Planting, Watering, Growing: Planting Confessionally Reformed Churches in the 21st Century

by Daniel R. Hyde

Therefore there is nothing better than to leave God the freedom and power to deem those, whom He pleases, worthy of His grace, or deprive them of it. And certainly since His eternal election is of grace, so must the calling, which flows from it, be considered of grace, and it is not founded on men, since it owes nothing to anyone. Accordingly let us realize that the Gospel comes forth to us from the one fountain of pure grace. However God does not lack a legitimate reason why He offers His Gospel to certain ones, but passes others by; but I maintain that the reason is hidden in His secret purpose. In the meantime let believers know that they have been called gratuitously when others have been neglected, so that they may not ascribe to themselves what belongs to the mercy of God alone. On the other hand as for the rest whom God rejects for no apparent reason, let them learn to wonder at the profound abyss of His judgment, into which it is not permitted to pry.