Iconclast, stay with me here
Winman, you said: So God foreknows what Fred will do before He does it? Okay then, assume God foresees (which is what you imply, not foreknowledge) that Fred will not repent and believe the gospel. And God creates Him anyway. By your own definition and statement, God just created someone for damnation. In your own words, God passively-aggressively has exercised election
prior to Fred's own actions.
Tom V,
Hello Tom and thanks for your responses.:wavey: Let's see where we can agree,and lets see where we might view things differently.
[QUOTE[Winman, you said: So God foreknows what Fred will do before He does it
/QUOTE]
NO......God foreknows persons.....he knows
them
what fred will do,is not the issue.This is a seperate issue.
God does know all thimgs yes.That is Gods omniscience.
read this description by AW Pink;
http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Attributes/attrib_04.htm
ok,, now lets look at your other concern;
[QUOTEthat Fred will not repent and believe the gospel. And God creates Him anyway. By your own definition and statement, God just created someone for damnation. In your own words, God passively-aggressively has exercised election prior to Fred's own actions. ][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE It has often been pointed out in the past that every objection made against the eternal decrees of God applies with equal force against His eternal foreknowledge:
Whether God has decreed all things that ever come to pass or not, all that own the being of a God, own that He knows all things beforehand. Now, it is self-evident that if He knows all things beforehand, He either doth approve of them or doth not approve of them; that is, He either is willing they should be, or He is not willing they should be. But to will that they should be is to decree them. (Jonathan Edwards).
][/QUOTE]what do you think about this article?
then you said
By your own definition and statement, God just created someone for damnation.
4The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil
11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth
12It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Then in the other post;
Quote:
One day they will see as Paul that God does want all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth
I've never met a Reformed person who didn't believe this.
Today 08:21 AM
Yes,all believers believe this verse. I think it means several things.
All men,not the Jew only.All men rich or poor. I do not think God would be unhappy if all men wanted to believe.....but they do not. And they cannot overcome satanic blindness apart from God's mercy.2Cor 4
3But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
In Ezekiel God tells us that he does not delight in the death of the wicked.
This is why Jesus weeps over Jerusalem Matt 23....because they"would not"
God never intended to save all,otherwise all would be saved .