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Paragraph 5 completes the doctrine of free will by describing the believer’s ongoing struggle and final victory. Though the regenerate are given a new heart and true liberty, their will is not yet perfectly or immutably aligned with God’s will. In this life, the will remains subject to weakness, corruption, and temptation. Yet, because the believer is united to Christ, he grows in holiness by grace.

Without doctrine, the church loses her anchor. Paul warns that many will reject sound teaching and chase after teachers who “tickle their ears” (2 Tim. 4:3). History shows that when truth is abandoned, error multiplies and holiness declines. Sound doctrine guards against chaos. To cherish doctrine is to cherish God Himself, for His truth alone gives clarity, stability, and unity to His people.

Paragraph 4 proclaims the glorious truth that God, through effectual calling, restores the sinner’s will so that he is truly free to turn to Christ. When God regenerates the heart, He renews the will—not by destroying it, but by liberating it from the bondage of sin. The person is now enabled and made willing to repent and believe. This is not a coerced conversion but a joyful and voluntary turning to Christ, made possible by grace.

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity The First Confession of Faith The Apostles’ Creed begins with words that...

Worship flows from doctrine. Jesus said, “Those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). To worship rightly, we must know who God is and what He requires. Psalm 29:2 calls us to “worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.” As Beeke reminds us, true worship springs from sound teaching about God’s character. Doctrine safeguards worship, ensuring it is pleasing to Him.

Paragraph 3 highlights the complete inability of man, in his fallen state, to turn to God on his own. Though he retains the faculty of will, he lacks all spiritual ability. He is utterly indisposed and disabled to choose spiritual good. Man is not merely sick—he is spiritually dead and hostile to God. Therefore, he cannot save himself, cooperate with grace, or even prepare himself to receive grace.

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity Why Creeds Matter In an age of doctrinal confusion, the historic creeds...

The church is called “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). Her role is not to create truth but to uphold it. Like a pillar lifting a roof, the church lifts God’s Word before the world. When she abandons doctrine, she collapses; when she clings to truth, she shines as Christ’s witness. As Bavinck reminds us, the church is “the dwelling place of truth,” tasked with guarding and proclaiming it.

“Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God…” This recalls...

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity A Long-Awaited Revelation The Old Testament gave us glimpses. The New...

Doctrine sanctifies because it is truth from God’s Word. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Holiness comes not by human effort, but by God’s truth working in us. As Berkhof wrote, “Doctrine and life are inseparably connected.” A church that drifts from sound doctrine will drift from holiness, but one rooted in truth will be shaped into Christ’s image.

“God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty and power of acting upon choice…” Man is not a machine or puppet. From...

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity Does the Old Testament Reveal God as Father? For many Christians, the...

Doctrine is God’s safeguard for the gospel. Paul warned the Galatians not to accept “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6–9). The church must guard the message of salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. As John Owen noted, error always seeks to corrupt the gospel at its root. Doctrine protects, ensuring the good news is proclaimed clearly, faithfully, and powerfully to each generation.

Paragraph 10 clarifies the scope of Christ’s mediatorial work: it is limited to the elect, those chosen by the Father and given to the Son. Though Christ is sufficient to save all, He is effectual only for those who are united to Him by faith. He does not intercede for the world in general but for His people specifically. This underscores the particularity of grace and the intentionality of redemption. For the believer, this brings deep assurance.

Paragraph 9 explains why Christ had to take on human nature. To redeem fallen men, the Mediator had to be fully man—yet without sin. His human nature enables Him to fulfill the law, suffer in our place, and serve as a compassionate and faithful High Priest. Though glorified now, Jesus retains His true humanity, ever interceding for us. This union between divine and human natures makes Him uniquely able to save, sympathize, and strengthen His people

Series: God the Father: Knowing the First Person of the Trinity Real Distinctions in the One True God At the heart of Christian theology...

Doctrine is simply teaching — not speculation, not human opinion, but God’s truth revealed in His Word. Paul urges leaders to hold firmly to sound doctrine (Titus 1:9). R.C. Sproul reminds us, “Everyone’s a theologian” (Everyone’s a Theologian, p. 1). The only question is whether we are faithful to God’s teaching or swayed by man’s ideas. The church stands firm when she treasures doctrine.

Father of Lights The Unchanging Goodness of God

“This office of Mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ…” Here the Confession reiterates Christ’s exclusive role  as...