1689 LBC 3:5, God's Decree in Election

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Herald

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Reading Geisler recently, this is where he really hammers Calvinists. If God chooses, than why preach? In response, "We preach because that is what God has ordained as the means by which the sinner is chosen."

Before the world was made, God’s eternal, immutable purpose, which originated in the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, moved Him to choose (or to elect), in Christ, certain mankind to everlasting glory. Out of His mere free grace and love He predestined these chosen ones to life, although there was nothing in them to cause Him to choose them.

“Before the world was made” euphemistically describes eternity past. Eternity past is a time without time. We can’t say, “five years” before the earth or universe was made because the reality of that existence was just God, in perfect fellowship and harmony with Himself. The authors of the confession qualify God’s purposes as “eternal.” We have learned that God’s will of decree also existed in eternity past. It’s important to note that God does not see a human action and then, suddenly, will a decree in response to it. God knew His decree and all the actions of men that would take place along the way. Nothing has taken or will take God by surprise. We see that God’s purpose is “immutable.” As we learned in our last study immutable means “unchanging.” God’s purpose (decree) cannot be changed because there is no need to change it. Why? Because it “originated in the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will.” Remember the following passages?

Ephesians 1:11 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Philippians 2:13 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

God acts after the “secret counsel and good pleasure of His will.” There is none who can counsel God. Not only does God keep His own counsel, He acts according to His own good pleasure. All things bring glory to God and satisfy His requirements. He is pleased with the work of His hands. That is why God was able to say, “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) His will is secret in that only God knows what He intends to do. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God,” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Because of God’s “immutable purpose” He chose, in Christ certain people to eternal life. Scripture is replete with God’s sovereign choice, which is not contingent on any action of prior choice of those He chose. We see evidence of this in both the Old and New Testaments.

Jeremiah 1:5 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

What is it about the individuals that God chooses that warrants being chosen? In other words, what did they do to deserve being chosen? Nothing. Nothing at all. Scripture clearly teaches that no one is deserving of being chosen, of being saved.

Romans 3:10-11 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

So why does God choose sinners who are undeserving of being chosen? The confession states, “Out of His mere free grace and love He predestined these chosen ones to life.” Free grace? Love?

Ephesians 2:4 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Ephesians 2:8 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

God saves His elect because of His great love and grace, freely given to those who are undeserving. This is why we cannot earn God’s favor. Our sin has separated us from God and the only thing we have earned his death (Romans 6:23). Salvation is God’s free gift, given to by His loving hand to those whom He has chosen. But we must understand God’s predestination of His elect through the rest of scripture. The scripture says, “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:13) This is true, it cannot be denied. WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED! Yes, God has chosen His elect since before the foundation of the earth. The Lord knows those who are His. But remember; only God knows who the elect are. For this purpose the gospel message is proclaimed to all so that all may believe. It is the great paradox of the gospel. All are called to repent and believe, but not all will. But that does not stop us in gladly proclaiming the good news!
 
Reading Geisler recently, this is where he really hammers Calvinists. If God chooses, than why preach? In response, "We preach because that is what God has ordained as the means by which the sinner is chosen."

Before the world was made, God’s eternal, immutable purpose, which originated in the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will, moved Him to choose (or to elect), in Christ, certain mankind to everlasting glory. Out of His mere free grace and love He predestined these chosen ones to life, although there was nothing in them to cause Him to choose them.

“Before the world was made” euphemistically describes eternity past. Eternity past is a time without time. We can’t say, “five years” before the earth or universe was made because the reality of that existence was just God, in perfect fellowship and harmony with Himself. The authors of the confession qualify God’s purposes as “eternal.” We have learned that God’s will of decree also existed in eternity past. It’s important to note that God does not see a human action and then, suddenly, will a decree in response to it. God knew His decree and all the actions of men that would take place along the way. Nothing has taken or will take God by surprise. We see that God’s purpose is “immutable.” As we learned in our last study immutable means “unchanging.” God’s purpose (decree) cannot be changed because there is no need to change it. Why? Because it “originated in the secret counsel and good pleasure of His will.” Remember the following passages?

Ephesians 1:11 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

Philippians 2:13 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

God acts after the “secret counsel and good pleasure of His will.” There is none who can counsel God. Not only does God keep His own counsel, He acts according to His own good pleasure. All things bring glory to God and satisfy His requirements. He is pleased with the work of His hands. That is why God was able to say, “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) His will is secret in that only God knows what He intends to do. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God,” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

Because of God’s “immutable purpose” He chose, in Christ certain people to eternal life. Scripture is replete with God’s sovereign choice, which is not contingent on any action of prior choice of those He chose. We see evidence of this in both the Old and New Testaments.

Jeremiah 1:5 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Ephesians 1:4-5 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

What is it about the individuals that God chooses that warrants being chosen? In other words, what did they do to deserve being chosen? Nothing. Nothing at all. Scripture clearly teaches that no one is deserving of being chosen, of being saved.

Romans 3:10-11 10 as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

So why does God choose sinners who are undeserving of being chosen? The confession states, “Out of His mere free grace and love He predestined these chosen ones to life.” Free grace? Love?

Ephesians 2:4 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

Ephesians 2:8 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

God saves His elect because of His great love and grace, freely given to those who are undeserving. This is why we cannot earn God’s favor. Our sin has separated us from God and the only thing we have earned his death (Romans 6:23). Salvation is God’s free gift, given to by His loving hand to those whom He has chosen. But we must understand God’s predestination of His elect through the rest of scripture. The scripture says, “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:13) This is true, it cannot be denied. WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED! Yes, God has chosen His elect since before the foundation of the earth. The Lord knows those who are His. But remember; only God knows who the elect are. For this purpose the gospel message is proclaimed to all so that all may believe. It is the great paradox of the gospel. All are called to repent and believe, but not all will. But that does not stop us in gladly proclaiming the good news!

I do not understand why men like Geisler buy into this argument. If there is no election, then there is no irresistibility of the Spirit. Therefore, why do you preach, Dr. Geisler? What good can it do? (Unless you deny the depravity of man, I guess)
 
Ken, Dr. Geisler believes God chooses, but according to the foreknowledge view, not the Calvinist view.
 
WHY BOTHER VOTING? The Bible says that the powers that be are ordained of God (Romans 13:1) God says, By Me, king's reign and princes decree justice (Proverbs 8:15)

WHY BOTHER PRAYING? God knows what we have need of before we ask (Matthew 6:8) He declares in the most definite of language, And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

WHY BOTHER SOWING? God says that the harvest will not cease (Genesis 8:22)

WHY BOTHER STAYING SAFE AND HEALTHY? The day of your death is appointed of God (Hebrews 9:27) You will not die one split second before your God ordained time. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. (Psalm 91:7)

WHY BOTHER EVANGELISING? Because it pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe (1 Corinthians 1:21) That these believing souls have been ordained to such saving faith is undoubtedly true ( Ephesians 1:4) That they will infallibly come is also true (John 7:37a - the bit many folk leave out) but they will come through the means of our evangelism, therefore we do not quit evangelising and seeking by all means to save some, just as we do not quit voting etc., just because the result is ordained of God.​

whybother
 
Ken, Dr. Geisler believes God chooses, but according to the foreknowledge view, not the Calvinist view.

So he believes that God's foreknowledge causes His election? Is God's foreknowledge mutable? If not, then why preach? God already knows who shall believe.
 
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