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Originally Posted by matt.meisberger  I have a friend that moved into my house with me and he and I are both follow reformed teaching. Although convinced that Calvinism is the only tenable position, my friend is always angry at God because of Calvinism. My friend's though process goes from 'God elected a certain people and sent Jesus to die for them' to 'it is possible that God could have elected more people' to 'it is then possible for God to have elected all people' to 'I am mad at God because he seems not good for not electing all people.'
Maybe it is true that it takes a divine understanding given by the HS in order to feel/understand that God is good for not electing all people but since God works through secondary causes, other than praying for him, does anyone have any advise on good ways to deal with someone that confesses reformed doctrine (depravity of man, election, limited atonement etc) and yet is in danger of hating God and rejecting him? |
I don't have anything profound to say, but this reminds me of a quote from Jonathan Edward's diary:
"From childhood up, my mind had been full of objections against the doctrine of God’s sovereignty, in choosing whom he would to eternal life, and rejecting whom he pleased; leaving them eternally to perish, and be everlastingly tormented in hell. It used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But I remember the time very well, when I seemed to be convinced, and fully satisfied, as to this sovereignty of God, and his justice in thus eternally disposing of [dealing with] men, according to his sovereign pleasure. But never could give an account, how, or by what means, I was, thus convinced, not in the least imagining at the time, nor a long time after, that there was any extraordinary influence of God’s Spirit in it but only that now I saw further, and my reason apprehended the justice and reasonableness of it. However, my mind rested in it; and it put an end to all those cavils and objections. And there has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, in respect to the doctrine of God's sovereignty, from that day to this; so that I scarce ever have found so much as the rising of an objection against it, in the most absolute sense, in God’s shewing mercy to whom he will show mercy, and hardening whom he will. God’s absolute sovereignty and justice, with respect to salvation and damnation, is what my mind seems to rest assured of, as much as of any thing that I see with my eyes, at least it is so at times. The doctrine has very often appeared exceeding pleasant, bright, and sweet. Absolute sovereignty is what I love to ascribe to God." (Jonathan Edwards, Selections [New York: Hill and Wang, 1962], pp. 58-59).