The Baptist Faith and Message
Adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention May 9, 1963
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V. God’s Purpose of Grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to
which He regenerates, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It
is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends
all the means in connection with the end. It is a glorious
display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise,
holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes
humility.
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has
accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never
fall away from the State of grace, but shall persevere to
the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and
temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their
graces and comforts, bring reproach on the cause of Christ,
and temporal judgments on themselves, yet they shall be kept
by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
Gen. 12:1-3; Ex.
19:5-8; 1 Sam. 8:4-7,
19-22; Isa.
5:1-7; Jer. 31:31
ff.; Matt. 16:18-19;
21:28-45; 24:22,
31; 25:34;
Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32;
19:41-44; 24:44-48;
John 1:12-14; 3:16;
5:24; 6:44-45,
65; 10:27-29;
15:16; 17:6,
12, 17-18;
Acts 20:32; Rom.
5:9-10; 8:28-39;
10:12-15; 11:5-7,
26-36; 1
Cor. 1:1-2; 15:24-28;
Eph. 1:4-23; 2:1-10;
3:1-11; Col.
1:12-14; 2 Thess.
2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:12;
2:10, 19;
Heb. 11:39 to 12:2;
1 Peter 1:2-5, 13;
2:4-10; 1
John 1:7-9; 2:19;
3:2.
