As America’s freedom of speech and virtually everything else is being shredded and flushed by the current administration, there is at least one venue where freedom is valued. That is in the presence of our Father.
I’ve had occasion to debate with Calvanists from time to time on the subject of the sovereignty of God (which I have never denied), and while my ignorance of the matter far surpasses my understanding, the discussion is always lively and interesting (at least, to me). It always seems to me that in asserting God’s sovereignty over man’s free will, that the Calvinists just don’t take it far enough.
What I mean is, we always get stuck at the point of, “If God is sovereign, then man cannot have free will, and if man has free will, then God cannot be sovereign, since man would have the ability to thwart God’s plan.”
My response is, “If God is truly sovereign, then He has the power to relinquish his sovereignty if He so chooses for His own purposes. If he is unable to do so, then He isn’t truly sovereign. There then must be some higher power constraining His sovereignty.” It then follows that the plan of salvation makes so much more sense when man is free to choose to submit to God’s will, or to follow his own path into self-destruction.
Anyway, that’s what makes sense to me. I thought it interesting, then, to come across the following quotation from Charles Spurgeon:
That’s what I thought! “...The power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed.” The same power that God wields in constraining His anger is the power that He wields in blessing the human race with free will. And this is from the pen of a most authoritative Calvinist.
The idea of a God unable to suspend His sovereignty seems not a very sovereign God to me. Such suspension is not only a tribute to His power, but an even greater tribute to the extent of His love.
I’ve had occasion to debate with Calvanists from time to time on the subject of the sovereignty of God (which I have never denied), and while my ignorance of the matter far surpasses my understanding, the discussion is always lively and interesting (at least, to me). It always seems to me that in asserting God’s sovereignty over man’s free will, that the Calvinists just don’t take it far enough.
What I mean is, we always get stuck at the point of, “If God is sovereign, then man cannot have free will, and if man has free will, then God cannot be sovereign, since man would have the ability to thwart God’s plan.”
My response is, “If God is truly sovereign, then He has the power to relinquish his sovereignty if He so chooses for His own purposes. If he is unable to do so, then He isn’t truly sovereign. There then must be some higher power constraining His sovereignty.” It then follows that the plan of salvation makes so much more sense when man is free to choose to submit to God’s will, or to follow his own path into self-destruction.
Anyway, that’s what makes sense to me. I thought it interesting, then, to come across the following quotation from Charles Spurgeon:
“ ‘The Lord is slow to anger,’ because he is GREAT IN POWER. He is truly great in power who hath power over himself. When God’s power doth restrain himself, then it is power indeed: the power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed.”
That’s what I thought! “...The power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed.” The same power that God wields in constraining His anger is the power that He wields in blessing the human race with free will. And this is from the pen of a most authoritative Calvinist.
The idea of a God unable to suspend His sovereignty seems not a very sovereign God to me. Such suspension is not only a tribute to His power, but an even greater tribute to the extent of His love.
People, really? This is not that hard and i really don't know why people just don't get it. So 1st of all: 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 please people understand this. Romans 8:18-25, this stuff is important to understand people please. Matthew 10:16-25. Thought taken out on context still Luke 11:17. OK so i am not going to argue doctrine. I will just tell you all a little bit about my relationship with my GOD. You see he is my Father and just like any father he wants me to learn and grow myself and be my own person that means I need to make my own mistakes to learn from them. My GOD is also my best friend I can talk to and get advice from (I am never alone, my GOD, my Friend, is always by my side). I try to be a friend to him as well, that means i am responsible for my own actions and i don't expect him to bail me out every time i mess up. Like really people what kind of friend always is like dude can u bail me out of jail, hey man can u loan me $20, then gets pissed when you don't. You see me and my GOD are the best of friends we talk, he doesn’t use me and i do not use him we do things for one another because we like to because we enjoy helping and doing things for each other. Now don't get me wrong he is a way better friend to me than i could ever be to him but not allowing me to make and learn from mistakes is just enabling me. You see He put this thing called life in motion a long time ago and there are consequences for my actions this was determined a long time ago. But without the free will to make my own mistakes there could be no real relationship. Ok and I can never forget to mention that my GOD is also my KING. And like any king He must allow the law to be enforced (not because He is bound to but just because it is his way) sometimes enforcing it himself but let us not forget Luke 7:6-10, HE is a king with no need to do more than just speak the word and his commands are carried out.
So i think i got a little bit off topic but the division of doctrine in the church gets me sometimes. But i think what we are facing with the current state of the nation is clearly laid out in mat 10:34-39 and again in Luke 12:40-53. I really don't know why people are surprised when he clearly said this would happen and he even told us this was what was going to happen to us mat 10:16-22. Anyways that's my 2 cense for what it's worth. I think I've probably said too much really. Anyways thanks for reading my (probably crazy) ramblings. I do hope they help even if just a little. And i must add that I am probably wrong so feel free to correct me
Posted by: joshua tinsley | February 25, 2010 at 02:19 AM