For what it’s worth, I am rereading the AATP&C and am in Joey Pipa’s essay. In reaction to my notes above on my rebirths, I quote him, “Their maintaining that a baptised person should think of himself as elect and justified until he apostatizes [I still think it should be ‘apostasize'] hinders true assurance (131,132).”
I could not disagree more strongly. Let us change the statement to read, “Their maintaining that a [person professing faith] should think of himself as elect and justified until he apostatizes hinders true assurance.” Where is the emphasis to lie? In one’s personal faith or in one’s participation in the means of grace? Do they not both infer and presuppose faith? To the first, one’s faith is in the promises of God through the sacrament of baptism. Herein God declares, “You are my child. I love you. I will be your God and you will be my son.” One’s faith is not in the bare element but in the element and the word behind it. What is errant here?
To the second, one’s faith is in one’s faith in the promises of God [without] the sacrament of baptism. Wherein God declares, “You are my child. I love you. I will be your God and you will be my son.” One’s faith is not in the bare element at all the word of God without the element. Do you see what I see? I see and hear Pipa negating the sign and seal of the very promise of God to his people. Now, here is why Pipa says what he does. He quotes the WCF 18.2 and says that the FV focus on the sacraments is contrary to this paragraph. Let us consider it now.
“This certainty is not a bare conjecture and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promise of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are children of God; which Spirit is the interest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.”
I think we can ask at least these questions of this paragraph and answer them adequately.
1) Why is our assurance and hope infallible? It is not infallible b/c of our faith but b/c of God who cannot lie.
2) Upon what is this assurance founded? It is founded upon the promises of God in both word and sacrament.
3) Wherein is this promise of salvation found? This promise is found in both word and sacrament.
4) Wherein is this seal given? It is given in both word and sacrament. Where shall we put our hope?
I do not think it is too far off to say in the word and sacrament. Both are means God uses to assure us of our hope; that the content of our faith in not in “bare conjecture and probable persuasion” but in the promises of God to us. Far from discounting the sacraments and looking to one’s sola fide, this paragraph sustains the faith of the individual in the promises of God found in the means of grace. I strongly disagree with JP here. I find blessed assurance that Jesus is mine in the fact that I have God’s swearing to me by his own name that I am his and he is mine because I am baptised. I look to my baptism and maintain that I am elect, justified, and adopted. I maintain that there is nothing that shall separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus….except apostasy.
