When the Lord foreknows someone, He does not look down into the hallways of time and sees if that person will accept His gracious offer, but it is more that God before the foundations of the world Knew those He has elected with everlasting love and compassion. It was because of God's free pleasure He had set on those he Had elected, that they were predestined to life eternal.
But some will ask then why do you then do missions. If God obviously predestines some to salvation on the basis of his Divine pleasure on them, what is the point? The point is that my fellow man and brother, that God had not only predetermined the elect unto divine pleasure and the reprobate unto divine displeasure, but He also ordained the intended means by which men shall also be saved which is through Christ and Him alone by grace through faith.
Well how do you account for sin and evil in the world? Or does God election and reprobating mean that the elect are sinless, where as the reprobate are not? (if the question is clear). By no means. God election is his acceptance of certain individuals for not in something in them, but for God's good pleasure alone and His rejection to certain individuals was not because of something in them, but of God's pleasure alone. When Adam and Even fell in the garden both the reprobate and the elect fell. Therefore giving the reason for the condemnation and the saving act of God. Those who are elected will be ensured of Salvation, while those who were rejected will not repent and believe the good news.
Well then does that mean that God then prevents the reprobate from believing in Him? (this question deals with the aspect of Equal-ultimacy). By no means, God does not have to create unbelief in those who are fallen already. He simply leaves them to their own state of depravity. Whereas with his elect He regenerates the spirit so that they will believe in Him. As R.C. Sprouls simply puts, "Positive has to do with God's active intervention in the hearts of the elect. Negative has to do with God's passing over the non-elect.
The Reformed view teaches that God positively or actively intervenes in the lives of the elect to insure their salvation. The rest of mankind God leaves to themselve. He does not create unbelief in their hearts. That unbelief is already there. He does not coerce them to sin."
It still sounds like you are rejecting missions and human responsibility. It may seem that I have forsaken missions and human responsibility. But the fact is however I have not forsaken these biblical creedances or commandments. As Romans 10 says that Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God. How then can anyone hear the good news if no one is sent? and if no one is sent then how will anyone believe?
Romans 10:14-17 "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?' So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
I can't believe this doctrine of election. It seems too harsh and makes God seem like a tyrant.
Well no one says that you have to believe in this doctrine for salvation. For Christ Righteousness is imputed by grace alone through faith in Him alone, who fulfilled the law on behalf of the sinners so that they may repent from their sins and be saved in Him alone. However, I would ask you to seriously look at what you are rejecting and look at the Scriptures. If you see this doctrine of election truly in the scriptures then it means that you ought to humble yourself before God and trust in His sovereignty. I would tell you to look at various versus of Scripture that speaks of it (Acts 13, Ephesians 1-3, Galatians 1, Romans 8-9, Jeremiah 31:3)
No comments:
Post a Comment