Catechism Buzz: Irony Intended

I want you to think about the moment that Pontius Pilate offered to release from custody either Barabbas or Jesus. Both of these men were already condemned to die, so when the crowd chose to have Pilate release Barabbas, it wasn't their choice that condemned Christ (since Christ was already condemned by Pilate), rather their choice simply set Barabbas free.

The crowd elected to show mercy to Barabbas (by releasing him), and in doing so they necessarily passed over our Lord (ironic pun intended). If Barabbas had not been condemned, he could not have been a recipient of mercy. In the same way in order for God to ordain that a person will be saved, it is necessary for God to regard that person as needing salvation (ie. the person must be condemned in the eyes of God) Thus when we speak of predestination to salvation, we must presume that God is regarding men as guilty and deserving of hell in the moment He elects to save them.

If all were condemned already when God made His choice, it stands to reason that it was not the choice itself that condemned mankind. Mankind was already condemned. Election doesn't save some, and damn others - it just saves some of the damned from damnation, and leaves the rest in the same state of damnation that they were already in.

In other words God predestined certain condemned sinners to be saved from His wrath and the rest remained as condemned as they were prior to election. It isn't that God, "mockests with a fruitless call whom he has doomed to die" as Charles Wesley sarcastically put to music so long ago, rather it is that God earnestly calls all men everywhere to repent and believe, but no one ever will because man is fallen, and cannot seek God apart from God's grace. Such is the nature of the fall of mankind, and such is the reason that each one of us needs a Savior.

God's decrees are not horrible. They do not declare the death of innocent folks, but instead declare the promise of life for every guilty person that turns to Christ in faith. Thus we can declare with confidence to every sinner that if they repent and believe, they will be saved - even though we personally have no idea which sinners will receive the grace to repent and believe - a grace that was predestined to them before the world began.

Catechism Buzz: Ordered the Whole Universe

I've heard variations on the "God uses means" answer for a variety of theological questions and objections, and it has always left me unsatisfied. To me, "God uses means" as an answer was on par with the answer of "42" for the question "what is the meaning of life?" It is an answer, but it doesn't really tell me anything.

The Westminster Confession says this:

As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he, by the eternal and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only.

To keep this brief, God is sovereign over all aspects of salvation, and in this, He chooses not only who to save but how they will be saved.

He has not left anything to chance. His plan to save the elect—to save them (among whom I hope you are and I trust in Christ that I am)—is so specific, that He ordered the entire universe to accomplish it. Events unfold so that all those He chose from the beginning will actually come to faith.

There are two great things about this plan. First, that God can do all this for us, and not make it about us. It is still about Him bringing Himself glory.

Second, God's use of means lets us have a part in this plan. We have seen the means, and we are them. He could have chosen any number of ways to spread His kingdom. He chose to use you and me as His means to do it. It makes what I intended to do today look a little soft around the middle.