I must say that I have experienced much of what is written here, from the Canons of Dort in 1618-1619. I do believe in pressing toward the goal of perfection as stated in Article 2, but also that the sin nature and infirmities of the flesh are still with us as expressed in Article 1.
Article 4 contains some rather frightening revelations: "they are not only liable to be drawn into great and heinous sins by the flesh, the world, and Satan, but sometimes by the righteous permission of God actually are drawn into these evils. This, the lamentable fall of David, Peter, and other saints described in Holy Scripture, demonstrates." I know all this quite well, and can add to that the sins of Samson, and Solomon as well.
Now there must come a time the person is either brought back to repentance by a literal act of God upon his or her life, sometimes in drastic and dramatic ways, or the person continues on in their sin to the point of apostasy, departing completely from the faith of which they were exposed to, but yet not born again by.
Yes, I believe you be exposed to the faith, taste the good things of God, even reap of His blessings, but be lost. case in point: Judas, and those described in Matthew 7:20-23.
In my case I have no idea if God was involved in granting righteous permission, but I do know He will give someone over to their sins. Could He have stopped me from some of these sins? Of course. Why didn't He? Perhaps to show me the true gravity of sin. Perhaps to show other people other things I have no idea about. And to show that no matter the powers I claimed for myself, as I described in a testimony yesterday, all personal power and ability is as nothing in His sight, and we are truly weak without Him, and our giving Him our 100%
I've also experienced Article 11, having doubts concerning this assurance, and feeling assured of hell. But I suspect if did not have such doubt at the time, that perhaps the seed of the Word was not within, for if I did not fear Him who can cast into hell, there would be no fear of God, and such as who do not fear God are usually lost. Also in my prodigalness I did not really "run from the Father" but would call Him out and demand Jacob like wrestling matches, or to destroy Satan in a duel for God, and all form of madness and folly. Yet at the core I obviously clung tightly to an ultimate trust in God.
1 John 3:20, "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." Absolutely! HalleluYAH!
So now I find for the past few years what is explained in Articles 12, 13 and 14 - an incentive to godliness, is no inducement to carelessness, and that God keeps me by His Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers.
I suppose I will only know the real reasons and purpose of my many follies when I am set free from this flesh and am glorified. There is no way I can know all of the Fathers sovereign will and what He purposes in my life, or how my life may have effected others for both good and for evil, and considering Romans 8:28 I have seen what begins as an evil gets turned around for good, as was with Joseph in Egypt.
The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine:
The Perseverance of the Saints
Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin
Those whom God, according to His purpose, calls to the communion of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, He also delivers from the dominion and slavery of sin, though in this life He does not deliver them altogether from the body of sin and from the infirmities of the flesh.
Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness
Hence spring forth the daily sins of infirmity, and blemishes cleave even to the best works of the saints. These are to them a perpetual reason to humiliate themselves before God and to flee for refuge to Christ crucified; to mortify the flesh more and more by the spirit of prayer and by holy exercises of piety; and to press forward to the goal of perfection, until at length, delivered from this body of death, they shall reign with the Lamb of God in heaven.
Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted
By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and also because of the temptations of the world and of Satan, those who are converted could not persevere in that grace if left to their own strength. But God is faithful, who, having conferred grace, mercifully confirms and powerfully preserves them therein, even to the end.
Article 4: The Danger of True Believers’ Falling into Serious Sins
Although the weakness of the flesh cannot prevail against the power of God, who confirms and preserves true believers in a state of grace, yet converts are not always so influenced and actuated by the Spirit of God as not in some particular instances sinfully to deviate from the guidance of divine grace, so as to be seduced by and to comply with the lusts of the flesh; they must, therefore, be constant in watching and prayer, that they may not be led into temptation. When these are neglected, they are not only liable to be drawn into great and heinous sins by the flesh, the world, and Satan, but sometimes by the righteous permission of God actually are drawn into these evils. This, the lamentable fall of David, Peter, and other saints described in Holy Scripture, demonstrates.
Article 5: The Effects of Such Serious Sins
By such enormous sins, however, they very highly offend God, incur a deadly guilt, grieve the Holy Spirit, interrupt the exercise of faith, very grievously wound their consciences, and sometimes for a while lose the sense of God’s favor, until, when they change their course by serious repentance, the light of God’s fatherly countenance again shines upon them.
Article 6: God’s Saving Intervention
But God, who is rich in mercy, according to His unchangeable purpose of election, does not wholly withdraw the Holy Spirit from His own people even in their grievous falls; nor suffers them to proceed so far as to lose the grace of adoption and forfeit the state of justification, or to commit the sin unto death or against the Holy Spirit; nor does He permit them to be totally deserted, and to plunge themselves into everlasting destruction.
Article 7: Renewal to Repentance
For in the first place, in these falls He preserves in them the incorruptible seed of regeneration from perishing or being totally lost; and again, by His Word and Spirit He certainly and effectually renews them to repentance, to a sincere and godly sorrow for their sins, that they may seek and obtain remission in the blood of the Mediator, may again experience the favor of a reconciled God, through faith adore His mercies, and henceforward more diligently work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.
Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation
Thus it is not in consequence of their own merits or strength, but of God’s free mercy, that they neither totally fall from faith and grace nor continue and perish finally in their backslidings; which, with respect to themselves is not only possible, but would undoubtedly happen; but with respect to God, it is utterly impossible, since His counsel cannot be changed nor His promise fail; neither can the call according to His purpose be revoked, nor the merit, intercession, and preservation of Christ be rendered ineffectual, nor the sealing of the Holy Spirit be frustrated or obliterated.
Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation
Of this preservation of the elect to salvation and of their perseverance in the faith, true believers themselves may and do obtain assurance according to the measure of their faith, whereby they surely believe that they are and ever will continue true and living members of the Church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and life eternal.
Article 10: The Ground of This Assurance
This assurance, however, is not produced by any peculiar revelation contrary to or independent of the Word of God, but springs from faith in God’s promises, which He has most abundantly revealed in His Word for our comfort; from the testimony of the Holy Spirit, witnessing with our spirit that we are children and heirs of God (Rom 8:16); and lastly, from a serious and holy desire to preserve a good conscience and to perform good works. And if the elect of God were deprived of this solid comfort that they shall finally obtain the victory, and of this infallible pledge of eternal glory, they would be of all men the most miserable.
Article 11: Doubts Concerning This Assurance
The Scripture moreover testifies that believers in this life have to struggle with various carnal doubts, and that under grievous temptations they do not always feel this full assurance of faith and certainty of persevering. But God, who is the Father of all consolation, does not suffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that they may be able to endure it (1Co 10:13), and by the Holy Spirit again inspires them with the comfortable assurance of persevering.
Article 12: This Assurance as an Incentive to Godliness
This certainty of perseverance, however, is so far from exciting in believers a spirit of pride, or of rendering them carnally secure, that on the contrary it is the real source of humility, filial reverence, true piety, patience in every tribulation, fervent prayers, constancy in suffering and in confessing the truth, and of solid rejoicing in God; so that the consideration of this benefit should serve as an incentive to the serious and constant practice of gratitude and good works, as appears from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints.
Article 13: Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness
Neither does renewed confidence of persevering produce licentiousness or a disregard of piety in those who are recovered from backsliding; but it renders them much more careful and solicitous to continue in the ways of the Lord, which He has ordained, that they who walk therein may keep the assurance of persevering; lest, on account of their abuse of His fatherly kindness, God should turn away His gracious countenance from them (to behold which is to the godly dearer than life, and the withdrawal of which is more bitter than death) and they in consequence thereof should fall into more grievous torments of conscience.
Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance
And as it has pleased God, by the preaching of the gospel, to begin this work of grace in us, so He preserves, continues, and perfects it by the hearing and reading of His Word, by meditation thereon, and by the exhortations, threatenings, and promises thereof, and by the use of the sacraments.
Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance
The carnal mind is unable to comprehend this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and the certainty thereof, which God has most abundantly revealed in His Word, for the glory of His Name and the consolation of pious souls, and which He impresses upon the hearts of the believers. Satan abhors it, the world ridicules it, the ignorant and hypocritical abuse it, and the heretics oppose it. But the bride of Christ has always most tenderly loved and constantly defended it as an inestimable treasure; and God, against whom neither counsel nor strength can prevail, will dispose her so to continue to the end. Now to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen.