Therefore He has
mercy on whom He wills,
and whom He wills He
hardens.
You will say to me
then, “Why does He still find fault?
For who has resisted
His will?”
But indeed, O man,
who you to reply against God?
Will the thing formed
say to him who formed it,
“Why have you made me
like this?”
does not the potter
have power over the clay,
from the same lump to
make one vessel
for honor and another
for dishonor?
Romans 8:18–21
Augustine
in the Manual which he wrote for Laurentius, archdeacon of the Roman
church states: “When the angelic and human creation had sinned, that is, had
done not what God had desired but what it had itself wished, it was also by the
selfsame will of the creature, by which that was done which God did not desire,
that he himself accomplished what he wished, employing evil as well ad good
things for damnation of those whom he justly foreordained to punishment and for
the salvation of those whom he benevolently foreordained to grace.”[1]
(Italics mine). I begin this blog with this quote so that it may be understood
that God did not foreordain man to sin, or to guilt, rather that God
foreordained punishment, that man is plainly taught that God has foreordained
no one to sin but only to pay the penalty for sin. No one is foreordained to
sin, the nature of man fell with sin being introduced into the world, not that
the nature of man was changed from its nature, rather that man by his fallen
nature could not and cannot will to do good. The word predestination rears up
many thoughts against such a word and its definitions, those many definitions
that are not Scriptural having no basis in the word of God as God has revealed
to us what is and what means by predestination. No one is compel to do evil by
predestination rather predestination declares the judge, God, to be just who
prefers that there by no sin that would be committed, yet foreknew that he
would justly punish such deeds and by this predestination God did not
foreordained man’s evil deed, but man’s just punishment. Speaking of the soul,
God did not reach up into the ether, or some place in the heavens and select a
soul to be placed into man, nor is there a single soul that can be divided up
and part and parcel of it be placed in one man and another, no, for this would
eliminate that man is sinful, and that Adam’s sin was not the original sin that
has caused man’s nature, his soul not to desire or by this corruption to sin
and deserve the foreordained, and predestination of punishment which it
deserves by its sinfulness. God gives to man his soul and by the corruption of
man’s nature the soul becomes corrupt and no longer desires good but evil (I
speak not of philanthropy). By the design of God this immovable truth of divine
foreknowledge and foreordination, that of the elect and the reprobate; of the
elect to glory, and the reprobate not to guilt but to punishment. All have
sinned and come short of the glory of God says the Apostle Paul, all have a
fallen nature, and their soul is corrupt and deserve this foreordained and
predestined punishment. You do not sin because God made you to sin, then God is
the cause of sin, therefore God cannot be a good God, rather a changeable and
mutable God. How then can we have trust in this type of God? We cannot. But
this is not what is revealed to us by God, for even if we do not agree with
this doctrine and reject the doctrine of election, it is done not by what God
has revealed rather it is by our own impenitence and hardness for from the
early church fathers this doctrine has been understood and taught; it cannot be
denied. Paul attests this fact: “For we can do nothing against the truth,
but for the truth” (2Corinthians 13:8). It is by God’s own internal counsel
that is just and immutable that by His own benevolence has predestined certain
ones to the kingdom and this by His pure motives of His own eternal counsel. By
God’s own judgment He has predestined by His just judgment to death and this
due to their impiety which He foresaw. God is not sitting aside wringing His
hands and wondering who will choose Him or not. You do not have power over God.
You are wicked and we can see that this is true by acknowledging that which we
can see, we are wicked and desire to do things which are evil, and this is true
even though we do and desire good things. The villain within man is apparent to
us by news of such wicked deeds. It
must not be said that man lost his ability to choose, his “free will” rather
that man by his corruption, that his soul does not desire godly things, seeks
not the good that Adam had, rather has lost the good that Adam once had. We
have all gone far astray from God and must ask God to find us, to give to us
the faith we need to believe truly upon Him and by this faith we then apply His
commandments in our lives: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your
servant, for I do not forget Your commandments” (Psalm 119:176).
Are seeking
good things, desiring to know God, His Son Jesus Christ, and desiring to apply
His commandments in your life, then God has elected you to one of His children
and eternal home with Him is your destination. Original Sin may cause your
nature to be corrupt, but by God’s mercy and by His faith He gives you grace
and remove from you the desires to by evil. God keeps and preserves His elect,
this promise is from God and we have assurance that if we return, repent, and
convert to Him all that God has foreordained for His children, those who He has
predestined to have eternal life with Him will have this: I will lift up my
eyes to the hills––from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, who
made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to by moved; He who keeps
you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor
sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is our shade at your right hand. The
sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve
you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul” (Psalm 121:1–7).
Have mercy on us, O LORD,
Have mercy
on us!
For we are exceedingly filled
With contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the
scorn of those
Who are at ease,
with the
Contempt of
the proud.
Psalm 123:3–4
Prepare now to Worship God On the Sabbath
Richard L. Crumb
[1] Augustine, Enchiridion,
100; cf. translation by L.Al Arand, ACW, 3:94 f., and by A.C. Outler, LCC,
7.337-412.
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