A Quest for God’s Glory Makes the Supralapsarian

Scott Price

Throughout recorded theological history nicknames have been created, some good and others bad. When asked if I am a “Calvinist” I must be careful how to answer because they may be wondering if I am a Calvinist in my view of baptism or church government. On the other hand they may think that Calvinism is equated to what a Freewill Arminian Baptist would call eternal security with no effectual atonement to ground it on. Thanks, but no thanks. But if you mean do I hold to the doctrine commonly called Sovereign Grace that includes 5 points in the form of T-U-L-I-P, then yes, I am very much so a Calvinist in that sense. It is a shame that truth so precious has become referenced by the name of a mere man. But if it is a means to use to communicate initially in today’s world then I will take advantage of it just as I would a letter, computer, cell phone or any such other communicating device. Today, some 400-500 years after the systematic formation (not the creation of the actual truth of these doctrines since they are very Biblical) of these doctrines for easy remembrance and use in study, one must even distinguish further their position for clarifying where they stand.

Today, for example, the term or name Christian has been watered down so much that it means so many DIFFERENT things to so many people that it is seemly a weak term left by itself without further clarification. This is the same with the term Calvinism. This site seeks to make the necessary clarifications and expose misconceptions of what has at times been called “High Calvinism”. Drugs are not done to get me high. I do not in any case promote high mindedness, but rather the very opposite. If any know me they know I do not promote a high spot for myself (Popish) in my view of the way the church is run (religion’s way of separating “clergy” from “laity”). This is not the high I speak of when readily identify with the nickname of High Calvinist. It is a high view, a Biblical view, of the only true Most High God and a high view of His grace. Every attempt is made to NOT undervalue or conceive of His grace as being something common or ineffectual. This is for His glory, His very Name’s sake.

Note very carefully that this blog site is for educational purposes; Mainly MY education. Yours too hopefully, unless you already know everything. Please get involved and take a little time to view Him as “high and lifted up”. We will look at gospel doctrine, gospel theology, theological history, real conspiracies against the truth, investigating past and current controversies about sovereign grace, define theological terms such as Supralapsarianism, Infralapsarianism and Hyper-Calvinism, looking at the different views of Predestination by even using charts, etc., all to see the interesting world of the Christ centered High Calvinist mind-set. It is my comfort zone.

Do you find yourself or others almost apologizing for God’s absolute sovereignty in all things, trying desperately to phrase things so people don’t accuse the God of the Bible of being a monster? Have you developed your doctrine in such a way as to try to give God an excuse or conditions for being sovereign? Are you embarrassed by a sovereign God who really does not give all without exception “chances” to go be saved or does not get the gospel to everybody without exception (the old: man-on-the-dessert-island question?). Do you have a problem talking about what is commonly called Double Predestination? Does it make you nervous? Do you use the phrase Reprobate and explain it in such a way that God did not do this on purpose but rather some Divine reluctance? Do you claim you left Arminian works-based religion but still use much of the same language in describing God? Do you think none of this really even matters in the first place? Think again….at least think.

Lastly, I say all this, having been somewhat in a different zone (as a what some call a “Low Calvinist” or Infralapsarian) very early after my conversion and even 4-5 years prior to my conversion as a Calvinist who did not know the Lord. I thank God for providentially sending the various means that led me a different Lapsarian view, the higher and Biblical view of God as He is on His throne. This will be a place where current and past preachers, theologians and writers will be referenced so you may do further study. I have a brief list I will offer that should be added to and will post that soon. We need links provided for good articles and sites that promote High Calvinism. We will give names of books and even book reviews of good books dealing with these issues. God uses means for these truths to enter the mind-gate and we want them available as many people as possible. They have been suppressed way too long.

That is what this blog site is designed for, to attempt to promote thinking in this neglected area. Requesting someone to think at all is very offensive to many in this day and age. These are just a few things we plan looking into. Stick around. Visit, partake, participate, give feedback, spread the word, etc. Hope to hear from you very soon.

Scott Price

Video of the Supra Position

Unconditional Love

Greg Elmquist

“God is love” I John 4:8. He defines love. He is the source of all true love. Any ‘love’ that is inconsistent with His love is no love at all. So, where did man get the notion of “unconditional love”? Well, obviously from his perverted view of God. For the God that is, knows nothing of unconditional love. Our God loves Righteousness and hates iniquity, Heb. 1:9. The Lord loves The Righteous, Ps. 147:8. There is one huge condition on God’s love…Absolute Perfect Righteousness. To say God loves anything or anyone else is to blaspheme His Holiness. The Lord Jesus Christ (and by imputation those that are in Him), is the only object of God’s love. ‘…the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ Rom. 8:39. Those who talk of unconditional love deny God’s glory in salvation by denying the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The essence of His nature (Righteousness), and the purpose of HIS death (Substitution and Satisfaction), was so that God’s condition for love would be met. Mark it down, those who talk of unconditional love do so to cover up and excuse their own sin. It may fool men but God is still angry. And what a fearful thing it is to fall into the hands of an angry God.

Supralapsarianism vs Infralapsarianism

all except for the introduction takenfrom “Reformed Dogmatics”

by Herman Hoeksema and intro by Heath Carpenter

The current study being undertaken is for the edification of those who actually believe in the Reformed faith. There are not too many unbelievers who are either supra or infralapsarian in their view of God’s counsel; namely, because most unbelievers could care less for doctrine. Distinguishing between the two view points will certainly not be an unfruitful activity. Because one describes the temporal order of God’s decree as it is revealed in the history of the world. While the other deals with God’s eternal counsel from the logical order. The one is the reverse of the other. That this is true will be proven without a doubt. From the contents of this study the reader may draw whichever conclusion he will; but by the power of God I pray that His Spirit leads him into all truth.

The bible quite clearly teaches the doctrines of election and reprobation. Herman Hoeksema in his “Reformed Dogmatics,” explains the two positions; and I’ll let Herman take it over from here; never could I word theology better than Herman Hoeksema. And for this particular subject, I feel that trying to put it into my own words would cloud the difference unnecessarily. Let us start off with Reverend Hoeksema’s definition of election and reprobation.

“Election may be defined as the eternal and sovereign decree of God to lead the church as a body of Christ, with all its individual members, each in his own position, to eternal salvation and glory.

Reprobation is the eternal and sovereign decree of God to determine some men to be vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction by way of sin, as manifestations of His justice, and to serve the purpose of the realization of His elect church.

It must be remembered that the objects of predestination are not only men, but all the rational creatures of God, including angels. But we are dealing more especially with Christ and His elect church, as the objects of election, and with the wicked as serving the realization of the purpose of election, as the objects of God’s eternal reprobation.

In regard to the doctrine of predestination, there has, especially since the time of the Reformation and soon after, always been a difference of viewpoint. We are thinking of the difference between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism. The former present the order in the decrees of God in such a way that the decree of election precedes the decree concerning creation and the fall. The order is therefore conceived to be as follows:

1) The glory of God in Christ and His church.

2) The election of Christ as the Head of the church.

3) The elect church in Christ. (and reprobation)

4) The fall of all men.

5) The creation of the world and man.

Infralapsarians, on the other hand, turn this order right around. They also proceed from the glory of God as the purpose of all things; but after that they have the following order:

1) The creation of the world.

2) The fall of man.

3) The election unto salvation of some, together with the passing by of others.

4) Christ as the Mediator, to realize the redemption of His elect.

The difference, therefore, between the two positions is whether God has chosen and reprobated man, in His eternal decree, before or after the fall. Supra maintains the former, infra the latter.

Infralapsarians have several objections over against the standpoint of supralapsarians. They maintain that Scripture itself places us on the infra standpoint. This is to be admitted so far as the historical viewpoint of the matter is concerned; but this historical viewpoint of Scripture may undoubtedly be explained from the fact that what is first in the decree is last in the execution of it. It is in the nature of the case that in the historical sense of the word creation and the fall precede the execution of election. Thus it is always with the execution of a decree, or a plan, and the plan itself. When I make a plan to build a house, the very first element in the plan is my purpose to live or to dwell in the house; next, where and in what way I want to live; next, as to the arrangement of the house in which I want to live; and finally, how the foundation of the home must be suitable to carry the house itself. That is the supra order of the of the plan of the house. But the execution of that plan becomes naturally infra. I first lay the foundation of the house; next, I build the house; and lastly, I dwell in it. The last element of the plan is first in the execution. Thus it is also in regard to the decree of God and the execution of the decree in time. Historically, creation is first; then, the fall; then, the distinction between election and reprobation; then, the Christ coming to realize the election; and finally, the consummation of all things and the eternal separation between the wicked and the righteous. But thus the argument can easily be turned into an argument favoring the supralapsarian standpoint. History presents to us the picture of God’s eternal decree in reversed order; and if according to this principle I turn back on the historical line, the result is the supra order in the decree of God.

Nor is this all. As often Scripture explains the infralapsarian history from the decree of God, it does so in the supralapsarian manner. This is most beautifully expressed in Romans 9. The potter, according to that chapter, has power over the clay, to make of the same lump vessels unto honor and vessels unto dishonor. And note that to the question of the opponent, “Is there unrighteousness with God?” in verse 14, and, “Why doth he yet find fault, for who hath resisted his will?” in verse 19, the apostle does not say, “Who art thou, O sinner, that answerest against God? We have all fallen into sin and have no right to life and to salvation. God, therefore, can justly reject us all.” Thus he would have to have answered on the standpoint of infralapsarianism. But he appeals to God’s absolute sovereignty, and employs the figure of the potter and the clay. Sovereignly the potter makes out of the same lump vessels unto glory and vessels unto dishonor. And thus it is also the presentation of Scripture when it teaches us that God has made all things for His own name’s sake, even the wicked unto the day of evil, and that He raised up Pharaoh sovereignly, to reveal in him His name and His power.

The infralapsarians also appeal to the confessions, and maintain that they, on the whole, defend the infralapsarian standpoint. This may be admitted, although it must be remembered that the Heidelberg Catechism does not enter into the problem at all, while the Netherland Confession in Article 16 views the doctrine of election entirely from an historical point of view: “We believe that all the posterity of Adam being thus fallen into perdition and ruin, by the sin of our first parents, God then did manifest himself such as he is; that is to say, merciful and just: Merciful, since he delivers and preserves from this perdition all, whom He, in his eternal and unchangeable counsel, of mere goodness, hath elected in Christ Jesus our Lord, without any respect to their works: Just, in leaving others in the fall and perdition wherein they have involved themselves.” The Canons are more definitely infralapsarian. Thus, we read in Article 10 of Chapter I: “The good pleasure of God in the sole cause of this gracious election; which doth not consist herein, that out of all possible qualities and actions of men God has chosen some as a condition of salvation; but that He was pleased out of the common mass of sinners to adopt some certain as a peculiar people to Himself, as it is written, ‘For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,’ etc., it was said (namely to Rebecca): ‘The elder shall serve the younger; as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.’ (Romans 9:11, 12, 13). ‘And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.’ (Acts 13:48).” And also in Article 15, the article that speaks of reprobation, we read: “What peculiarly tends to illustrate and recommend to us the eternal and unmerited grace of election, is the express testimony of sacred Scripture, that not all, but some only are elected, while others are passed by in the eternal decree; whom God, out of His sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have willfully plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion; but permitting them in His just judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the declaration of His justice, to condemn and punish them forever, not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all their others sins. And this is the decree of reprobation which by no means makes God the author of sin, (the very thought of which is blasphemy), but declares Him to be an awful, irreprehensible and righteous judge and avenger thereof.” The Canons therefore, present very decidedly the infralapsarian viewpoint. However, it must not be forgotten that the Reformed fathers never condemned the supralapsarian standpoint, and that they certainly did not regard it as inconsistent with Reformed theology.

The infralapsarians had still other objections and arguments against the supralapsarian standpoint. They alleged that the supralapsarian standpoint is very hard and cruel; the infralapsarian standpoint is much milder in its presentation of the decree of predestination, especially of reprobation. According to supralapsarians, God destined certain men to damnation. According to infralapsarians, God merely passed them by in His eternal decree of election, and determined to leave them in the common misery into which they had willfully plunged themselves, and determined not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion, but, as the Canons express it, permitted them in His just judgment to flow their own ways. It is therefore merely negative. But even apart from the fact that these are human considerations, not based upon Scripture, the argument does not present more than a semblance of truth. For, after all, a God Who leaves men in their sin and damnation is no less hard and cruel, according to any human consideration and argument, than a God that determined them unto damnation. In reality, the case stands thus, that infralapsarianism cannot find an answer to the question concerning reprobation. God, according to their presentation, is really arbitrary: He was able to save all men, but in His good pleasure He determined to leave some in their sin and damnation.

All other arguments, such as the one that the supralapsarians present God as the author of sin, and others, we have already answered.

We therefore place ourselves without reservation on the standpoint of supralapsarianism, and maintain that it is the Scriptural and the only consistent presentation of the decree of God’s predestination. But we would like to modify this supralapsarian view in such a way that it is in harmony with our organic conception of things. We must emphasize not so much what is first or last in the decree of God, but much rather place ourselves before the question: what in those decrees is conceived as purpose, and what as means? What is the main object in those decrees, and what is subordinate and subservient to that main object? In this way we first of all escape the danger to leave the impression that there after all is a temporal order in the decrees of God. And, in the second place, according to our way of presenting the doctrine of predestination we may open the way to find an answer to the question: why is there a reprobation? It is true that supralapsarians give a partial answer to this question when they assert that God also has willed the ungodly for His own name’s sake and to the manifestation of His righteousness, justice, power, and wrath. But this is by no means the final answer that may be given to this question; nor does it satisfy us. For in this way we still cannot escape the impression that there is arbitrariness in God. The reprobate are evidently not necessary to reveal God’s power and wrath and righteousness; for these virtues certainly never came to a clearer, more definite revelation than at the cross of Jesus Christ. He certainly satisfied the justice and the righteousness of God and bore all His wrath.

We, therefore, would like to present the matter of God’s counsel of predestination as follows. God conceived and willed all things in His eternal decree for His own name’s sake, that is, to the glory of His name and the reflection of His divine, infinite virtues and life. And as the highest in God is His own covenant life, He willed to establish and to reveal His covenant in Christ; and all other things in the counsel of God are related to that main purpose of God as means. Hence, we obtain the following order:

1) God wants to reveal His own eternal glory in the establishment of the His covenant.

2) For the realization of this purpose the Son becomes the Christ, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, that in Him as the first begotten of the dead all the fulness of God might dwell.

3) For that Christ and the revelation of all His fulness the church is decreed and all the elect. In the decree of God Christ is not designed for the church, but the church for Christ. The church is His body, and serves the purpose to reveal the fulness there is in Him.

4) For the purpose of realizing this church of Christ, and, therefore, the glory of Christ, the reprobate are determined as vessels of wrath. Reprobation serves the purpose of election as the chaff serves the ripening of the wheat. This is in harmony with the current thought of Scripture; and we find it expressed literally in Isaiah 43:3,4: “For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee, Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.”

5) Finally, in the counsel of God all other things in heaven and on earth are designed as means to the realization of both election and reprobation, and therefore, of the glory of Christ and His church. And because in the decree of God all things are conceived in this manner, therefore all things must work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose. And in this light we can also understand Scripture when it teaches us, as in I Corinthians 3:21-23, that “all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”"

The Decrees of God

by Dr. William Ames

1. In the exercise of God’s efficiency, the decree of God comes first.  This manner of working is the most perfect of all and notably agrees with the divine nature.

2. The decree of God is his firm decision by which he performs all things through his almighty power according to his counsel. Ephesians 1:11, “He does all things out of the counsel of His own will.”

3. God’s constancy, truth, and faithfulness appear in His decree.

7. Every decree of God is eternal, 1 Corinthians 2:7, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:”

9. The counsel of God is, as it were, his deliberation over the best manner of accomplishing anything already approved by the understanding and the will.

10. Counsel is attributed to God because of his perfect judgment whereby he does all things advisedly, i.e. willingly and knowingly, not as a result of inquiry as men make judgments.  For God sees and wills all things and everything at once.  Therefore his counsel is said to resemble deliberation in the strict sense.

11. Three things concur in the perfection of this counsel: one, the purpose [scopus] or the end set forth; two, the mental conception of that end; three, the intention and agreement of the will.

12. The purpose or end of the counsel is the glory of God himself, i.e. the goodness or perfection of God which is manifest in his efficiency and shines forth in his works.   Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of his glorious grace.”

17. An idea in man is first impressed upon him and afterwards expressed in things, but in God it is only expressed, not impressed, because it does not come from anywhere else.

18. >From this one foundation all errors of merit and foreseen faith can be substantially refuted.  For if a particular decree of God depended upon any foresight then an idea of God would have to come to him from somewhere else, which hardly agrees with his nature.

31. That conjectural knowledge which some attribute to God about future contingencies is plainly incompatible with the divine nature and perfection.

32. The good pleasure of God is an act of the divine will freely and effectively determining all things.

37. This will is effectual, because whatever he wills he effects in his own time; neither is there anything not done if he wills it to be done. Psalm 115:3; 135:6, “Whatsoever he pleases, the Lord does.”

38. The will of God is therefore the first cause of things, Rev. 4:11, “By thy will they are and were created.”  The will of God as it works outwardly does not presuppose the goodness of the object; but he creates and disposes by willing, James 1:8, “Of his own will he begat us,” Romans 9:18, “He has mercy on whom he will.”

48. In whatever God wills he is universally effectual; he is not hindered or frustrated in obtaining what he wills.  For if he should properly will anything and not attain it he would not be wholly perfect and blessed.

51. In the things which God wills there is a certain order to be conceived.  He wills the end before the means to the end because he works according to the most perfect reason.  Among means, he wills first those which come nearest to the end; that which is first in order of execution is last in order of intention and vice versa.

52. The will of God is partly hidden and partly revealed, Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Blaming God Or Blessing God?

Gary Shepard

The Scriptures plainly teach that God is the first cause of all things. He does according to His will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth. He works all things after the counsel of His own will. He does all His pleasure, raising up and putting down, making rich and making poor, afflicting or healing….all things! As He does so, the responses and attitudes of men and women to these “all things” greatly reflect their attitude toward the God who sends them. I am not talking about a few words spoken in the heat of pain or the piercing sorrow of grief. Jacob, the man of faith, spoke in haste at a time of great sorrow, “all things are against me.”

I am talking about the individual’s general attitude and response after the initial shock has passed. When their thoughts again are gathered and a course must be taken, what will they say and do? Will they blame or bless the God who is the first cause of all things. If all the second causes, whether they be men, events, rulers, diseases, weather or whatever are blamed, then God is blamed. Our displeasure with providence is displeasure with the One who orders all providence. There is great need to recognize and admit this.

If I am dissatisfied with that which God has ordained, I question God’s wisdom, His love, His grace and His purpose. I set myself above God and by my thoughts, words and actions declare that I could do better as God than God Himself. Oh what practical idolatry!

When all the events that claimed Job’s property, wealth, members of his family and his honor had passed, Job responded, “Naked came I from out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, BLESSED be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) The story of Job closes out with these words, “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.” Oh the wisdom, grace, love and goodness of God! He is to be blessed in all things and blamed in none. May He save us from our sinful tendency to blame (even through second causes) rather than bless Him. May we bless Him who “works all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom.8:28)

Gary Shepard pastors the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Jacksonville, NC.

What the Central Focus of the Lapsarian Discussion Should Be

Scott Price

For years there has been debate and discussion concerning whether Infralapsarianism or Supralapsarianism is the proper position. I believe most people have missed the whole theological boat. Many want to focus on the so-called problem of evil. Others rush to the controversial issues of Reprobation. Some will go to either end of the spectrum and embellish their opponents weakness to caricature their view of God. Often, like in any other controversy, they will put words in the other person’s mouth. This means people continue to talk past each other and little is accomplished.

Outside the Sovereign Grace and Reformed school of thought the Pelagian and Arminian camps go to the ends of the earth to make the true God look like a monster who acts on a whim for no apparent purpose. People who are ignorant of the subject both historically and theologically read their writings and leave with a permanent warning burned in their brain: Stay away from anything that looks, sounds, smell and feels like it is even remotely close to the Sovereignty of God, especially in salvation.

In the Sovereign Grace and the Reformed camp, many preachers, teachers and writers seek to dumb people down. They keep Lapsarian issues in the theological closet and appear anxious to stay away from subjects that challenge the minds of their hearers in any direction other than church growth or building projects. Some divert the minds of many by mocking the length of a word such as Supralapsarianism and making those who use it appear like theological obscurantists, as if once a word has more than 10 letters only snobs or irrelevant ivory tower theologians could be concerned with it. The term Dispensationalism has the same amount of letters in it and many have no problem drilling that word into the heads of professing Calvinists. What about Presuppositionalist? It has 19 letters, almost twice the amount but I see many Calvinists weilding that term around with ease. Many in leadership positions keep things in the closet far more easily dealt with than Lapsarianism issues. But keeping people in the dark and suppressing their growth is a topic for another article.

Over the past 18 years of my 21 year journey in the faith I have become solidly convinced of the Supralapsarian character of God’s decrees. What this means in a nutshell is this: God, in His determination to glorify Himself in the work of His Son Jesus Christ and to elect His people to salvation, made this determination without any consideration or constraints outside Himself. He did not determine to elect a people unto salvation in response to the fall of man. He “responds” to nothing, but He determines all that comes to pass for His glory, including the “problem” of evil and the reality of the fall of man. God does not decree based on the temporal order of events.

Many things have come together in my thinking over the years to bring me to this solid conviction. One overarching issue ties them all together: God’s chief concern is His own glory, and He glorifies Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. God glorifies Himself in the effectual and triumphant life, death, and resurrection of His Son. Some would accuse those who are Supralapsarian of not being focused on Christ in our understanding of God’s decree. Nothing could be further from the truth. From all eternity, it is God’s good pleasure to glorify Himself in the life and work of His Son before all He has made.

By teaching that God’s decree to elect His people unto salvation by Christ’s work in some way depends on the fall of man, man is made the focus and ultimate concern of Christ’s work. This is symptomatic of the man-centered focus of all modern religious thought. The central issue in Christ’s work is the glory of God. Everything takes second fiddle to God’s glorifying Himself. Man is not the center of all things. God is.

God is concerned, jealously concerned, with Himself. He is faithful to His Own character. He loves Himself. He engages all His attributes to insure and accomplish all things for His glory. He does this in such a harmonious way that no attribute violates the other in an inconsistent fashion. He has decreed this and He, through His magnificent power and providence, victoriously and overwhelmingly conquers everything and anything that opposes Him then, now and forever to glorify Himself. The LORD God has His glory in the death of His Son as His eternal over-arching purpose and all else trails behind that. Everything else must get in line behind that purpose.

One final thought. Only a particular and effectual atonement is consistent with the understanding I have just described. There are those who think of God’s decree to save His people as dependent on the fall of man who would strongly advocate a particular and definite atonement and say “Yes, God accomplished this atonement for sinners who first fell in Adam!”.

I do not deny the significance of the temporal order or the logical succession of events since the creation of the world. I wold only point out the following: We do not develop our understanding of Christ’s work by arguing back from those events. We develop our understanding of Christ’s work by submitting to God’s Testimony concerning Himself.

This Testimony is clear: God doesn’t watch the creation to see what He is going to do. God uses the creation to glorify Himself, and this purpose depends not one iota on the creation, but wholly on Him. God must and does always satisfy Himself first and that is His primary and foremost purpose. Elect sinners, for sure, benefit from God’s purpose to glorify Himself in the salvation of sinners. He is God, the only God there is, who declares the END from the beginning (Isaiah 46).

If we consider what took place on the cross during those few intense hours between the Father and Son, we should note that it was God-ward first and God’s people second. The death of Christ is about the satisfaction of God. In the death of Christ, God glorified Himself as just and Justifier.

All that is written in Holy Scripture about the elect must be understood in view of the primary driving force in the mind of Christ which is expressed in the Biblical account of His crucifixion. The driving force comes out in His recorded expressions: His Father in Heaven.

The false prophet Jerry Falwell gave out “Jesus 1st” pins for a donation. He knew a different jesus, another jesus, a false one who miserably failed to secure the salvation of those for whom He died. But the real LORD Jesus Christ of the Scripture is One who glorifies His Father in Redemption. He is the One who is first. His effective work on the cross is the result of Him making His Father first as He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross. His was a sacrifice TO His Father. This is both the end and the beginning. He is the Alpha and the Omega. I will admit that I am still learning and do not have all the answers. But for the last 18 years or so I see the eternal purpose of God starting and ending in His Redemptive Glory and that is God-ward not Man-ward. The central focus of the Lapsarian discussion should be the glory of God revealed in Christ.

Feb 15th 2009

Dr. William Twisse

(1578–1646)

“Parliament appointed the Prolocutor, or presiding officer, of the Westminster Assembly. The choice of Dr. William Twisse was unanimous in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. This no doubt reflected two things: his international reputation as an orthodox Reformed scholar and his moderate spirit. His Calvinistic credentials were clear from his published opposition to Arminianism. Twisse’s reputation had indeed grown through his publications.

In 1646 he published An Examination of Mr. Cotton’s Treatise concerning Predestination, a response to the views of John Cotton, a close friend… he was recognized abroad as the most scholarly opponent of Arminian theology… Twisse was regarded as the most able disputant in England, his strength coming from his courtesy and thorough understanding of his opponent’s position. As a controversialist, however, he preferred to carry on disputations in writing: And, for this he gives the following reasons: — Because, these things may be done more quietly by writing; the managers of the controversy will then be kept free from foreign discourse; the arguments on each side may be more properly and deliberately weighed; answers returned with due consideration; and the holy things of God may be more decently handled… But Twisse’s intellectual reputation, his even-handed style, and his good humor helped the Assembly to start aright. Reid comments concerning his writings:

“He often affords considerable entertainment to his reader, by the vivacity of his genius, and the sharpness and elegance of his wit. He sometimes uses jocose or historical diversions, to animate the spirits of his readers, and to preserve them from weariness…” John Owen… referred to Twisse with great respect: ‘This great man… the learned Twisse… this renowned man; the very illustrious, and the accurate Twisse’…

The Royalist army had deprived him of his living from Newbury, and therefore Parliament had to make a special provision for him… He was buried in Westminster Abbey, and his funeral was attended by the whole Assembly… when he died he was a widower with four sons and three daughters… Following the Restoration, on September 9, 1661 his remains, along with others, were dug up and thrown into a common pit in St. Margaret’s churchyard. Having never sought preferment, Twisse would not have minded. Shortly before his death he had uttered these words as nearly his last: ‘Now, at length, I shall have leisure to follow my studies to all eternity’” (William Baker, Puritan Profiles, pp. 18-21).

“…at the age of eighteen, he was sent to New college, Oxford, where he was chosen fellow. Here he spent sixteen years, and by the most assiduous attention to his studies, acquired an extraordinary proficiency in logic, philosophy, and divinity. His profound erudition was manifested in his public lectures and learned disputations, but more especially by his correcting the works of the celebrated Bradwardine… He was an admired and popular preacher; and though some considered his sermons too scholastic, he was greatly followed both by the students and townsmen… On his arrival in England, he took his final leave of the court, and retired to a country village, and mean house, where he devoted himself to those profound studies, by which he laid the foundation of those rare and elaborate works, which will be admired by pious and learned men to the latest posterity…

He had no taste for worldly riches, nor ambition for ecclesiastical preferment, but modestly refused them when offered him. Few ecclesiastics have ever been more anxious to obtain church preferment than Dr. Twisse was to avoid it…

With a view to arrest the progress of puritanism and serious religion, which were making alarming encroachments on the church, King James introduced a Book of Sports, for the amusement of his loving subjects on the Sabbath-day, either before or after divine service… His son, Charles I., pursuing similar views, again proclaimed an enlarged copy of the said book, which he ordered to be read from the pulpits of every parish in the kingdom, under the pain of suspension and deprivation. Regardless of the penalty, Dr. Twisse refused to read it, and even ventured to declare himself decidedly against all such Sabbath profanation. Other faithful ministers did the same; for which they suffered the penalty. The doctor, however, came off better than many of his brethren, who were suspended from their ministry, driven out of the kingdom, or committed to prison… Dr. Twisse was poor, and lived in an obscure situation, his fame was great in all the reformed churches, and that therefore nothing severe could be done against him without becoming a public reproach to themselves. Dr. Twisse continued to exhibit his public testimony against the Book of Sports, till it was finally ordered to be burnt by the hands of the hangman, on the 5th of May 1643. He spared neither king nor parliament, but, with great ingenuity, turned this their own act against themselves…

From the books he had published, particularly his controversial works, he obtained an amazing celebrity. Here his talents and erudition were employed on his favorite subjects, without the least [government -- RB] control, and with unrivaled success. Amongst his numerous antagonists were Dr. Thomas Goodwin, a man of great learning, and celebrated for his knowledge in antiquities… Mr. John Goodwin, the celebrated advocate for Arminianism, whom he is said to have refuted with great learning and judgment. His next contest was with Dr. Cotton… He also successfully combated the famous Arminius, and others, in defense of the doctrines of grace. His answers to Dr. Jackson and Arminius, and his Riches of God’s Love, when first published, were all suppressed by the arbitrary appointment of bishop Laud…

In 1643 he was nominated, by an order of parliament, prolocutor to the assembly of divines, who met at Westminster, by an ordinance of parliament, to settle religion and the government of the church… Dr. Twisse… often expressed a wish that the fire of contention might be extinguished, if it were even with his blood… through age his body had become heavy and rather burdensome… During his long illness, he was visited by people of all ranks, who were lovers either of religion or learning, to whom he gave remarkable evidence of his faith, patience, and Christian resignation under affliction. By the civil war he had been driven from his curacy and the people of his charge at Newbury, and deprived of all his property by the royal army; insomuch that when a deputation from the assembly visited him, they reported that he labored under great affliction and extreme poverty…

Mr. Clark says, “He was greatly admired for his learning, subtle wit, and correct judgment, integrity, modesty, and self-denial.” Fuller calls him a divine of great abilities, piety, learning, and moderation; and Wood says his plan of preaching was good, his disputations were accounted better; but his pious life was esteemed the best of all.

All writers against Arminianism have made honorable mention of his works, and acknowledged him to have been the mightiest man that age produced on these controversies; and the most learned of his adversaries have acknowledged, that there was nothing extant, on the Arminian controversy, more full and accurate than what is to be found in his works.”

Thomas Smith, Select Memoirs of the Lives, Labors, and Sufferings, of Those Pious and Learned English and Scottish Divines, Who Greatly Distinguished Themselves in Promoting the Reformation from Popery; In Translating the Bible; and in Promulgating Its Salutary Doctrines by Their Numerous Evangelical Writings; and Who Ultimately Crowned the Venerable Edifice with the Celebrated Westminster Confession of Faith, etc. etc. etc. (1828), pp. 437-442

List of Supralapsarians

William Ames (1576-1633)

Louis Berkof desired to hold to both views (cf. Systematic Theology, pp.124-25).

Theodore Beza (1519-1605)

Johannes Bogerman (1576-1637) , Synod of Dort president

Gordon Clark  (1902-1985)

Isaac Chauncy (1632-1712)

Vincent Cheung

Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669)

Alexander Comrie (1706–1774)

Tobias Crisp (1600-1643)

Giovanni Diodati (1576-1649)

Andreas Essenius (1618-1677)

David Engelsma

Francis Gomarus (1563-1641)

Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680)

Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965)

G.H. Kersten

John Knox (1505-1572)

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Johannes Maccovius (1588–1644)

Wolfgang Musculus (1497-1563)

Mathias Nethenus (1618-1686)

William Perkins (1558-1602)

Arthur Walkington Pink ( 1886 – 1952)

Amandus Polanus (1561-1610)

Peter Ramus  (1515-1572)

Robert Reymond

Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661)

John Collett Ryland (1723 – 1792)

Daniel Tilenus (1563 – 1633)

Robert Traill (1642-1716)

Theodore Tronchin (1582-1687) Beza’s son-in-law

Benedict Turretin (1588-1631) Francis Turretin’s Dad

William Twisse, (1578-1646)

Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499-1562)

Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676)

Gerhardus Vos (1862-1949)

Antonius Walaeus (1573-1639)

William Whitaker (1548-1595)

Jerome Zanchius (1516-1590)

Huldreich Zwingli (1484-1531)

- Please help add to this list-

God’s Glory is His Priority

Scott Price

“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.” Eph 3:20-21

Many times you will hear people say this or that is the “main thing”. I say that a lot when explaining out various doctrines or theology as I preach and teach. How can so many things be the main thing? Within any subject there is focus, emphasis or preeminence on a particular portion of a message. These things (points, statements, or thoughts in a message or lesson) are all going in the direction with agreeing and harmonizing with the truth of the gospel as they bring glory to God. Some of these points which are to be emphasized may be prefaced with; “If ya don’t get anything else today get this”. That means at least one of two things: What I am about to say is one of the most important things I am saying in the message or what I am about to say is not mentioned by many other people, so listen close.

In a day seemingly dominated by humanistic, man-centered false religion the forgotten message is the fact that God’s first, preeminent, main, central priority and purpose is His very own glory. If you do not agree with that you most likely have not shaken off the dust of false religion yet. God must be glorified and He will never ever share His glory with another. Nobody will rob Him of it because of His earned reputation of being a Jealous God. He must be faithful to Himself. He likes it that way. This is His way and it is the main focus of everything without exception. The main reason and chief end for everything is to bring glory to this Great and Majestic, Almighty God.

The glorious wisdom of God shines forth from His character as He chose and appointed the Eternal Son of God to be the One who performed and accomplished salvation for God’s people in a way so as to, you guessed it; bring glory to His holy Name. He is first. God must have a sacrifice in salvation. He, to remain faithful to Himself, must be a just God as He is a Savior. Christ is the One who insured that as He agreed in the Eternal Covenant to live out in every facet the gospel story for #1) the glory of God and #2) the salvation of His people.

God the Father did this in such a way that He put Christ out front in preeminence and put the government of salvation on His shoulders as He did the work and bore the burden of responsibility in fulfilling all the Covenant conditions. Glory was the result! At every turn; glory, glory, glory! We have the testimony of God against mankind that they have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Who is the glory of God? Jesus Christ the Lord is. It is a Person. The glory of God is wrapped up in the Person and work of Christ and we live by that rule (Galatians 6:14). It is about Him not us. Never think that the servant is above his Master. He MUST increase and we MUST decrease. To God be the glory forever and ever Amen.

Not Just “Any Old Way”, But The Only Way

“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” Luke 22-41-44

Recently I was made to analyze a scenario brought forth by someone who held to a false gospel. He said, “Christ could have saved people any old way and did not have to do it the way He did.”  He continued in explaining his scenario with, “Christ could have come down to earth as an adult to have His finger cut to draw a drop of blood and that would be enough to save the world.” This man was a Roman Catholic and what was interesting was the fact that people around him who were Baptist and other denominations raised their eyebrows wanting an answer from me as if to say that, “Yeah He could have just done that couldn’t He?”  Several things started to flood my mind concerning this misrepresentation of the only Jesus Christ of the Scriptures. A false gospel is a false gospel no matter what denomination is comes out of.

The following are only a few things that came to mind shortly after the conversation:

The Sovereign & Wise Decree of God Almighty

One thing that was brought to mind was that God has from all eternity, in His infinite wisdom always desired, wanted, decreed, purposed, foreordained, predestined, willed, planned and provided for the eternal Son of God to do as was decreed to glorify God.  II Timothy 1:9 shows this was not some reaction or after thought when it says, “who (God) has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.“ (MKJV)

That The Scriptures Must Be Fulfilled

Another thing that came to mind was what about all the many Old Testament Scriptures that testified to the fact that all these things must and will come to pass? Not just the specific prophesies but also all the gospel figures, types, pictures and shadows contained in the Old Testament even before the birth of the promised, chosen Messiah are all part of the means in God’s salvation. Matthew 26:53-56 says, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so? In that hour Jesus said to the crowds, Have you come out in order to take Me with swords and clubs, as against a thief? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not lay hands on Me. But all this happened that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” (MKJV)

What Was Decreed & Prophesied Must Come to Pass in God’s Good Time

The Scripture bears a significant amount of emphasis on the fact that all things revolve around and center on this specific TIME of Christ’s 33 years of gospel performance on this earth. The Lord many times mentioned that His “time was not come” before He was to go to the cursed tree to sacrifice Himself to the Father for the sin of His people.

Just a couple examples are in John 2:4 it says, “Jesus said unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” John 7:30 says, “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.” But in John 17:1 the Lord Jesus Christ finally reached His time or hour when He said, “These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee.” In Galatians 4:4-5 it says, But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, coming into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem those under Law, so that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (MKJV)

The Law Must Be Fulfilled

Salvation by necessity involves the Law being obeyed, fulfilled, honored, magnified and satisfied. The text above you just read about the Law is just one of many stressing the fact that the Law must be kept by Christ for salvation.

Matthew 5:17-18 says, “Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, Till the heaven and the earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any way pass from the law until all is fulfilled.” Romans 5:19 says, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.” (MKJV)

The Cup of Wrath MUST Be Drank Dry

In the garden shortly before His death the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father concerning this very topic that we are considering. In Luke 22 it says concerning Christ having to drink of the cup of wrath, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” The Father was not willing then nor ever was because it is the only way salvation could be accomplished. It was decreed and agreed upon in the covenant before time. This MUST take place and it is more than just a cut on the finger.

The Wages of Sin Is Death

The Bible shows throughout that death must be the penalty to bring forth life, whether it be a skin for covering the body as in the Garden of Eden, an animal ceremonial sacrifice, or even a basic description the Lord made of a seed in John 12:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.” and in Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death“. Christ willfully took on the sin of His people by the means of imputation. This legal transfer of sin to the account of Christ made Him guilty and deserving of death that consisted primarily of legal condemnation, which demanded His physical death as a sin sacrifice to the Father. A simple cut on the finger would not be enough.

God MUST Be Both a Just God and Savior

If there to be salvation it MUST be done in such a way that honors the character attributes of God. God’s redemptive glory is at stake here. This is a rejected idea by many “Calvinists” who may claim that God’s sovereignty overrides all else. That is a crooked view of the true God. Romans 3:26 says, “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus.”

In Isaiah 54:20-21 a striking passage of Scripture that clear distinguishes the only True and Living God from idols reveals the reason, “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me.”

The idea of blood being shed by Christ, and in our original scenario description of cutting Christ’s little finger, is not the fact that it contains plasma or hemoglobin but the focus should be the merit of His work by virtue of who He is; the God-Man. Blood is not magic, even Christ’s blood. His is said to be precious because of the effect of its merit. It is the intent and purpose behind what was being done. His blood is effectual (it works all by itself).

The gospel of Christ centers on HIM and then mainly the HOW and WHY of the cross. The HOW and WHY are invisible and spiritual. These two things cannot be seen by the naked eye, but rather are revealed in the gospel and seen with the eye of God-faith how and why God must be both a just God and Savior. A simple cut on the finger would not be enough.

Conclusion

If you did not notice, all these points harmonize and are interrelated to one another. God does things in a consistent manner, a manner that does not contradict His word or His character. The god of religion can be twisted to fit any imagination but God describes Himself in His word a specific way, the only way that He is to be seen. By nature we do not see His way but are blinded by our perverted way. God in His grace reveals Himself to us by the power of both His gospel and Holy Spirit to see His way. It is at that point (conversion) we forsake our way as wickedness and embrace His as our exclusive means of eternal life. God’s Redemptive character cannot be compromised. It is His chief glory. The implication of this is the fact that God demands certain things as a result of His character not a mere finger cut. Think on it.

Cannot or Will Not, Which is the Cause?

Scott Price

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day” John 6:44 MKJV

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. And they are the ones witnessing of Me, and you will not come to Me that you might have life” John 5:39-40 MKJV

Always in the context of the gospel we see at least three basic heads of Doctrine; Who God is and what He Requires, Who Man is and how he fails to meet those requirements and who Christ is and how He is the only Way of salvation. As Man is dealt with he is seen to be totally depraved, which has affected him in many different ways. He is first affected legally and then spiritually. God put all men without exception in a representative, Adam. When Adam sinned in the garden so did everyone else he represented (everybody) and God legally charged it to his or her account. Not only are we born with the sin Adam, we also have his sin nature so that spiritually or morally we are perverted from birth. We cannot think properly about God. Our ways are not His, because we are “dead” in sins, unable and unwilling to seek after God, understand Him or do anything good in His sight because there is none by nature who is in the state of perfect righteousness.

In this doctrine called Total Depravity, when it comes to dealing with mankind coming to Christ or “seeking after God” (that is the only way to seek God is to come to Christ), there enters in a few questions that need to be considered. How you view those questions tell many things about how you view God, Man and even Christ. This is by no means an exhaustive treatment of this subject but is simply something to stir your thoughts.

First, let us clarify what it means to come to Christ. It means come to Him by faith. It is obvious it does not mean come to His physical Person at the right hand of the Father. By faith the meaning is the action of knowing Him, believing, trusting, counting on, leaning on, resting in, hoping in Him alone for all your salvation and loving Him for it. This faith is, of course, a gift of God as the Scripture clearly testifies in several places. This faith is not an offer to accept or reject. God is not sitting, waiting around and wondering whether people are going to believe or not since He is the only One who gives faith. He gives it effectually to the chosen people of God and works in them by the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the gospel as a means to regenerate and convert them. In this sense we may say that it is “not up to them” in that, they do not have some power that is stronger than God’s or that can cancel out the purpose of God decreed before time.

Man is accountable to believe God whether Man has the ability or not in a similar fashion that Man is accountable to keep the Law or God whether he has the ability or not. All men by nature are born under the curse of the Law, and therefore are in desperate need to be under grace instead. So, also all are born in the natural state of unbelief and are in need of God working faith in their hearts by the Spirit through the gospel. The Bible is clear that “all men have not faith“ as stated in 2 Thes 3:2 (KJV). One question seems to work it’s way out front, in my mind at least, to express the sovereignty of God and that is; Does God, when He commands that all believe, give or work in all men the faith to believe? I guess the way the world states it, “Doesn’t God give everybody a chance?” The fact is He does not even give the elect a “chance” to believe because He has never saves by chance, but rather on purpose. His purpose has always been to save the ones He chose and has never been to save the ones He did not choose.

God Almighty even has a purpose for (the Reprobate) the people He did not choose to eternal life and that purpose is condemnation. God, in wisdom, power and sovereignty did this before the world was even created, when these people “had not yet been born, neither had done any good or evil; but that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who called” (Rom 9:11 MKJV). It should be seen that this was no accident, but was on purpose that God did this to the Reprobate. We need here to start to see that people are shut up to the sovereign mercy of God or there is no hope at all, ever. Many if not most ”sovereign grace”, “Calvinist” or “Reformed” folks are ashamed and embarrassed about such a God who is absolutely sovereign in salvation and damnation, so much so that they compromise His character wherever they can to soften the offense of His Divine sovereign rights as God. They make excuses for Him to be sovereign and try to make it look like He is merely allowed to be instead conditioned on the evil works of men and not that He must be because it is an essential attribute of His Divine character. Much, much more could and should be said but I must relate this to our subject.

Man’s problem is in place because God sovereignly put it in place just like the remedy was put in place for the elect. Both the fall of Satan and Adam were no accident because they were decreed by God like all other things without exception that happen. This is a fact that most, even under the sovereign grace banner, will not accept or at least is a jagged pill to swallow. Here we see the sovereignty of God even in Total Depravity. God has wisely seen fit that this salvation He set forth in Christ has not loopholes where the boasting or glory of Man can raise it’s ugly head.

Man is born with a natural inability to come to Christ. He cannot come to Christ because the means to come to Him is #1) the gospel (the “word” John 17:17, Romans 10:17, I Cor 4:15, Eph 1:13, Eph 5:26, II Tim 1:10, James 1:18, I Pet 1:23-25), #2) the Holy Spirit in regeneration (John 1:13, John 3:3, Eph 2:1, #3) the gift of faith worked in him (John 6:29, John 17:3, Eph 2:8-9, Phil 2:13, II Thes 2:13-14, I John 5:20). Let us not forget that all spiritual blessings in Christ, which includes faith, were earned by Christ as He bled and died in obedience to secure all such blessings for His people. In short, God does not love all without exception, Christ did not die for all without exception, God does not send the gospel to all without exception, He does nor regenerate all without exception and does not give or work the gift of faith in all without exception.

Therefore we must conclude that a person will not come to Christ by faith primarily because they simply cannot. Ability must be present to be willing to come to Christ. The will of man does not supersede the ability to come to Christ, that is the Arminian idea of freewill. On the other hand we must state the obvious and say that man can never come to Christ unless he will come to Christ. An example may be that if you purpose to go to work you cannot be there unless you will actually go. This expresses means and is against a fatalist or even mystical understanding of things. Things do not happen by magic in other words. But we must see that one (inability) is the cause of the other (not willing) for the matter of what is the emphasis. The emphasis is the sovereignty and glory of God. God gets all the credit for bringing men to Christ, NOT the will of the sinner. Here is where we should see that faith is Christ is not an offer but a powerful work of God in the sinner, regenerating, calling, drawing, revealing, etc. directly to the heart by the Spirit through the means of God’s gospel. This forces the conclusion, which is the very offense of the cross, that the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ in His life and death is what makes the difference between heaven and hell, NOT what you conditionally do with His merits.

There is some truth to the statement, men cannot come to Christ because they will not, BUT the will of man is not the PRIMARY reason. Why they cannot is because they are DEAD and the fruit of that death, both legal and spiritual, is that their will has been damaged to the point that it is not free in any sense, but rather is bound to it’s inability. God sovereignly placed this inability on all men without exception by nature. Many will no doubt kick and scream to say that if I place emphasis where I have on this subject then men will try to blame God at judgment for Him not giving them faith. Let them try, it will not stick. God withholds, on purpose, His mercy from the Reprobate. He has the Divine right to exercise His sovereignty in salvation as He has purposed in Himself and none can stop Him. This is the only God to worship. There is none beside Him. Worship Him or perish! My question to you is, are you willing? If you are it is God who made you so. If He has not yet made you so then you cannot until He does. I exhort God’s people who have an ear to hear, do not be afraid or ashamed to give the whole truth concerning this subject. Salvation is of the Lord. Amen.