Walkington's Works

HS , I really don't know where you are going with your cut-n'-paste .

God doesn't make people evil -- people are naturally evil . They are "slaves of depravity" as the NIV puts in for 2 Peter 2:19 . They deserve perdition and are appointed to it as surely as Judas was . In Acts 1:25 it says that "Judas turned aside to go to his own place" ( ESV ) . The Scripture wasn't referring to a motel room , but a place where indeed they have a reservation . They have had a reservation for a long time . "Their condemnation has long been hanging over them , and their destruction has not been sleeping ." ( 2 Peter 2:3 NIV ).

Nobody is "forced" into salvation . The foolish and stubborn heart/mind is opened by the Lord . They do not come "kicking and screaming into the kingdom" as C.S. Lewis described his conversion .

The image of God is still present (though grieviously defaced) in the worst of sinners . Pink was just repeating what the Bible teaches -- the beast-like character of the reprobate . Does that offend you ?

 

Well , HS , I tend to agree with AW more than I do with myself

Really now -- " Pink says the wicked are made for the Day of evil ." Pink was just quoting Scripture . Proverbs 16:4 says that . "The Lord works out everything for his own ends -- even the wicked for a day of disaster . " He's fattening them up for their condemnation -- their judgment .

Look at Psalm 37:13 : "but the Lord laughs at the wicked , for he knows their day is coming . " What day ? The same day referenced in Proverbs 16:4 . You have to face the hard fact that some are destined for destruction . See Philippians 3:19 for instance .

The reprobate are indeed being prepared for destruction according to Romans 9:22 . ... " the objects of wrath prepared for destruction . " God fashions some vessels unto dishonor -- see Romans 9:21 . Some vessels or pots are for common or dishonorable use . Since the Lord as the Divine Potter designs us all -- doesn't He possess the right , the authority , to do anything He so desires with anyone ?

The Lord did not appoint His own for wrath , but He did ordain that for the non-elect .
Some are destined for eternal condemnation . see 1 Peter 2:8 ; Jude 13 ; 2 Peter 2:3,17 ,3:7 ; and 2 Cor.11:15 for further proof .

( NIV was being quoted )

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Goodness Of God

Nor can God's benignity be called into question because He has not made every sinful creature a subject of His redemptive grace . He did not do so with the fallen angels . Had God left all to perish it had been no reflection on His goodness . To any who challenge this statement we remind him of our Lord's sovereign prerogative : "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? Is thine eye evil , because I am good ?" ( Matthew 20:15 ) .

The goodness of God is the life of the believer's trust . It is this excellency in God which most appeals to our hearts . Because His goodness endureth forever , we ought never to be discouraged : " The Lord is good , a strong hold in the day of trouble ; and he knoweth them that trust in him" ( Nahum 1:7 ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Patience Of God

God's patience is most clearly distinguished from His mercy . Though the creature is benefited , the patience of God chiefly respects Himself , a restraint placed upon His acts by His will ; whereas His mercy terminates wholly upon the creature . The patience of God is that excellency which causes Him to sustain great injuries without immediately avenging Himself . Thus the Hebrew word for the divine long-suffering is rendered "slow to anger" in Nehemiah 9:17 and Psalm 103:8 . Not that there are any passions in the divine nature , but God's wisdom and will is pleased to act with a stateliness and sobriety which becomes His exalted majesty .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Patience Of God

"The God of patience" ( Romans 15:5 ) is one of the Divine titles . Deity is thus denominated , first , because God is both the author and object of the grace of patience in the creature . Second , because this is what He is in Himself : patience is one of His perfections . Third , as a pattern for us : " Put on therefore , as the elect of God , holy and beloved , bowels of mercies , kindness , humbleness of mind , meekness , longsuffering" ( Colossians 3:12 ) . And again , " Be ye therefore followers [ emulators ] of God , as dear children" ( Ephesians 5:1 ) . When tempted to be disgusted at the dullness of another , or to revenge one who has wronged you , remember God's infinite patience with you .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Patience Of God

How wondrous God's patience is with the world today . On every side people are sinning with a high hand . The divine law is trampled underfoot and God Himself openly dispised . It is truly amazing that He does not instantly strike dead those who so brazenly defy Him . Why does not suddenly cut off the haughty infidel and blatant blasphemer , as He did with Ananias and Sapphira ? Why does He not cause the earth to open and devour the persecutors of His people , so that , like Dathan and Abiram , they shall go down alive into the pit ? And what of apostate Christendom , where every possible form of sin is now tolerated and practiced under cover of the holy name of Christ ? Why does not the righteous wrath of heaven make an end of such abominations ? Only one answer is possible : because God bears with "much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction ."

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Grace Of God

This is a perfection of the divine character excercised only toward the elect . Neither in the Old Testament nor in the New is the grace of God ever mentioned in connection with mankind generally , still less with the lower orders of creatures ... Grace is the lone source from which flows the goodwill , love , and salvation of God unto His chosen people ...
Divine grace is the sovereign and saving favor of God exercised in bestowing blessings upon those who have no merit in them and for which no compensation is demanded . Nay , more ; it is the favor of God to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own , but also who are throughly ill-deserving and hell-deserving . It is completely unmerited and unsought and is altogether unattracted by anything in or from or by the objects upon which it is bestowed .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Grace Of God

Nothing riles the natural man more and brings to the surface his innate , inveterate enmity against God than to press upon him the eternality , the freeness , and the absolute sovereignty of divine grace . That God should have formed His purpose from everlasting , without in anywise consulting the creature , is too abasing for the unbroken heart . That grace cannot be earned or won by any efforts of man is too self-emptying for self-righteousness . That grace singles out whom it pleases to be its favored objects arouses hot protests from haughty rebels . The clay rises up against the Potter and asks, "Why hast Thou made me thus ?" A lawless insurrectionist dares to call into question the justice of divine sovereignty .
The distinguishing grace of God is seen in saving that people whom He has sovereignly singled out to be His high favorites . By distinguishing we mean that grace that discriminates , makes differences , chooses some and passes by others . It was distinguishing grace which selected Abraham from the midst of his adolatrous neighbors and made him "the friend of God" ( James 2:23 ) . Distinguishing grace saaved "publicans and sinners" but said of the religious Pharisees , "Let them alone" ( Matthew 15:14 ) . Nowhere does the glory of God's free and sovereign grace shine more conspiciously than in the unworthiness and unlikeliness of its objects .

 

I was hoping you'd notice this gem of AW's . I was mulling over the idea of PM'ing you about this particular quote . Old AWP sure nailed that one .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Grace Of God

The Gospel contemplates every descendant of Adam as a fallen , polluted , hell-deserving , and helpless sinner . The grace which the Gospel publishes is his only hope . All stand before God convicted as transgressors of his holy Law , as guilty and condemned criminals ; awaiting not sentence , but the execution of sentence already passed on them ( John 3:18; Romans 3:19 ) . To complain against the partiality of grace is suicidal . If the sinner insists upon bare justice , then the lake of fire must be his eternal portion . His only hope lies in bowing to the sentence which divine justice has passed upon him , owning the absolute righteousness of it , casting himself on the mesrcy of God , and stretching forth empty hands to avail himself of the grace of God made known to him in the Gospel .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Mercy Of God

Though it may not be easy at the first consideration to see a real difference between the grace and the mercy of God , it helps us if we carefully ponder His dealings with unfallen angels . He has never exercised mercy toward them , for they have never stood in any need thereof , not having sinned or come beneath the effects of the curse . Yet , they certainly are the objects of God's free and sovereign grace . First , because of His election of them from out of the whole angelic race ( 1 Timothy 5:21 ) . Second , and in consequence of their election , because of His preservation of them from apostasy , when Satan rebelled and dragged down with him one-third of the celestial hosts ( Revelation 12:4 ) . Third , in making Christ their Head ( Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:22 ) , whereby they are eternally secured in the holy condition in which they were created . Fourth , because of the exalted position which has been assigned them : to live in God's immediate presence ( Daniel 7:10 ) , to serve Him constantly in His heavenly temple , to receive honorable commissions from Him ( Hebrews 1:14 ) . This is abundant grace toward them ; but mercy it is not .

 

Many times in Scripture the Lord repeats the refrain that there is no one like Him , that no one can be compared with Him -- that people are in grave error to think that God is like them . But it is the tendency for folks to fashion the Lord along the lines of their finiteness .

As far as "the free offer" goes -- that kind of terminology reminds me more of a sales pitch . Rather , he dispenses salvation to those of His choosing . He has the perfect right to do so . The Lord does not need to answer to any of His creatures of the dust with respect to their idea of fair-play .

Justice means only condemnation for all of us . Thankfully He has provided , secured , salvation to His elect . That's His pure mercy . He does not save all -- just some . That's His preogative . After all , election means His choice . He takes some and leaves the rest . Why ? Because it has pleased Him to do so !

He has not desired to savingly reveal Himself to many millions of people throughout the rolling centuries . Hundreds of millions have not heard the Gospel -- have never even heard of the Name of the Messiah .

Of course that does not excuse our indolence . The Lord works through means . He has His human agents to carry-out His Mandate outlined in Matthew 28 . Every Christian is on notice that they are responsible to further the Kingdom of Heaven by declaring the Word to those around them . We are to have compassion for the lost -- to present the Law/Gospel with urgency and all dispatch . But we rely on God to do what He does . We are to be faithful in proclaiming the Message ( not Eugene's ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Mercy Of God

But let our final thought be of God's spiritual mercies unto His own people . "Thy mercy is great unto the heavens" ( Psalm 57:10 ) . The riches of it transcend our loftiest thought . "For as the heaven is high above the earth , so great is his mercy toward them that fear him" ( 103:11 ) . None can measure it . The elect are designated "vessels of mercy" ( Romans 9:23 ) . It is mercy that quickened them when they were dead in sins ( Ephesians 2:4-5 ) . It is mercy that saves them ( Titus 3:5 ) . It is His abundant mercy which begat them unto an eternal inheritance ( 1 Peter 1:3 ) . Time would fail us to tell of His preserving , sustaining , pardoning , supplying mercy . Unto His own , God is "the Father of mercies" ( 2 Corinthians 1:3 ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Love Of God

The love of God is uninfluenced . By this we mean , there was nothing whatever in the objects of His love to call it into exercise , nothing in the creature to attract or prompt it . The love which one creature has for another is because of something in them ; but the love of God is free , spontaneous , uncaused . The only reason God loves any is found in His own sovereign will : "The LORD did not set his love upon you , nor choose you , because ye were more in number than any people ; for ye were the fewest of all people : but because the LORD loved you " ( Deuteronomy 7:7-8 ) . God has loved His people from everlasting , and therefore nothing of the creature can be the cause of what is found in God from eternity . He loves from Himself , "according to his own purpose" ( 2 Timothy 1:9 ) .
"We love him , because he first loved us" ( 1 John 4:19 ) . God did not love us because we loved Him , but He loved us before we had a particle of love for Him . Had God loved us in return for ours , then it would not be spontaneous on His part ; but because He loved us when we were loveless , it is clear that His love was uninfluenced . It is highly important if God is to be honored and the heart of His child established , that we should be clear on this precious truth . God's love for me , and for each of "His own," was entirely unmoved by anything in them . What was there in me to attract the heart of God ? Absolutely nothing . But , to the contrary , everything to repel Him , everything calculated to make Him loathe me -- sinful , depraved , a mass of corruption , with "no good thing" in me ( Romans 7:18 ) .

 

Gleanings In The Godhead

The Love Of God

It is eternal ... How clear is the testimony of Jeremiah 31:3 : " I have loved thee with an everlasting love : therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." How blessed to know that the great and holy God loved His people before heaven and earth were called into existence , that He had set His heart upon them from eternity . Clear proof is this : that His love is spontaneous , for He loved them endless ages before they had any being .
The same precious truth is set forth in Ephesians 1:4-5 : " According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world , that we should be holy and without blame before him in love : having predestinated us." What praise should this evoke from each of His children ! How quieting for the heart . Since God's love toward me had no beginning , it can have no ending ! Since it is true that "from everlasting to everlasting " He is God , and since God is love , then it is equally true that "from everlasting to everlasting" He loves His people .