Results 1 - 7 of 7
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | DocTrinsograce | 204720 | ||
Hi, Jamison... Much of what you are saying is an effort to make God measure up to human standards of mercy and love. Even you and I understand that we have a general love for all men, but a special love for our family. God's love for His own is that kind of special love. It is a love that began with election and predestination; continued with the gospel call, the inner calling, conversion (faith and repentance), justification, sanctification; proceeds in growth in holiness and Christ-likeness; and will ultimately by consummated in glorification (Romans 8:29-30). God's love is so powerfully efficacious that nothing -- not even ourselves -- can stand between His eternal purpose (Romans 8:31-39). Interesting that God anticipates all of our objections in Romans 9! I always feel for the non-confessional believer. What a blessing he misses by not having a studied, written confession summarizing the essential doctrines. Instead of pushing forward in his study, he must continuously wrestle with the basics. Let me borrow from the learned divines of the 17th century: "As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath He, by the eternal and most free purpose of His will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, they who are elected... are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power. through faith, unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. "The rest of mankind God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of His own will, whereby He extendeth or withholdeth mercy, as He pleaseth, for the glory of His Sovereign power over His creatures, to pass by; and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice." --1643 Westminster Confession of Faith (chapter 3, articles 6 and 7) Mark Webb relates the following: "After giving a brief survey of these doctrines of sovereign grace, I asked for questions from the class. One lady, in particular, was quite troubled. She said, 'This is the most awful thing I've ever heard! You make it sound as if God is intentionally turning away men and women who would be saved, receiving only the elect.' I answered her in this vein: 'You misunderstand the situation. You're visualizing that God is standing at the door of heaven, and men are thronging to get in the door, and God is saying to various ones, 'Yes, you may come, but not you, and you, but not you, etc.' The situation is hardly this. Rather, God stands at the door of heaven with His arms outstretched, inviting all to come. Yet all men without exception are running in the opposite direction towards hell as hard as they can go. So God, in election, graciously reaches out and stops this one, and that one, and this one over here, and that one over there, and effectually draws them to Himself by changing their hearts, making them willing to come. Election keeps no one out of heaven who would otherwise have been there, but it keeps a whole multitude of sinners out of hell who otherwise would have been there. Were it not for election, heaven would be an empty place, and hell would be bursting at the seams. That kind of response, grounded as I believe that it is in Scriptural truth, does put a different complexion on things, doesn't it? If you perish in hell, blame yourself, as it is entirely your fault. But if you should make it to heaven, credit God, for that is entirely His work! To Him alone belong all praise and glory, for salvation is all of grace, from start to finish." What if my children or my siblings or my parents are not elected unto salvation? I shan't know that until glory. Yet, when that day comes, I know that I will rejoice that God has received great glory, that His holiness, justice, and righteousness have been magnified. For I will see Him as He is. You asked about alternatives. There are only four: 1. Universal Predestination 2. Particular Predestination 3. Universal Reprobation 4. Particular Reprobation No one holds to #3 or #4. #1 contradicts explicit assurance of judgment. In Him, Doc |
||||||
2 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | jamison | 204750 | ||
Doc, Thank you for the 4 possibilities. I did not look them up, but merely assumed their meaning from their name. It appears to me that Particular Predestination and Particular Reprobation are the same thing. If one is true, the other is automatically true. Correct me if I am wrong on that one. Also, I didn't see an option for Free Will choice, or whatever. I think it is certainly an option. The thing that gets me is that I think we are missing something. Predestination seems quite clear in certain passages, especially Romans 9. However, it also seems that God does not want any to perish, as Val and Tim have pointed out. The two seem to be in direct opposition, but both have substantial merit in Scripture. That is why I was looking for another option. It isn't like we are going to resolve this 2000 yr debate (or older), but maybe someone had an idea that I/we had not considered. PS, I did look up the universal predestination. That goes against everything I was taught, but provided a way of reconciling predestination with God's love. Most of it hinged on translating the Greek in to "eternal" or "everlasting" into English, but I don't know Greek. And a flag goes up when you start messing with the translations (ie Jehovah's Witness). However, it does seem to solve the biggest issue I have with predestination. God's Love. jamison |
||||||
3 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | DocTrinsograce | 204762 | ||
Hi, jamison... In particular predestination, predestination is an active work of God. It involves His intervention. It is an act of commission. It is something that He intentionally does. (See post #150812.) On the other hand, reprobation is something that happens to fallen men in the absence of God's intervention. The former is active, the latter is passive. Read with greater attention my previous post (#204720). The quotes state this very succinctly. I may have focused too narrowly on the alternatives. Let me add two more, including the one you suggested, and add a bit more by way of explanation. 1. Universal Predestination This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively saves all men. This view is held by some theologians, generally from the more liberal camps. Since there are an extraordinary number of Scriptures that speak of men suffering the righteous wrath of God (Matthew 8:11-12; Luke 13:27-28; John 3:36; Romans 1:18; 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:27; Revelation 14:10; etc.), I deem this view as untenable for even the most casual student of the Bible. 2. Particular Predestination This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively saves some men, while passively allowing other men to continue in their sin. This view is the orthodox Christian position, held by conservative theologians, generally from the Reformed and Fundamentalist camps. 3. Universal Reprobation This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively condemns all men to His wrath. This view is not held by anyone. 4. Particular Reprobation This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively condemns some men, while passively allowing other men to be saved. This view is not held by anyone. 5. Double Predestination This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively saves some men and preordained, prearranged, and actively condemned all other men. This view is held by some people, but I do not know of any theologians who are its proponents. 6. Non-Predestination This is the position that predestination does not exist. This view is held by a variety of people, including a few theologians, generally from the more liberal camps. Given the extraordinary number of Scriptures that speak of predestination (Acts 13:48; John 1:12-13; Romans 8:29-30; Philippians 1:29; Ephesians 1:5, 11), I deem this view as untenable for even the most casual student of the Bible. Error arises out of presuppositions about the nature of God and the nature of man. Making God less than He is, or making man more than he is, both result in confused doctrines. God is simultaneously loving and wrathful, without conflict or contradiction. God is simultaneously just and merciful, without conflict or contradiction. Etc. Man's sin leaves him in an utterly desperate position. Confused doctrines arise when we fail to understand that man is utterly helpless to make even the tiniest concession to righteousness. The teaching of salvific synergism minimizes God's holiness and man's depravity, contrary to the sound doctrine of Scripture. In Him, Doc |
||||||
4 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | Val | 204764 | ||
Dear Doc, Is this the view that you hold below? 2. Particular Predestination This is the position that God has preordained, prearranged, and actively saves some men, while passively allowing other men to continue in their sin. This view is the orthodox Christian position, held by conservative theologians, generally from the Reformed and Fundamentalist camps. If it is I would say for myself, I do not believe that God is passive. I believe that He has given every person adequate enlightenment to know that He is God and has given them enough chances to seek Him so that when they die and stand before Him in judgement they will know that they had opportunities to seek Him and let those times pass them by. Blessings Val |
||||||
5 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | DocTrinsograce | 204766 | ||
Dear Val, Yes, man is fully responsible for his spiritual condition. Scripture teaches that man is accountable to God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Romans 14:12). Adam and Eve -- the parents of humanity -- were created as morally responsible people. They were created without sin (Ecclesiastes 7:29), but they fell from this state by disobeying God (Genesis 3). Since Adam is the father of mankind, his sin effected the whole human race (Romans 5:12-19). Ever since man has been flawed by sin. Every human being (except Jesus Christ because He was born of a virgin) has inherited original sin (Psalms 51:5, Romans 3). Man is born in sin with an evil and wicked nature (Matthew 7:11, Ephesians 2:3). Men even shares the same evil nature as Satan (John 8:44). Man sins by choice and by the motivation of his very nature. Sin fills every aspect of his being from head to toe (Isaiah 1:5-6). His heart and mind is filled with it (Ecclesiastes 9:3, Ephesians 4:17-19, Titus 1:15, 1 Timothy 3:8, 6:5). "The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). There remains no good in man (Romans 7:18). Man is basically evil, not good. His heart is as hard as stone (Ezekiel 11:19, Jeremiah 23:29). Man imagines that he is only sick, but the Bible says he is dead (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13). Man feels he is, at worst, near-sighted, but Scripture says he is blind (2 Corinthians 3:14). Man shrugs off his vices as minor, but the Word says he is a slave (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2, 2 Timothy 2:26). In Baptist theology, although affirming the doctrine of the free offer of the gospel, we deem that regeneration is entirely a work of God, not based in or on any human action or merit (see the 1644 London Baptist Confession, article XIX; the 1689 London Baptist Confession, article IX; the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession, article IV; the 1858 Abstract of Principles, article VIII; the 1925 Baptist Faith and Message, article VII; the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message, article IIC; the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, article IV). The doctrines of semi-pelagianism, synergistic soteriolgy, or prevenient (as opposed to definite) grace may be held by General Baptists, but I've not spent much time researching the matter. In Him, Doc |
||||||
6 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | Val | 204767 | ||
Could you define regeneration? Thanks Val | ||||||
7 | Theological Term: Predestination | Eph 1:5 | DocTrinsograce | 204768 | ||
Dear Val, Good question! Regeneration literally means "rebirth." We do not know how it is done, but we know that it is a work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). It is an instantaneous act, done objectively; that is, it is done to a man, without his participation. It is one of the blessings of salvation. A great picture of regeneration is the story of Lazarus (see John 11). Lazarus was dead. Lazarus couldn't pray. Lazarus couldn't speak or act. (Dead people can't do much of anything.) Therefore, when Christ called, Lazarus would not be able to respond. So, *before* the call of Christ, the Spirit of God entered into the tomb and did two things: (1) healed Lazarus from that which killed him and (2) brought him back to life. Thus, Lazarus could hear the command and willingly respond to it. The hardest part of the job was something God did. Here are some quotes that define regeneration much better than I might do: "Regeneration is a secret act of God in which He imparts new spiritual life to us. This is sometimes called 'being born again' (using language from John 3:3-8)." --Wayne Grudem "Regeneration is the spiritual change wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit in which his/her inherently sinful nature is changed so that he/she can respond to God in Faith, and live in accordance with His Will (Matt. 19:28; John 3:3,5,7; Titus 3:5). It is an inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). This change is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. It originates not with man but with God (John 1:12, 13; 1 John 2:29; 5:1, 4). It extends to the whole nature of man, altering his governing disposition, illuminating his mind, freeing his will, and renewing his nature. "Infants do not induce, or cooperate in, their own procreation and birth; no more can those who are 'dead in trespasses and sins' prompt the quickening operation of God's Spirit within them." --J. I. Packer "When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment. Regeneration is an instantaneous work. Conversion to God, the fruit of regeneration, occupies all our life, but regeneration itself is effected in an instant. A man hates God -- the Holy Spirit makes him love God. A man is opposed to Christ, he hates his gospel, does not understand it and will not receive it -- the Holy Spirit comes, puts light into his darkened understanding, takes the chain from his bondaged will, gives liberty to his conscience, gives life to his dead soul, so that the voice of conscience is heard, and the man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.And all this is done, mark you, by the instantaneous supernatural influence of God the Holy Spirit working as He wills among the sons of men." --Charles H. Spurgeon "But the moment of regeneration is never visible to us. Lack of regeneration, however, is visible over time because the works of the flesh, Paul tells us, are manifest. And the fruit of the Spirit manifest themselves publicly as well, and Jesus tells us to make our judgments on the basis of fruit. But it must be noted that biblical judgments of this sort are mature, and are based on the mature outcome of a person's way of life. All this to say that genuine discernment is based on the video, not on the snapshot." --Douglas Wilson In Him, Doc |
||||||