Thursday, August 23, 2012

Good article by Justin Taylor

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/08/20/is-the-god-of-calvinism-a-moral-monster/

Is the God of Calvinism a Moral Monster?

My comments on Facebook concerning Justin's article.

Most all these type questions stem from a faulty concept of God’s sovereignty.  We count our rights, as people, as being a part of who we are. We can make choices based on our likes and dislikes, and turn out or cast aside anything that we find repugnant or objectionable.  But with God, we expect something along the lines of extreme toleration. Always forgetting that He has every right to like, accept, and endear Himself to anyone He so chooses to. Remember, He is the one who is holy, righteous and good, and is THE Supreme Being and Creator of all things great and small that is being maligned and sinned against by evil and totally corrupted sinners. 

I am reminded that God’s attribute of wrath was with Him from all eternity past, along with all His other glorious attributes. So in a very real sense, knowing God had/has this attribute from eternity past, it was/is very evident that He would create human beings that would sin against His glory. What other reason would this attribute of wrath be necessary for from eternity past? If we can imagine a God without likes/dislikes/preferences, and without the freedom to do as He so pleases, then we would surely have a God without the attribute of wrath. Why, if we give ourselves the right to make choices, do we deny the Creator of the Universe the very same rights? 

God’s freedom to choose whosoever He will is His divine, prerogative: and none can stay His hand or say to Him, what doest thou?  We need to get a real dose of our creatureliness; we are in the hands of a sovereign Creator, who makes some vessels for honor and other vessels for dishonor.

2 comments:

Daniel Shepherd said...

Hi Sis Mary, Thanks for the article and web site. Keep 'em coming. God Bless, bro Dan

Mary Elizabeth Tyler said...

Hi Bro Dan,

So good to hear from you. Will talk to you later on email. Here is how I responded to Justin's article on Facebook. He is one of my friends on FB.

Most all these type questions stem from a faulty concept of God’s sovereignty. We count our rights, as people, as being a part of who we are. We can make choices based on our likes and dislikes, and turn out or cast a side anything that we find repugnant or objectionable. But with God, we expect something along the lines of extreme toleration. Always forgetting that He has every right to like, accept, and endear Himself to anyone He so chooses to. Remember, He is the one who is holy, righteous and good, and is THE Supreme Being and Creator of all things great and small, that is being maligned and sinned against by evil and totally corrupted sinners.

I am reminded that God’s attribute of wrath was with Him from all eternity past, along with all His other glorious attributes. So in a very real sense, knowing God had/has this attribute from eternity past, it was/is very evident that He would create human beings that would sin against His glory. What other reason would this attribute of wrath be necessary for from eternity past?

If we can imagine a God without likes/dislikes/preferences, and without the freedom to do as He so pleases, then we would surely have a God without the attribute of wrath. Why, if we give ourselves the right to make choices, do we deny the Creator of the Universe the very same rights?

God’s freedom to choose whosoever He will is His divine, prerogative: and none can stay His hand or say to Him, what doest thou? We need to get a real dose of our creatureliness; we are in the hands of a sovereign Creator, who makes some vessels for honor and other vessels for dishonor.