LORD, You have been
our dwelling place
in all generations.
Before the mountains
were brought forth,
Or ever You
had formed the
earth and the world,
even from everlasting
to everlasting,
You are God.
Psalm 90:1
Systematically we have examined the Doctrine of Sovereignty of God in order to attempt to understand God and His dispensation, His economy towards that which He created. To aid us in our understanding we must know both sides of the issue and this we are doing so that the truth of the matter becomes clear and plain. This investigation is time consuming and it is easy to get tired and discouraged; don't let this happen we are ambassadors of Christ and we have the message of eternal life for all that God has chosen. Who they are? We don't know! Our job is not to know but to preach the word of God: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher" (Romans 10:14). Many have used this excused and acquiesced to a popular belief that the "preacher" is the pastor. It is true he is "the" preacher, and the pastor, but, Paul is addressing the Roman Christians that they should become the "preachers," it is they who are the "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must be prepared to give an answer to every one that asks: "For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you many have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart" (2 Corinthians 5:12). Therefore, I shall continued to examine and answer those who boast in appearance, an appearance of truth, hypocrisy, that is a mask of an actor for they act not of a pure heart filled with the Holy Spirit directing their thinking and lives, rather that they are not pure in heart and are being led by the power of Satan and they own sinful precondition.
I reject this doctrine on several points; first, because it denies the existence of second causes, both in the material world and the spiritual world. Further, it refers all action in those worlds to God, and to God alone, or for some in some limited ways He acquiesces His power in some degree to allow man to choose things for himself, but as for the whole of the matter it is only God who causes all exercises of action, and will of man. For God to be the only source for causes is at best an arbitrary assumption. Those holding fast to this Doctrine of Dependence make God to be "a priori" (This I would have no objection to and neither should you), but, they go farther and reject everything that is consistent with this idea. Shall we deny the Sovereignty of God, allowing Him to do as we would like Him to do? That is, to say that God in some way limits Himself, an idea promoted to those holding in tight grip the Armininian doctrine, so that He will not or limits Himself in some way, so that He does not create creatures capable of originating action. The Doctrine of Dependence adheres to the idea creatures derive all their power form God, and are subject to His control in all their exercises. They being subject to His control in all their exercises removes from the responsibility for their actions in toto; but in their day to day morality they will admit to their responsibility. This Doctrine contradicts the consciousness of every man. We know that we are free agents, and free agency is the power of self-determination. Man can and does originate their own acts. Yes, we can be and are subject to the influence of Satan, and of God, they speak to our souls, but we originate from our own minds our actions whether they be righteous or sinful: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed" (James 1:14). We can be drawn away by our own desires and we must if we are to call ourselves Christian and be followers of Jesus Christ be convicted that we are responsible for our exercises of our free-will. This law must be believed for it is found to be true in our consciousness, in our nature that we have imbedded that there is a God and that God is Sovereign and that God in His Love and Mercy gave us the ability to decide one way or the other. These decisions are not speaking of salvation, for salvation comes by faith, and as Totally Depraved individuals we will not choose God even with all the power of free-will. The Bible is clear on that fact, although in the Churches today it is taught that man can choose God by some means of faith. How? It is impossible for faith is a free gift of God and to whomever He gives it, they can by that power, the power of the faith given to them choose God, and Jesus Christ to be Sovereign in their lives and to give salvation from their sins from which they have no means to pay, the debt of sin. We are speaking of everyday decisions, those that both the saved and unsaved make, both moral and immoral, even the mundane things of life. To those men and women who deny free-will to man are to be found deluded as this theory is so contrary to common sense, the universal conviction of man. This delusion can be illustrated thusly; see a tree? Can you see that tree in your mind? If you believe that God placed that image in your mind is a mistake. God did not immediately placed in your mind this impression of a tree, or when we move about that it is God that moves us, or when we think that it is God creating the thought.
How often do those in Churches, believers who give credence to God for everything that happens to them as though it all is caused by God. How convenient! To those people there is a devil behind every bush just waiting to sidetrack you from God. There is a devil, Satan, there are those demons, but they are not omnipresent, further to hold that all is do to Satan, yes, from the beginning, Adam sinned causing mankind to be the progeny of his sin, and that sin was caused by Adam, but Adam sinned from his own heart and from his own desires. Satan influenced, Adam succumbed. Adam was responsible, and as our federal head he passed his irresponsible action to all his seed. To follow this Doctrine of Dependence will eventually lead a person to idealism and pantheism, those theologies, and ideologies that are inconsistent with all liberty, and responsibility, and destroys the possibility of moral distinctions.
God does and will give us what we need, our faith, and we ask in faith for God to give to us those needs to directs us in our paths, but it is up to us to follow that guidance, it is up to us to ask in accordance to His will. Do not be just a hearer of the Word, be a doer of the word: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Who is doing the deceiving? You, me; therefore, be obedient, follow the Law of God, allow Him to work out all things according to His Providence, allow Him to Sovereign, and remember, that we all must do, we are responsible for all that God has given to us, both materially, and spiritually.
God resists, the proud,
But gives grace
to the humble.
James 4:6b
May You Have Grace and Mercy
Richard L. Crumb
I reject this doctrine on several points; first, because it denies the existence of second causes, both in the material world and the spiritual world. Further, it refers all action in those worlds to God, and to God alone, or for some in some limited ways He acquiesces His power in some degree to allow man to choose things for himself, but as for the whole of the matter it is only God who causes all exercises of action, and will of man. For God to be the only source for causes is at best an arbitrary assumption. Those holding fast to this Doctrine of Dependence make God to be "a priori" (This I would have no objection to and neither should you), but, they go farther and reject everything that is consistent with this idea. Shall we deny the Sovereignty of God, allowing Him to do as we would like Him to do? That is, to say that God in some way limits Himself, an idea promoted to those holding in tight grip the Armininian doctrine, so that He will not or limits Himself in some way, so that He does not create creatures capable of originating action. The Doctrine of Dependence adheres to the idea creatures derive all their power form God, and are subject to His control in all their exercises. They being subject to His control in all their exercises removes from the responsibility for their actions in toto; but in their day to day morality they will admit to their responsibility. This Doctrine contradicts the consciousness of every man. We know that we are free agents, and free agency is the power of self-determination. Man can and does originate their own acts. Yes, we can be and are subject to the influence of Satan, and of God, they speak to our souls, but we originate from our own minds our actions whether they be righteous or sinful: "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed" (James 1:14). We can be drawn away by our own desires and we must if we are to call ourselves Christian and be followers of Jesus Christ be convicted that we are responsible for our exercises of our free-will. This law must be believed for it is found to be true in our consciousness, in our nature that we have imbedded that there is a God and that God is Sovereign and that God in His Love and Mercy gave us the ability to decide one way or the other. These decisions are not speaking of salvation, for salvation comes by faith, and as Totally Depraved individuals we will not choose God even with all the power of free-will. The Bible is clear on that fact, although in the Churches today it is taught that man can choose God by some means of faith. How? It is impossible for faith is a free gift of God and to whomever He gives it, they can by that power, the power of the faith given to them choose God, and Jesus Christ to be Sovereign in their lives and to give salvation from their sins from which they have no means to pay, the debt of sin. We are speaking of everyday decisions, those that both the saved and unsaved make, both moral and immoral, even the mundane things of life. To those men and women who deny free-will to man are to be found deluded as this theory is so contrary to common sense, the universal conviction of man. This delusion can be illustrated thusly; see a tree? Can you see that tree in your mind? If you believe that God placed that image in your mind is a mistake. God did not immediately placed in your mind this impression of a tree, or when we move about that it is God that moves us, or when we think that it is God creating the thought.
How often do those in Churches, believers who give credence to God for everything that happens to them as though it all is caused by God. How convenient! To those people there is a devil behind every bush just waiting to sidetrack you from God. There is a devil, Satan, there are those demons, but they are not omnipresent, further to hold that all is do to Satan, yes, from the beginning, Adam sinned causing mankind to be the progeny of his sin, and that sin was caused by Adam, but Adam sinned from his own heart and from his own desires. Satan influenced, Adam succumbed. Adam was responsible, and as our federal head he passed his irresponsible action to all his seed. To follow this Doctrine of Dependence will eventually lead a person to idealism and pantheism, those theologies, and ideologies that are inconsistent with all liberty, and responsibility, and destroys the possibility of moral distinctions.
God does and will give us what we need, our faith, and we ask in faith for God to give to us those needs to directs us in our paths, but it is up to us to follow that guidance, it is up to us to ask in accordance to His will. Do not be just a hearer of the Word, be a doer of the word: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). Who is doing the deceiving? You, me; therefore, be obedient, follow the Law of God, allow Him to work out all things according to His Providence, allow Him to Sovereign, and remember, that we all must do, we are responsible for all that God has given to us, both materially, and spiritually.
God resists, the proud,
But gives grace
to the humble.
James 4:6b
May You Have Grace and Mercy
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment