Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod. 
[Adopted 1932] (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.) Pt. 
14 

Of the Election of Grace

35. By the election of grace we mean this truth, that all those 
who by the grace of God alone, for Christ's sake, through the 
means of grace, are brought to faith, are justified, sanctified, 
and preserved in faith here in time, that all these have already 
from eternity been endowed by God with faith, justification, 
sanctification, and preservation in faith, and this for the same 
reason, namely, by grace alone, for Christ's sake, and by way of 
the means of grace. That this is the doctrine of the Holy 
Scripture is evident from Eph. 1:3-7; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Acts 
13:48; Rom. 8:28-30; 2 Tim. 1:9; Matt. 24:22-24 (cp. Form. of 
Conc. Triglot, p. 1065, Paragraphs 5, 8, 23; M., p. 705). 

36. Accordingly we reject as an anti-Scriptural error the doctrine 
that not alone the grace of God and the merit of Christ are the 
cause of the election of grace, but that God has, in addition, 
found or regarded something good in us which prompted or caused 
Him to elect us, this being variously designated as ``good 
works,'' ``right conduct,'' ``proper self-determination,'' 
``refraining from willful resistance,'' etc. Nor does Holy 
Scripture know of an election ``by foreseen faith,'' ``in view of 
faith,'' as though the faith of the elect were to be placed before 
their election; but according to Scripture the faith which the 
elect have in time belongs to the spiritual blessings with which 
God has endowed them by His eternal election. For Scripture 
teaches Acts 13:48: ``And as many as were ordained unto eternal 
life believed.'' Our Lutheran Confession also testifies (Triglot, 
p. 1065, Paragraph 8; M. p. 705): ``The eternal election of God 
however, not only foresees and foreknows the salvation of the 
elect, but is also, from the gracious will and pleasure of God in 
Christ Jesus, a cause which procures, works, helps, and promotes 
our salvation and what pertains thereto; and upon this our 
salvation is so founded that the gates of hell cannot prevail 
against it, Matt. 16:18, as is written John 10:28: `Neither shall 
any man pluck My sheep out of My hand'; and again, Acts 13:48: 
`And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed..''' 

37. But as earnestly as we maintain that there is an election of 
grace, or a predestination to salvation, so decidedly do we teach, 
on the other hand, that there is no election of wrath, or 
predestination to damnation. Scripture plainly reveals the truth 
that the love of God for the world of lost sinners is universal, 
that is, that it embraces all men without exception, that Christ 
has fully reconciled all men unto God, and that God earnestly 
desires to bring all men to faith, to preserve them therein, and 
thus to save them, as Scripture testifies, 1 Tim. 2:4: ``God will 
have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the 
truth.'' No man is lost because God has predestined him to eternal 
damnation. -- Eternal election is a cause why the elect are 
brought to faith in time, Acts 13:48; but election is not a cause 
why men remain unbelievers when they hear the Word of God. The 
reason assigned by Scripture for this sad fact is that these men 
judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life, putting the Word of 
God from them and obstinately resisting the Holy Ghost, whose 
earnest will it is to bring also them to repentance and faith by 
means of the Word, Act 13:46; 7:51; Matt. 23:37. 

38. To be sure, it is necessary to observe the Scriptural 
distinction between the election of grace and the universal will 
of grace. This universal gracious will of God embraces all men; 
the election of grace, however, does not embrace all, but only a 
definite number, whom ``God hat from the beginning chosen to 
salvation,'' 2 Thess. 2:13, the ``remnant,'' the ``seed'' which 
``the Lord left,'' Rom. 9:27- 29, the ``election,'' Rom. 11:7; and 
while the universal will of grace is frustrated in the case of 
most men, Matt. 22:14; Luke 7:30, the election of grace attains 
its end with all whom it embraces, Rom. 8:28-30. Scripture, 
however, while distinguishing between the universal will of grace 
and the election of grace, does not place the two in opposition to 
each other. On the contrary, it teaches that the grace dealing 
with those who are lost is altogether earnest and fully 
efficacious for conversion. Blind reason indeed declares these two 
truths to be contradictory; but we impose silence on our reason. 
The seeming disharmony will disappear in the light of heaven, 1 
Cor. 13:12.

39. Furthermore, by election of grace, Scripture does not mean 
that one part of God's counsel of salvation according to which He 
will receive into heaven those who persevere in faith unto the 
end, but, on the contrary, Scripture means this, that God, before 
the foundation of the world, from pure grace, because of the 
redemption of Christ, has chosen for His own a definite number of 
persons out of the corrupt mass and has determined to bring them 
through Word and Sacrament, to faith and salvation. 

40. Christians can and should be assured of their eternal 
election. This is evident from the fact that Scripture addresses 
them as the chosen ones and comforts them with their election, 
Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13. This assurance of one's personal 
election, however, springs only from faith in the Gospel, from the 
assurance that God so loved the world that He gave His only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world 
to condemn the world; on the contrary, through the life, 
suffering, and death of His Son He fully reconciled the whole 
world of sinner unto Himself. Faith in this truth leaves no room 
for the fear that God might still harbor thoughts of wrath and 
damnation concerning us. Scripture inculcates that in Rom. 8:32, 
33: ``He that spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, 
how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who 
shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that 
justifieth.'' Luther's pastoral advice is therefore in accord with 
Scripture: ``Gaze upon the wounds of Christ and the blood shed for 
you; there predestination will shine forth.'' (St. Louis ed., II, 
181; on Gen. 26:9) That the Christian obtains the personal 
assurance of his eternal election in this way is taught also by 
our Lutheran Confessions (Formula of Concord, Triglot, p. 1071, 
Paragraph 26, M. 709): ``Of this we should not judge according to 
our reason nor according to the Law or from any external 
appearance. Neither should we attempt to investigate the secret, 
concealed abyss of divine predestination, but should give heed to 
the revealed will of God. For He has made known unto us the 
mystery of His will and made it manifest through Christ that it 
might be preached, Eph. 1:9ff.; 2 Tim. 1:9f.'' -- In order to 
insure the proper method of viewing eternal election and the 
Christian's assurance of it, the Lutheran Confessions set forth at 
length the principle that election is not to be considered ``in a 
bare manner (nude), as though God only held a muster, thus: `This 
one shall be saved, that one shall be damned''' (Formula of 
Concord, Triglot, p. 1065, Paragraph 9; M., p. 706); but ``the 
Scriptures teach this doctrine in no other way than to direct us 
thereby to the Word, Eph. 1:13; 1 Cor. 1:7; exhort to repentance, 
2 Tim. 3:16; urge to godliness, Eph. 1:14; John 15:3; strengthen 
faith and assure us of our salvation, Eph. 1:13; John 10:27f.; 2 
Thess. 2:13f.'' (Formula of Concord, Triglot, p. 1067, Paragraph 
12; M., p. 707). -- To sum up, just as God in time draws the 
Christian unto Himself through the Gospel, so He has already in 
His eternal election endowed them with ``sanctification of the 
Spirit and belief of the truth,'' 2 Thess. 2:13. Therefore: If, by 
the grace of God, you believe in the Gospel of the forgiveness of 
your sins for Christ's sake, you are to be certain that you also 
belong to the number of God's elect, even as Scripture, 2 Thess. 
2:13, addresses the believing Thessalonians as the chosen of God 
and gives thanks to God for their election. 

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