Think of this as an added bonus. From what I can see, Got Questions Ministries a much larger sister ministry has not staked out a position on this issue. However, they have helpful articles on election, Calvinism and some of their related issues. Find these at the following links:.
Mainsail Ministries articles often have a preamble where I discuss the thinking that went into them. For comments, or to join the Monday Musings mailing list, contact us at mainsailep gmail. To submit a question about God, the Bible or the Christian culture, click here.
Psalm Help us make hardy Christians. Thus we must say that in one sense God willed that the sons of Eli go on doing what he commanded them not to do; dishonoring their father and committing sexual immorality" These are all incidents, among many others that could be cited, where God chooses "wills" for behavior to come about that he commands not "does not will" to happen.
There Joseph says to his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. But God's secret will was that in the disobedience of Joseph's brothers a greater good would be done when Joseph, having been sold into slavery into Egypt, gained authority over the land and was able to save his family" Systematic Theology , Arminians have traditionally objected to this distinction between "two wills in God" when it comes to the issue of individual salvation.
I am thinking in particular of the statements in 1 Timothy and 2 Peter But "ultimately Arminians also must say that God wills something more strongly than he wills the salvation of all people, for in fact all are not saved.
Arminians claim that the reason why all are not saved is that God wills to preserve the free will of man more than he wills to save everyone.
But is this not also making a distinction in two aspects of the will of God? On the one hand God wills that all be saved 1 Tim. But on the other hand he wills to preserve man's absolutely free choice. In fact, he wills the second thing more than the first. But this means that Arminians also must say that 1 Timothy and 2 Peter do not say that God wills the salvation of everyone in an absolute or unqualified way -- they too must say that the verses only refer to one kind or one aspect of God's will" Both Calvinists and Arminians, therefore, must say that there is something else that God regards as more important than saving everyone: "Reformed theologians say that God deems his own glory more important than saving everyone, and that according to Rom.
Arminian theologians also say that something else is more important to God than the salvation of all people, namely, the preservation of man's free will. So in a Reformed system God's highest value is his own glory, and in an Arminian system God's highest value is the free will of man" Observations by Edwards. It is worth taking note of Jonathan Edwards' explanation of this point:. His will of decree, is not his will in the same sense as his will of command is. Therefore, it is no difficulty at all to suppose, that the one may be otherwise than the other: his will in both senses is his inclination.
But when we say he wills virtue, or loves virtue, or the happiness of his creature; thereby is intended, that virtue, or the creature's happiness, absolutely and simply considered, is agreeable to the inclination of his nature. His will of decree is, his inclination to a thing, not as to that thing absolutely and simply, but with respect to the universality of things, that have been, are, or shall be.
So God, though he hates a thing as it is simply, may incline to it with reference to the universality of things. Though he hates sin in itself, yet he may will to permit it, for the greater promotion of holiness in this universality, including all things, and at all times.
So, though he has no inclination to a creature's misery, considered absolutely, yet he may will it, for the greater promotion of happiness in this universality. God inclines to excellency, which is harmony, but yet he may incline to suffer that which is unharmonious in itself, for the promotion of universal harmony, or for the promoting of the harmony that there is in the universality, and making it shine the brighter" Misc.
It is very consistent to suppose that God may hate the thing itself, and yet will that it should come to pass. Yea, I do not fear to assert that the thing itself may be contrary to God's will, and yet that it may be agreeable to his will that it should come to pass, because his will, in the one case, has not the same object with his will in the other case.
In the case of the reprobate, unalterably decreed to be damned due to no choice of their own and no corresponding system of response to autonomous action, we cannot see that as anything but an injustice and evil that has no redeeming values, virtues or results.
God has the right to do it—and even to call it good—but it is against how God revealed himself and set up the world. God is revealed as someone who does not desire to judge or bring harm, but rather to bless and prosper for his own pleasure and glory. This does not nullify the effect that rebellion against his holiness brings catastrophic and horrific consequences. But for him to create solely for that purpose is to call evil as good and good as evil, for it makes nonsensical the Biblical teaching that Satan is the destroyer but Christ came to bring life.
Act These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Joh For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. Psa The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
I just want to tell you thank you for your clear and respectful way of explaining things. I watch your YouTube videos and you do a fantastic job. Thank you. Thank you so much Stephanie — for your very kind words! Flowers — due to his schedule — is not here very much to interact with posters. You may more readily find him on FaceBook if you are an FB user. They make God dependent upon sin, in order for Him to show the full range of His glory in wrath and condemnation. This means that before anyone sinned, God was not fully glorified.
He was deficient in some way, frustrated. Liam Goligher. Ian Goligher. Thomas Goodwin. Wayne Grudem. Grover Gunn. Nancy Guthrie. John D Hannah.
D G Hart. Robert Hawker. Michael Haykin. Steve Hays. Paul Helm. John Hendryx. Matthew Henry. A A Hodge. Charles Hodge. Anthony Hoekema. Andrew Hoffecker. Dr Michael S Horton. Lee Irons. David Jackman. John Angell James.
Dennis E Johnson. Terry Johnson. S Lewis Johnson. Phil Johnson. Dr Peter Jones. Hywel Jones. Zach Keele.
Tim Keller. Meredith G Kline. John Knox. Andreas Kostenberger. Greg Koukl. R B Kuiper. Rev D H Kuiper. Abraham Kuyper. Steven J Lawson. Charles Leiter. David H Linden. Dick Lucas. Martin Luther. John MacArthur. J Gresham Machen. Donald Macleod. Bryn MacPhail. Henry Mahan. Fred A Malone. Thomas Manton. Walter Marshall. Hugh Martin. Albert Martin. Keith Mathison.
Colin Maxwell. Conrad Mbewe. John McDuff. Alister McGrath Ph. Dr Michael Milton. Albert Mohler. Russell D Moore. Leon Morris. Alec Moyter. Rev David P Murray. Iain H Murray. John Murray. Dr Nick Needham. Tom Nettles. Asahel Nettleton.
John Newton. Phil Newton. Greg Nichols. Roger Nicole. K Scott Oliphint. Stuart Olyott. John Owen. J I Packer. Hugh Palmer. Burk Parsons. Blaise Pascal. Nancy Pearcey. William Perkins. Richard Phillips. A W Pink. John Piper. Nathan Pitchford. David Powlison. Vern S Poythress. Dennis Prutow. S Lance Quinn. Thomas Reade. Ernest C Reisinger. John G Reisinger. Herman Ridderbos. Kim Riddlebarger. Vaughan Roberts. O Palmer Robertson.
Shane Rosenthal. Samuel Rutherford. Philip Ryken. J C Ryle. John Samson. Ken Sande. Thomas R Schreiner. Brian Schwertley. William Shishko. Richard Sibbes.
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