Divine Election

These articles are from the Canon of Dort: The first point of Divine Election and Reprobation.  I have become more familiar with this document as a friend gave me "Seeking God's Face - Praying with the Bible through the Year" as a Christmas gift.  There are prayers in it directly taken from the Canons of Dort, Belgic, Heidelberg and Westminster Confessions,composed by Eugene Peterson, who authored "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction". 

The truth that God's love is the primary mover of our salvation, that his grace in our need of him, keeps us humble, and because of this we are overwhelmed by His goodness to us....

We love because we were first loved...


Article 13

The Fruit of This Assurance
In their awareness and assurance of this election God's children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God, to adore the fathomless depth of his mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to give fervent love in return to him who first so greatly loved them. This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it, make God's children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured. By God's just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen.

Article 14

Teaching Election Properly
Just as, by God's wise plan, this teaching concerning divine election has been proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times, and has subsequently been committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures, so also today in God's church, for which it was specifically intended, this teaching must be set forth—with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God's most holy name, and for the lively comfort of his people.