Dear WBC,
I was reading a blog by someone discussing the doctrine of predestination, and the writer summed things up by saying this:"God hardens the reprobate not by a positive working of evil in their hearts but by passing over them and leaving them to act in accordance with their own wicked nature. This is a divine decree made before the foundation of the world." So what do you think about this? Do you believe God is ACTIVELY driving the reprobates to their damnation…or is He simply NOT guiding them towards faith and repentance?
Thanks,
William
Dear William –
Please start with this:
Why all these words about this question? Sinful rebellious man must always get to the bottom of a thing. I have an idea. Shut up and just OBEY.
Meanwhile, get a thing or two clear. James 1 says it good. Read that carefully and then get Gill and read what he says. It is this: when you cook up some sin and then work it to death in your processor and suck on it day after day so that it consumes you, don’t say God did it to me.
On the other hand, it was the Lord. The cause was from God. The purpose of God is to teach His people and lead them along and make them proper vessels or to harden the wicked in sin to their destruction as you see from His word.
Or some other purpose that belongs to God that He didn’t share with His creatures.
After those words you are still left with the last two verses of Ecclesiastes. There is your duty. Do that, to wit: fear God and keep His commandments.
Now, go read Romans 9. Slow down when you get to the verse that says: nay but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Can the thing formed say to him that formed him: WHY have you made me thus?
I love that answer!!
Sinful man does not need to understand the secrets of God to do their duty. Nor does their inability to understand a thing reduce it to oblivion.
Thanks for asking.
WBC