Sin Nature

Sin Nature

ronathanedwards	# March 16, 2010, 3:13 pm \| Post: 27
Group: Member Posts: 192 Status:	Quote I do not think I would ever understand a God who calls himself righteous and just, 1. would send a person to hell he never even gave the opportunity, nor the ability to receive his gospel of love. 2. this same God could condemn a person, saying he condems them because they did not believe, when he never gave them the opportunity, nor the ability to do the very thing he is condemning them for.. What kind of God does this? Election and reprobation rely on distinct foundations. On the one hand, election rests on the eternal redeeming love of God to save certain lost individuals, while on the other; reprobation rests on the moral necessity to manifest to all creation the nature and consequences of sin. Moreover, while election is dependent on divine grace, reprobation is dependent on individual personal sin. While there is grace to some, there is no injustice to any! In addition, while God’s eternal counsel brings glory to himself (Eph. 1:5, 11; Rom. 9), it does not necessarily bring emotional pleasure to Him. For example, God ordained the very crucifixion of His own Son (Acts 2:23; 1 Pet. 1:18-21), but it did not bring Him pleasure in that He was laughing that day of days. Yes, He was satisfied that His Son died to save the elect, but what brings satisfaction, does not always equate to emotional pleasure. Furthermore, Paul reveals to us that God is glorified in that some of his eternal decrees are designed to allow Him to express His wrath (Rom. 9:22-23), but this does not mean He has a smile on His face or pleasure in His heart when they occur. As Ezekiel states, “Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'” (33:11; e.g. 18:23, 32; 2 Pet. 3:9). As a former homicide detective, I have seen people sentenced to death. I have seen the sentence of death carried out on murderers. However, while I knew justice was being served, I was not laughing, smiling, nor did I go home with pleasure in my heart. Rather, I was saddened that things had to end the way they did, but MUST they MUST. Herman Hoeksema states, “Reprobation exists in order that election may be realized. Reprobation is necessary to bring the chosen to the glory which God in His infinite love has appointed for them” (The Place of Reprobation in the Preaching of the Gospel). In that God reprobates there is no doubt. The Scripture states, “The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil” (Prov. 16:4). That God uses them for His glory there can be doubt either as He says, “The righteous man is rescued from trouble, and it comes on the wicked instead” (Prov. 11:8). Hoeksema states again: The idea here is that the ungodly serve to deliver the righteous out of trouble, to glorify them. And having done so they perish for their sins. Still stronger is the language of Proverbs 21:18: "The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright." Here again we have the idea that God gives the wicked as a ransom, which He pays to glorify the righteous. This is exampled in nature. Hoeksema reveals: It is no different in the lives of individuals, or individual persons and animals. The mother gives life to her child, not infrequently at the expense of her own. It is virtually always true that one generation lives and dies to make room for the next. There are species of animals in which the male dies after mating. The male is cast off (reprobated) to give life to the young. According to the Scriptures, it is no different in the plant kingdom. When a farmer sows seed in his field, he sows much more than he needs. When the seed falls into the earth and dies, there appear not only the kernels of wheat, for which the seed was planted, but also the stem, the straw, and even the chaff. Without the stem and the chaff the grain could never have germinated and ripened. The stem and the chaff serve the grain, the seed. Yet both will presently be burned by fire in order that the grain may be gathered into the barn. Here also we find election and reprobation, and in such a way that the latter serves the former, and is necessary to it. No wonder all creation groans for the manifestations of the sons of God (Rom. 8:18-23). Nature is not the only testimony to this. This is seen by example in the very life of Israel. God declares, “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life" (Isa. 43:4). As Hoeksema states, “The text says that, in order to accomplish this, God has given other people in the place of His chosen people. Because He loved His people, those others had to pay for Israel's salvation with their own lives.” God’s church, His very people, are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, [and] a peculiar people” (1 Pet. 2:9). Because He has set His love upon them (Num. 6:23-27), He will bring about their salvation (Jer. 24:6). God even uses the reprobation of others to bring about the salvation of His elect. Scripture proves this time and again. He delivered Israel at the cost of Pharaoh and his nation, did He not? He delivered Israel at the cost of Goliath, did He not? Next, let us look at the question itself: “How can a loving God knowingly create a person that he knows will reject Him and therefore spend eternity in Hell?” First, the Scripture states: Romans 9:11-23 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger."Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? In Paul’s answer, I observe that God is sovereign and He has a right to do as He wills in all the earth (1 Chron. 16:14; Isa. 55:11). This is the truth of the situation. Think of it like this: Do you tell your boss who to hire and fire if you are just a janitor? Of course not! Neither does anyone tell God whom to save. It is not even proper to ask the question, which Paul emphasizes saying, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'” Second, this question assumes error. The question assumes that all created persons are innocent and not worthy of judgment. While God created man – very good – without sin (Gen. 1:31), man chose to fall – chose to sin, chose to be unholy and is worthy of temporary and eternal judgment (Gen. 3). Adam is the Federal Head of all mankind and all of us (save Christ, born of virgin conception) are fallen in him (Rom. 5:12-19). Not only are we fallen in Adam and born in iniquity (Ps. 51:5), but we also are sinners in our own right (Rom. 3:23). This is known as Total Depravity. By Adam’s sinful choice, man is not born innocent, but rather worthy of eternal punishment! God created the first couple in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) - perfect. However, man – not God – corrupted and deadened this image. Therefore, now God may only create man according to man’s present fallen nature. For God to otherwise would be against His holy and just nature. Therefore, God necessarily must create all men (save Christ who was foreordained otherwise) since Adam and Eve according to their nature – which is sinful and fallen in Adam. Not to do so would make Him a liar and a deceiver. Therefore, children at birth are rightfully born into sin. Therefore, the proper phrasing of this question should be “How can a loving God knowingly save a fallen person who hates Him (Rom. 3:10-18) and is worthy to spend eternity in Hell (2 Pet. 2:1-9)?” Since all men are sinners from birth and deserve eternal judgment in Hell, God could not save a single soul unless He had elected them before they were created (John 1:13; Eph. 1:1-11; Rom. 9; 11:5; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Pet. 5:13, etc.). Therefore, because of this agreement (Covenant of Redemption) before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:18-21) God can and will save only the elect. He indeed is loving in that He choose to save any. One may ask why did not God then elect ALL people from the foundation of the world? God states in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” If we believe this, then why do we question God’s Love? In addition, Paul answers in Romans saying, "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?” Simply, it is God’s prerogative. Note that He does have a purpose – a holy purpose – “to show His wrath” and “make His power known.” This leads us to point three, God is not only a loving God (John 3:16), but a holy (Ex. 15:11; Psa. 103:1; Isa. 6:3) and just (Deut. 32:4; Job 4:17; 8:3; Psa. 89:14, etc.) God that MUST necessarily judge sin (John 3:18). Therefore, there must necessarily be those that are judged. There must also necessarily be a Hell. If neither of these existed then God would simply not be God – as the punishment of evil would only be a farce – not real – a deception. However, God does not lie (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Psa. 92:15; Mal. 3:6; Rom. 3:4; Heb. 6:18) and therefore sin must, will be, and is punished. Therefore, we see statements of reprobation compared to election in Scripture: Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” and Revelation 17:8, “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is,” as compared to, Ephesians 1:4-5, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” and Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” or, 1 Peter 2:6-7a, “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:” as compared to 1 Peter 7b-8, “but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed” as compared to Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” or again, when God does not send His miracles when they WOULD HAVE changed a nation, Matthew 11:20-27 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. or again, John 10:26-27 “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” There are elect sheep and there are lost goats (Matt. 25:31-46). The fact that some will go to Hell is not God’s fault, as all are fallen in Adam. Indeed, not only are we fallen in Adam, but each of us is a purposeful sinner (Rom 3). The fact that any go to heaven is all of loving grace (Eph 2:8-10). Christ, BEFORE the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:18-21) choose to go to the Cross for His church (Eph. 5:23). His sacrifice is for His own (John 1:13; 6:44, 65; Rom. 9:16, etc.) and them alone as the rest are “judged already” (John 3:18). While reprobation is indeed very sad to contemplate, it is also very true. I am thankful that I am saved. ----------------------- Truth invites scrutiny, only error fears close examination. ~ Atruro Azurdia
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