Understanding God’s election
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This is today's devotional by Spurgeon. Some here will bless God and praise him for such amazing, incomprehensible grace, while others will express their contempt at the very thought that not all men are on equal footing with the Judge of all the earth.
November 25 PM
"For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Romans 9:15
In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold His mercy according to His own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in His sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins--and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, He may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if He judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign Him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if He chooses to save others, as though He were doing us an injury, but feel that if He deigns to look upon us, it will be His own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless His name.
How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.
November 25 PM
"For He saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Romans 9:15
In these words the Lord in the plainest manner claims the right to give or to withhold His mercy according to His own sovereign will. As the prerogative of life and death is vested in the monarch, so the Judge of all the earth has a right to spare or condemn the guilty, as may seem best in His sight. Men by their sins have forfeited all claim upon God; they deserve to perish for their sins--and if they all do so, they have no ground for complaint. If the Lord steps in to save any, He may do so if the ends of justice are not thwarted; but if He judges it best to leave the condemned to suffer the righteous sentence, none may arraign Him at their bar. Foolish and impudent are all those discourses about the rights of men to be all placed on the same footing; ignorant, if not worse, are those contentions against discriminating grace, which are but the rebellions of proud human nature against the crown and sceptre of Jehovah. When we are brought to see our own utter ruin and ill desert, and the justice of the divine verdict against sin, we no longer cavil at the truth that the Lord is not bound to save us; we do not murmur if He chooses to save others, as though He were doing us an injury, but feel that if He deigns to look upon us, it will be His own free act of undeserved goodness, for which we shall for ever bless His name.
How shall those who are the subjects of divine election sufficiently adore the grace of God? They have no room for boasting, for sovereignty most effectually excludes it. The Lord's will alone is glorified, and the very notion of human merit is cast out to everlasting contempt. There is no more humbling doctrine in Scripture than that of election, none more promotive of gratitude, and, consequently, none more sanctifying. Believers should not be afraid of it, but adoringly rejoice in it.
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Perhaps you guys can escape your vicious circle by switching back to the main track, which is that a correct understanding of God's election interprets EPH 1:4-11 focuses on the phrase "IN Him", referring to God's eternal POS via faith IN Christ for all--Jews and Gentiles--is what was predestined, NOT that God was abrogating or nullifying volition and thus to blame for failure of some folks to repent of sin.
Been there, done that. And no, Eph 1:4-11, does not imply that. They mean precisely what they collectively state: individuals explicitly chosen by God—those whom God selected (elected) before the word was formed to become saved through Jesus Christ - while leaving the others unsaved. For further explanation, refer to Rufus's explanation of election in post #1565 where he laid it out quite clearly, and my post #725 where I've addressed those verses. Were salvation dependent upon our volition in any sense, no one would/could become saved, and thus, Jesus would not be the Savior. That salvation is solely and completely by God in all aspects, is what makes it by mercy and grace.
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Your interpretation makes God blameworthy and hateful for not electing everyone and it makes God's POS predicated upon human accountability for sin a farce.
No thanks, I prefer the precise statements of Scriptures such as 1TM 2:3-4, DT 30:19 and MT 23:37, which explicitly indicate volition and thus affirm the justness and all-lovingness of God.
No thanks, I prefer the precise statements of Scriptures such as 1TM 2:3-4, DT 30:19 and MT 23:37, which explicitly indicate volition and thus affirm the justness and all-lovingness of God.
I do not mean to imply that sinners deserve grace. I agree that all who do evil deserve hell, and that God was gracious to save some, but GW says He loves and wants to be gracious to everyone, but some reject His POS--including you by interpreting GW in a way that makes Him unloving toward the rejectors by saying they had no chance to receive grace. May God have mercy on us all!
@GWH
But thats what you are doing.
Which is a lie, Election of Grace is for a remnant Rom 11:5-7
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Its the election of Grace and the rest of mankind He hardens/blinds them
But thats what you are doing.
Which is a lie, Election of Grace is for a remnant Rom 11:5-7
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
Its the election of Grace and the rest of mankind He hardens/blinds them
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