Doctrine of divine decrees part 7: lapsarianism

Doctrine of divine decrees part 7: lapsarianism.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Point 3: The order of the divine decrees (lapsarianism).

d. The decree to elect some from among fallen mankind, and to leave others in their sin (those who will not believe in Christ).
e. The decree to save the elect through faith in Christ or to apply salvation to those who believe.

In the mind of God in EP, all blessings were provided after the fall and not before, therefore all blessings, just like salvation, are provided by grace and not by works.

3. Sublapsarianism, also a form of moderate Calvinism.
a. The decree to create all mankind.
b. The decree to permit the fall.
c. The decree to elect those who believe in Christ, and to leave in just condemnation those who do not believe in Christ.
d. The decree to provide salvation for the elect (limited atonement).
e. The decree to save the elect through faith in Christ, sometimes stated as the decree to apply salvation to those who believe in Christ.

c. The decree to elect those who believe in Christ, and to leave in just condemnation those who do not believe in Christ.
d. The decree to provide salvation for the elect (limited atonement).

4. Armenian Lapsarianism, represented by Richard Watson, their greatest theologian.
a. The decree to create all mankind.
b. The decree to permit the fall.
c. The decree to provide unlimited atonement (but they don’t understand it correctly.)
d. Salvation by foreseen human virtue + faith + obedience; hence the blasphemy of salvation by works.
e. Election as an act of God in time. (which makes election synonymous with experiential sanctification)

EPH 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

Election is the expression of the Sovereign will of God for you and predestination is the provision of the Sovereign will of God for you and you can say yes or no to them, but they are never based on your works.

“be separate” is the aor-pass-imp of aphorizo, which means to mark off from others by boundaries, to limit, or to separate. In context it is a command to separate from religion and the Phallic Cult.

“set me apart” is the same word, aphorizo, but this time it is the work of God in EP.

“called me” which is not found in 2Co 6 is kaleo - to call, to call by name, or to invite.

John 10:3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.

Through a partial atonement all men receive a measure of common grace so that they may turn to God in faith as well as virtue and obedience. To those who did this Christ died as a complete substitute for them.

The Arminian view states that Christ propitiated (satisfied) God for all men, but substituted only for the elect.

This view provides a limited atonement for those that God foresaw as being faithful, virtuous, and obedient.

Hyper-Calvinists - double predestination
[Sovereignty w/o love]
Sub-lapsarians - limited atonement [Justice w/o love]
Arminians - [God is petty]

Hyper-Calvinists - Sovereign will of God/no free will of creature.
Sub-lapsarians - God gives grace only to the elect and not all.
Arminians - Free will of the creature/no Sovereign will of God.

The true Biblical view of lapsarianism:
1. To create all mankind for the purpose of bringing many sons into glory — Hebrews 2:10 — and resolving the angelic conflict.
2. To permit the fall of mankind with the subsequent extension of the angelic conflict to the human race.

3. To provide salvation for all mankind — unlimited atonement.
4. The first primary asset: The decree to provide a portfolio of invisible assets for every believer by depositing escrow blessings for every believer for time and eternity.
5. The second primary asset: The simultaneous decrees of election and predestination
Ephesians 1:4,5.