Quote:
Originally Posted by C. Matthew McMahon  Also, one MUST think about this topic inside the two wills of God aspects that I write about in my book, "The Two Wills of God." If you theologically place these ideas inside the same theological box while trying to debate this on the one view problem, you have debates like this go on that are never reconciled. There is a great chasmic difference between how we theologically view decreetive applications of God's work, and how God views them. |
This is an
excellent point, something Rev. Winzer just struck on as well. The problem I have with the manner this is developed is that it does the same thing with passages that are addressed to the broad audience of the Church to build up and exhort and then insist they must be understood as true of every Church member "in some sense" instead of understanding that when you talk to a broad audience you do so with the judgment of charity. In other words, simply because Paul states "...
when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son..." cannot be inferred that he intended to imply that even the reprobate participated in the benefits to a lesser degree than the elect simply because they are hearing the announcement. These things do, indeed, convert the heart and are preached to all with the demand that they believe upon them but that doesn't mean they participate in them "in some sense" if they do not have faith born from above.