All coins have a “flip
side.” There is a “flip side” to the
Christian doctrine of divine election.
The Christian doctrine of divine election refers to an element of the
wider question of predestination. The
“flip side” of the coin concerning election is reprobation. Let’s understand the situation between Jacob
and Esau. God proclaimed that He loved
Jacob and hated Esau. We must understand
the concept of divine hatred! To this we
now turn.
The
concept of predestination is double sided.
If one tried to avoid the Christian doctrine of predestination, one
becomes a Universalist. Additionally,
someone either has to believe that God Himself preordains all people to
election or that He Himself predestinates no one to election! The Christian Bible explicitly instructs
God’s people that predestination to election is a reality. Thus the Christian Bible denies universal
salvation for everyone. Therefore we
must determine that predestination is double!
Double
predestination encapsulates election and reprobation. If we are going to take the Scripture seriously,
we must adhere to the Christian doctrine of double predestination! We must understand how double predestination is comprehended. This is essential for our Reformed
perceptive.
Some
theologians have seen double predestination with equal causation. This view is called the positive-positive standpoint of predestination. This view states that God is in the same way
accountable for causing the non-elect not to believe and the elect to
believe. This view also tells us that
God Himself works in the elect grace to bring forth faithfulness. This view also tells us that God Himself
works evil in the unregenerate or reprobate.
He prevents the reprobate from coming to faith. This is called hyper-Calvinism. This view
goes against my orthodox Reformed
view of Calvin and Luther concerning double predestination.
Now,
let us examine the Reformed orthodox viewpoint
of double predestination which is known as the positive-negative plan.
Regarding the chosen elect of God, He works in their Christian lives
grace to bring forth belief. God insures
and promises our salvation in and due to the regeneration by the Holy
Ghost. Concerning the non-elect, or the
reprobate, God never works evilness within them. Nor does God Himself work in evil the non-elect.
Instead, God Himself passes over them. He leaves the reprobate to their own sinful
depravity. There is an absence of
regularity of divine work. The activity
of God Himself is unequal among the elect and reprobate. This means God’s work is asymmetrical.
However, there is a type of equal ultimacy.
The reprobates are passed over by God Himself. Therefore the reprobates are doomed. The certainty of the doom of the reprobate is
as certain as the ultimate salvation of the elect.
Moses
in Exodus 7:1-5 declares:
“And the LORD said unto Moses,
see, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be
prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I
command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall
speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and
multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mind armies,
and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the
LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded
them, so did they.”
Solomon in Proverbs 16:4 proclaims:
“The LORD hath made all things
for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.”
Paul in Romans 9:1-24 declares:
“I say the truth in Christ, I lie
not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. That I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart. For I could wish
that myself were accursed from Christ fro my brethren, my kinsmen according to
the flesh” Who are Israelites; to whom pretaineth the adoption, and the glory,
and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the
promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ
came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.
Amen. Not as though the word of
God hath taken non effect. For they are
not all Israel, which are Israel:
neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children:
but, in Isaac thy seed be called. This
is, they which are children of the flesh, these are not the children of God:
but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, at this time
will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by
our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth;) It was said unto her, the elder shall serve
thy younger. As it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God
forbid. 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. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh,
even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will hardeneth. Thou
wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet fin fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say
to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of
the same lump to make on vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and
to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction. And that he might
make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore
prepared unto glory. Even us, whom he
hath called, not the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”
Paul in Ephesians 1:3-6 asserts:
“Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
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 of Jesus Christ himself, according to the good pleasure of his
will. To the praise of the glory of his
grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”
Jude in the epistle of Jude 1:4 declares:
“For there are certain men crept
in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men,
turning the grace of our God unto lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We see in Sacred Scripture that God
hardens Pharaoh’s heart. This is
explicitly evident in Holy Scripture.
The question is in what way did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? The question deals with how his heart was hardened.
Martin Luther expressed a vital argument on this issue. He believed in a passive instead of an active
hardening which God Himself accomplished.
This means that God Himself did
not make evilness in the heart of Pharaoh.
Pharaoh had enough evil within him that caused him to be in opposition
to God’s beloved and holy will. When God
hardens a person’s heart, He simply removes His grace from them. He leaves them to their sinful passions. This is accurately what God Himself does to
those who are doomed in eternal hell. He
leaves them to their wretchedness, wickedness, depravity and sinfulness.
Regarding Esau, in what way did
God hate him? God simply had an absence
of love toward Esau. God loved Jacob
because He was the recipient of His unworked grace. Jacob was given grace he did not merit or
deserve. Esau was not given the same
grace from God. God simply hated Esau in
His beloved holiness and goodness. Esau
was revolting toward the Lord God Almighty.
Esau was worthy of God’s godly and holy hatred and wrath.
Another
question arises does God choose people on the basis of foreseeing their
faith? This question must be asked if we
are going to get to the truth of the matter.
We must explore what the Christian Bible teaches on this matter. It is always important to arrive at the
author’s intended meaning found in Holy Writ.
If we neglect the Word our doctrine will be false in our
understanding. Let us turn to a vital
passage in our consideration of this matter.
This passage is a devastating reality of the denial of what Arminians
understand as foreseen faith. This
passage is, perhaps, the clearest passage that straightforwardly refutes
Arminianism. The scriptural
argumentation found here is directly taken from Pastor
Nichols' Doctrine of Christ
video-lectures produced by Truth for Eternity Ministries. The video-lectures are commendable lessons of
theology. We turn now to the passage in
consideration.
Matthew
11:20-28 declares:
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. Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV).
There was nothing that could please the reprobate. The reprobate focused upon the lifestyle of
John the Baptist and Jesus. The
reprobate did this to disqualify them to condemn them. John the Baptist and Jesus lived
differently. This was ironic since the
reprobate condemned John the Baptist and Jesus with opposed arguments. John the Baptist and Jesus were absolutely
committed to the divine Word. The
reprobate had a negative attitude. John
the Baptist and Jesus did not live in a sinful manner. Christ responds to the prejudicial reaction
against John the Baptist and Himself.
In
verse 20 of Matthew 28, Christ denounced the cities that would not repent. Christ accomplished this publicly, openly and
straightforwardly. Christ declared their
impenitence and sinfulness. In the midst
of the mighty Incarnate Christ their unbelief was clearly evident. Verse 21 is about Christ’s assertion about
reprobation. This is in the context of
denouncing impenitent men, and pronouncing woe upon them. Christ warned wicked men because it is their
responsibility to repent. But they did
not repent. Christ holds them
accountable to repent.
Christ
introduces the doctrine of predestination.
Christ compares the wicked sinners at Tyre and Sidon.
Christ also refers to the sinners at Sodom.
Christ voices woe upon Chorazin and Bethsaida. If the works of Christ were done in these
cities where Christ performed miracles they would have repented but these
cities where Christ accomplished miracles, refused to repent. If Tyre and Sidon where given the
light of the people of Galilee they would have
repented in sackcloth and ashes. They were never given that light.
God did not give them that light. They died in their impenitence.
God withheld from them light that would have been the means of their repentance
and conversion. Thus this executed one aspect of the reprobative
decree. God withheld light which would have proved to be the means of
converting the sinners of Tyre and Sidon. The same is
true for Sodom. Christ said
it would be more tolerable for Sodom then for you.
Why? Verse 23, it would have remained. This exposes the falsehood
that God elects some to salvation because He foresaw that they would have
believed and doesn't elect others because He foresaw that they wouldn't
believe. God in His divine all-knowingness foresaw that they
would have believed and repented, and He did not send His Son.
Why
did the Incarnate Christ say this? Why does He reflect on that state on Sodom, Tyre and Sidon with divine
omniscience in retrospect? He reflected on what would have happened in
His divine omniscience. He knows all things and all things
possible. What would and would have happened. Its not that He knew they would not repent.
Rather He knew they would have believed. He knew they would have repented
from the beginning in eternality passed. It is a false idea that He knew
their faith and chose them on that basis. Foreseen faith is unbiblical.
This is a false teaching. Why did He say
this? He intended to use reprobation in His preaching and
evangelism. What is He doing here? He is speaking
evangelistically. This is an evangelistic message that opens up a decree
of reprobation. This is not very popular today. By today's
standards, Jesus did not know the right and correct way to evangelize.
But this is not true. Christ did know the right way of evangelism.
Christ preached reprobation in evangelism. We should take His example and
do the same. Reprobation was used in evangelism to convict the impenitent
of their sin. He did it in order to convert. Strange as it may
appear, our Lord Jesus Christ used reprobation in evangelism. Christ used
the reprobation of the past generation of wicked men to spur His own erring
generation to appreciate the gospel light that they had been given and to use
it properly. He says, "You have been given gospel light that would
have saved reprobative sinners in Sodom and you're rejecting it. Don't do it.
It will be better in the day of judgment for Sodom then for you." In evangelism the offer
of mercy is genuinely sincere, and so also is the threat of judgment.
Jesus says, "God has damned sinners with less light then you have.
Beware, repent or He will damn you to, and with a more severe punishment.
If people are given a greater gospel light, and reject it, they will have
a greater punishment. Think of Judas who had Incarnate Divinity teaching
him, and yet he rejected Him. Judas saw the mercy of Christ and rejected
His mercy. Therefore Judas has a greater punishment then others who never
had the gospel light.
God does not choose
us because He foresaw what we would do. Mt. 11 is the clearest passage in
Holy Scripture that refutes foreseen faith. Christ refers to the gospel
means of His miracles that attested His divine identity. If Sodom had that light they
would have been saved. That light would have proven effective for their
salvation. He withheld from them the means of their conversion.
There is a mystery in that. He emphasizes that the means would have
proven effective for them. Therefore the reprobative decree in their case
is withholding the means that would have proven effective for their
conversion. That is what Christ did, and that is what He said He
did. The passage does not say that men are to believe on their own.
The free offer of the gospel and the total inability of man are clear in this
text. To say man could believe on their own is not a necessary inference
from the text of Scripture. The necessary means in their case would have
been effectual. He was talking about the sinfulness of men. We must
not reason beyond the text.
You
can see the necessary implication about the fact that God does not choose men
on the basis on what He foresees. This is abundantly clear. One
must not go beyond the meaning of the text to understand Scripture that way.
The purpose of interpretation is to arrive at the author's intended
meaning. Christ blames them for not repenting. He does this because
mankind has the responsibility to repent. Mankind's impenitence is his
own fault. Christ holds men responsible. Christ holds men
accountable to repent even though men cannot repent on their own without the
regeneration of the divine Spirit and the divine Word. He rebukes man
from not repenting. Hyper-Calvinists would deny man's responsibility to
repent. But Christ said they have the responsibility to repent.
This denies hyper-Calvinism. Arminians would deny man's inability.
The Calvinist position is that man has the responsibility to repent yet man is
totally unable. The point is, therefore, Christ was not a hyper-Calvinist
nor was He an Arminian.
There
is no such thing as a decree divorced from the means of its effective.
God ordains the means and the ends. The decree included not only the ends
but the means. God uses means. Means are contingent, certain and
necessary. There is a tension between contingency and necessity.
The very same tension is there in His decision in eternality but it is still
true. Therefore God decided it through means.
Verse
25 refers to predestination. It was pleasing to the sight of God the
Father to reveal it to babes, that is, His people. Jesus praises God for
His sovereignty in salvation. Christ finished denouncing the impenitent
that saw great light of the gospel and rejected it. Christ is the King of
the gospel. Christ held them responsible for it. They rejected the
great light that they saw. It is not the point that they are totally
unable even though this doctrine is true. The light would have saved
others as a means to save them but it was not done. Here are aspects of
predestination: God discriminates. See what He does in His
discrimination. God does not act the same way to all mankind. It
shows that universalism is incorrect. He does not do the same things to
all men. God the Father hid His message of the gospel to those that are
lost. God acted differently to the wise and prudent then He did to
babes. What did He do? He pulled the veil off of things. He
unveiled to reveal. He revealed them unto babes. It was
secret. It is used in Heb. 11:23 which was Moses
being concealed from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. When Moses was a
baby, he was hidden. The enemies of Moses did not know he
existed. The family of Moses made a special effort to keep Him a secret
because if he was found, he would have been killed. This is what God
does. He hides the gospel from the wise and prudent. God does not
simply bypass the wise and prudent. Men say that God is
inactive so no one blames Him. Such a God would be an inactive
God. Men pictures God as doing nothing. Christ describes what God
the Father does; He hides these things. That is what He does but consider
to whom it does it to.
The
wise and prudent have penetrating minds (Js 3:13), exercise good
judgment (1 Cor. 6:5), and plan and do difficult things (1 Cor. 3:10). They rise to a position of honor. They
become rich and renowned in reputation. They are men of influence.
They are leaders of men who exercise authority over men. This means God
hides His gospel from them. Regarding the babes; their nature is of
dependence, helplessness and undeveloped powers. Why are these things so?
It was well-pleasing in the sight of God the Father, the God of the Incarnate
Christ alone, to hide this from the wise and prudent, and to reveal His
gospel to babes. Is God capricious and purely arbitrary? God
forbid!
1
Cor. 1:26 refers to God Who
choose the foolish things, the weak things to put to shame the things that are
strong. The great concern of God is planning redemption and
accomplishing and applying it. It means He alone should receive the
glory. This is why He does not choose many men with great insight and
penetrating minds with sound judgment that cause them to raise in society to be
judges with unusual skill of wise master builders. No flesh will boast in
His presence. Nobody is to be puffed up. Everybody is to be humbled.
This is one of the crucial factors on whether God chooses to save or
reject. He humbles men and glorifies Himself alone. Why has He
picked us? It was nothing about us. He choose us that He alone
would receive the glory. The very lack of unusual powers distinguishes us
as a people. But why? It is so we are to keep our months shut and
not take glory to ourselves but give glory alone to God alone. Therefore
the great aim of predestination is the glory of God alone. Christ thanks
God the Father. This is how Christ responds. When Christ thought on
the principle of the sovereignty of God in salvation it caused Him to greatly
praise God the Father. All these things are so to take out of us our
arrogance and pride. May we never think about some kind of wonderfulness
about ourselves but to recognize the glory of God in the plan of
redemption! There was no basis for us to claim something good of
ourselves but God alone is the basis for our salvation. May we profoundly
understand our vileness, weakness, nothingness and foolishness! This is
what God found attractive in us. It is not because we our wise that we
choose God. Arminians might dare to say this but a biblical Calvinist
says, "It's God's choice alone. Amen." It was not
that there was something good in us but it was by the Spirit of God and
the Word of God.
It
is intended to encourage us in an impenitent society. Christ preached His
heart out to these people and attested His messianic identity. But the
people He preached to, and performed miracles on, did not repent. When
believing Christians see little fruit, it tends to discourage us. Christ
was in the midst of deep impenitence. How did Christ keep Himself from
despair? Christ reasons with His own generation. At the surface, it
may appear that His labor was in vain. But it was not in vain. He
even refers to the reprobate; that they do not wind up like them. How did
Christ keep from discouragement and depression? He thought about the
absolute sovereignty of God in salvation. Predestination enabled
Christ to praise God the Father in the midst of that rejection and little fruit
after much labor. It enabled Him to maintain a right perspective even
though Christ experienced a painful rejection. This doctrine of predestination
enabled Christ to thank God the Father. This doctrine is intended to: a.)
to deflate the pride of the people of God, and b) to furnish fuel to encourage
the people of God in the midst of a ministry surrounded by rejection,
persecution and impenitence.
