since lack of self-confidence is the result of insufficient faith, hence of imperfect grace. . . . On the other hand, in order to attain that self-confidence intense worldly activity is recommended as the most suitable means. It and it alone disperses religious doubts and gives the certainty of grace. (Weber, 1905/1984, p. 111-112)

This is questionable.