Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
Reminds me of the joke about the good Calvinist who fell and broke their leg. "I'm glad that's over with now."
Presumes that all of life is predestined. That would mean that "whosoever will" is a ruse because you can only will if God has predestined it to be so. (Wouldn't that fit well in an inerrant bible view?) There is something very wrong in that whole line of thinking. I think that it comes from an overly expansive view of Paul's discussion in Romans 9 and following where he notes that God specifically chose concerning certain things. Such as Jacob to be the heir even though he was actually second-born. Surely God can choose and can act in whatever manner he wants. He can make a pot (like Pharoah) to have a hard heart for the furtherance of his will. But that does not presume that everything is therefore chosen and set in place before the foundation of the earth. That God simply does intervene in everything and sets everything in motion with the intent that it happens the way it does.
|
Funny regarding the Calvinist with the broken leg!
I am convinced that when we stand before the Bema, there will be no such excuse on our part, such as "How could I have done this or that Lord? You made me a certain way!" Back to the delegation idea. It's a free will thing and He lets us have authority within a certain realm of things. When people say stuff like, "Yer the master of your own destiny" and "The words you speak become reality," they are partially right. Why? Because God has given the earth to men - delegated it to us. (Psalm 115:16) I praise Him that this verse is true:
"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." (Prov 19:21)
As a leader, when you delegate something to someone, you expect them to be a good steward over what you've given them. However, as the leader you still retain ultimate authority. But for a period of time controlled by the leader, they let the delegatee have control. Eventually, there comes an accounting of things done in the body. (2 Cor. 5:10)