Bible Study
Chapter 3 God’s Eternal Decrees, sec. 7: The severity of God
By: Moses Flores
Section six of chapter three of the Westminster Confession shed much light on the way the elect are saved in time. We saw that though their election guarantees their final glorification, it necessarily happens through the means which are also ordained by God. That is, the elect are not saved apart from the hearing of the Gospel, the regenerative work of the Spirit, faith and repentance, justification, as well as their resulting adoption and sanctification. Thus, any objections to the doctrine of election excluding practices like evangelism and living a holy life are thereby refuted. Election does not usurp any of those practices of Godliness or the commands of Scripture, but rather gives foundation to them.
But now we must return to a previous subject that many find most objectionable about the doctrine of election. We have seen the chain of redemption, also known as the ordo salutis, and how all who are in the beginning of that chain will find themselves glorified at the end of it as well. However, what of those not on the chain? The last sentence of section six ended by saying that, “only the elect, and no others, are redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved.”
This is the hardest part of the doctrine of election to accept. God saving is not the problem. It’s that God has not decided to save all that is because it is certainly well within His power to. We have already seen that God chooses to save some based solely on His own will without any regard to the merit or demerit of the elect (cf. Romans 9:11). So now we deal with the question of why are some not chosen. In specific, we must ask what role God plays in their reprobation. A significant question that must be dealt with is whether or not God creates the unbelief in the non-elect that leads to their condemnation. We will begin by examining God’s reasons that are revealed in Scripture for reprobation. However, we dare not attempt to peer beyond the bounds of Holy Scriptures on this matter. Thus, whatever the answer, we must humbly submit to the infinite wisdom of our Creator and Covenant Lord.
The Rights of the Creator
As we look around in our world, we can make two categories of peoples: Those who have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ and those who do not. But why is this? Why do some have this faith while others are left to their sinfulness? As to the answer of the latter, we have already seen that it is according to God’s loving grace by which He has mercifully chosen from before the foundation of the world some from every tribe, nation, tongue and peoples for salvation. But is the same to be said of the non-elect? Why are they not chosen?
To answer this question, we must first note the equality of all human beings before the righteousness of God. That is, we are all equally sinners. I won’t belabor this point for it has already been previously made. Since we are all on the same level, we all stand equally condemned before God. Psalm 130:3 says “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” That is, before the supremely righteous and holy Judge of the Universe no one is able to bear the scrutinizing judgment of God on our sins. On this basis we have previously concluded that the motive for choosing one for salvation lies totally and completely within the Sovereign will of God. That is, their election, we say, is by Grace. But of those reprobated, do we also say that their reprobation is totally within the sovereign will of God as well? Why Esau left out of the blessings and Jacob chosen for the blessing?
As far we told in Scripture, it is according to sovereign pleasure of His will. In Romans 9:11 tells us that God’s election and even reprobation was not based on anything good or evil that the children had done. It was solely based on God’s sovereign decree of election and reprobation.
And now here it comes, the objection to it all. “But that’s not fair!” This objection can be handled from two ways. One is more humbling than the other. The first is to examine the concept of fairness and justice. What is justice? Very simply we could define it as getting what one deserves. So then the next question is what do sinners deserve? Again, unilaterally, all sinners deserve eternal death. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God…There is no one righteous…the wages of sin is death” (cf Romans 3:23, 3:10, 6:23). There is our just penalty. If this is what we all deserve, if all were to get it, wouldn’t that be justice? If some were to get it, wouldn’t they receive justice? Certainly! The problem is not the justice or even the mercy, it is the some that get either. Why not all? Why didn’t God choose to save all?
Herein lies the problem with this first response. We sinners are never satisfied with this for we think that we all deserve equal treatment from a holy and righteous God. Granted emotions come into play here, and maybe even emotions driven from holy motives in wanting to see all peoples saved. It is certainly a good and holy thing to want to see people saved. Yet at the same time, justice is also a holy thing especially from God. But rather than right emotions, we need right recognition. Thus, the second way of response, and the one given to us in Scripture.
The second response is essentially a humbling response. It is essentially the response of God by which He confronts us personally and in a most frightening way asserting His deity and our creaturely status. For instance, in Romans 9:19-21 we read,
“You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?’ But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay , to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use?”
This response from Paul is much like God’s response to Job who demanded an audience with God to answer why evil and suffering had befallen his own life. God’s response to Job was essentially to reveal the awesome majesty of God and the infinite wisdom and understanding that God has in Himself. God is not subject to us. He does not need to explain Himself. Here we are reminded of what our relationship to God is: we are but mortal men. We are God’s creation, not co-creators with Him in creation. He is the Potter and we are clay subject to the will of the Potter who is well within His own rights to make whatsoever objects He chooses from the clay he owns. We are the thing formed. We are not the Former.
There is not much to say here. In fact, this response from God himself is intended to silence us. Discussion is closed. God has spoken, that settles it. I hope that none of this is interpreted as some sort of evasion. The fact is that nowhere in God’s revealed will does God explain why He has chosen some and not others, except that it is according to the good pleasure of God to His own glory (cf. Eph. 1:5-6, Romans 11:33-36).
However, that should not bother us about the character of God in any respect. Based on what we already know about God, we can know that all His works are carried out according to His own holy character and nature. That is, if justice is an attribute of God that God always acts according to, then we can be sure that no matter how God deals with the non-elect, they are not treated unfairly, or unjustly, by God. We can also be sure that since God is infinitely wise, we can know that however God carries out His sovereign plan, there is wisdom in it that we cannot even begin to comprehend. God is a good God. And the display of His justice should be equally praised as the display of His mercy.
Remember the word of praise that Paul gives to God after discussing both election and reprobation in Romans 9-11:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord,
Or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him
That He might be repaid?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
God’s Judgment of Reprobation
Though we are humbled and kept in mystery as to why God elects some and not others, we may still know other aspects about reprobation. In particular, we can know how God deals with the reprobate. That is to ask, what does God do to make the non-elect reprobated.
We have already seen from a previous study that the doctrine of election necessarily means that there is a sense in which God has also chosen who will not be elect. This is known as “double predestination.” This is to say that God chose who the elect would be as well as equally make a choice of who the non-elect would be. “Single predestination” would be that God chose who the elect would but was essentially passive on the non-elect. This view hardly seems correct unless God had no knowledge of those who would be non-elect. Such as view is unfavorable in view of God’s omniscience and sovereignty over all things. Embracing predestination at all, it seems, warrants that we believe in God’s rule over the eternal destiny of the elect and the non-elect as well and, thus, a form of double predestination.
Within theology, there have been two camps within double predestination: symmetrical and asymmetrical. The symmetrical view, also called the “equal ultimacy” view, means that God positively decrees the election of certain people and the positive reprobation of all others. That is to say, supposing that God had all of humanity that would ever exist in a long line. As he goes by each one, he tells them, “you come with me on my side….mmmmmmmm…..you go over there on Satan’s side.” In other words, God actively appoints each side (hence, the symmetry) to their appointed end. For the elect, this means giving them faith and all they need to be saved. For the non-elect, this means giving to them all that they need to be damned (unbelief, etc…). This view is also described as “positive-positive”
The other view is the asymmetrical view. In this view, which is in agreement with the Confession, may be described as “positive-negative”. That is to say, for the elect, God gives them all that they need for their salvation (positive) and for the non-elect, God leaves them there, or passes them over. Hence, for the reprobate, God does not create any unbelief in their hearts or give them anything to drive them to act out their reprobation. God is passive in that respect (negative). God simply withholds His saving grace from them and leaves them to their own sins and to their just due. Again, no one is receiving what they do not deserve.
We
can recall the choosing of David to be king of
Going back to human nature, if we are already sinful from birth, does God have to make us want to not believe in Christ? Romans 8:6-7 says the natural, or carnal, mind is enmity toward God and it is not subject to the law of God nor can it be. With a nature already opposed to God, does it make sense for God to work unbelief into our hearts when it is something already inherent in our sinful nature? Obviously not. Rather, God just leaves us, as it were, to our own selves and to fend for ourselves.
To the praise of His glorious justice
Psalm 145:17 says, “the LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.” Everything that God does is to be deemed most excellent. There is nothing that God can do that would ever bring into question His awesome character and His dignity. This includes His acts of election and reprobation.
We must confess that we are truly left mystified in the details of who is and who isn’t and why them and not others. But in the end, we are silenced by the sheer majesty of our great God and King. Before Him, we have no right to complain but only to marvel in the majesty and wisdom of it all. In the end, our song, the Song of Moses will say,
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
And glorify Your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship You,
For your righteous acts have been revealed.”
May we ever continually renew and humble our minds to be able to sing this song especially in the light of God’s sovereign and eternal decrees. Amen.