Recap: In Post 14 we asked the question, Why does God search people's hearts? What is he looking for?
We saw where the biblical portrayal of God as the "heart-searcher" leads the Calvinist to scramble to avoid an obvious scriptural contradiction. Their belief that a sovereign God has predetermined/ordained all things that come to pass renders all of the verses that tell us that God searches people's hearts (i.e. 1 Chron 28:9, 2 Chron 16:9, Psa 139:23, Rom 8:27, etc.) as merely symbolic/anthropomorphic language, since, they claim, God already knows what's in the heart because he puts it there.
Contrary to the Calvinist view, the true-to-the-Bible, non-contradictory understanding of those "heart-searcher" verses is that God, in his sovereignty, has allowed us to fill our hearts with whatever we will. So he searches people's hearts looking for evidence of devotion, faithfulness, blamelessness, purity, and obedience - that is, the evidence that his Son dwells within us.
Vexing Question #6
So here's the final question I want to pose in this series of posts which challenge the Reformed/Calvinistic concept of divine election:
Really???
I struggled with this because, although it wasn't my intent to be 'snarky', this is the question that comes to mind when we look at the totality of the Reformed concept of divine election as it relates to the reprobate (those not chosen for salvation). Consider this:
According to Calvinism, the vast majority of humankind, by virtue of not being "chosen" has been rendered eternally unable to love/obey/believe/know God or to understand anything spiritual (Mat 7:13-14, 1 Cor 2:14, Rom 3:10-12). Yet, as if God's decree of reprobation weren't enough, God makes the non-elect endure a lifetime of slavery to sin (Rom 6:16). Then, just to be sure they fail to obtain his saving grace, God puts these unchosen, eternally damned, spiritually ignorant, sinners in a fallen world filled with lustful temptations and peril around every corner (Rom 8:20-22). Not yet satisfied, he hardens the hearts of many (Rom 9:18), and/or gives them an additional "spirit of stupor" (Rom 11:8). As a final gesture of ill-will toward these unfortunate, unchosen souls, he sends Satan and his demons "prowling" around the world to sow weeds in the garden (Mat 13:25) and to ensure their deception regarding the gospel truth (Rev 20:3).
Really???
Keeping in mind that, according to Reformed theology, we Christians are the ones who have been divinely enabled to understand spiritual things, does that make any sense at all? Does that describe the heart of the God of the Bible? Is that the God who "... does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men" (Lamentations 3:33 ESV)? This line of thinking inspires a host of other questions. For example:
1. What is Satan's role if a person has already been predestined for damnation since before he was born, unable to love God, and made a slave to sin? It seems that Satan's function as the deceiver is really superfluous, or redundant, at best. And if only those who have not been predetermined to resist him are successful in their resistance, is it really any kind of victory, either for the person or for the God who "pre-programmed" him/her with the power and divine guarantee to resist?
2. What's the purpose of the White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15) if everything that happened was ordained by God? Is God just acknowledging that things went exactly per his blueprint? Is he just acknowledging the success of his own handiwork?
3. Why does Jesus rebuke his disciples for having little faith (Mat 6:30, Mat 8:26, etc.) if their measure of faith was allocated to them and controlled by God? If a person's measure of faith was ordained and controlled by God, was Jesus mocking the divine gift of faith with his rebuke? Unthinkable!
The Reformed Response
Rather than reconsider or abandon a faulty doctrine that actually creates these and other unresolvable contradictions, it is unfortunate that the usual response of the Reformer is to appeal to "mystery", "tension", or "paradox". They defer to the following scriptures to support their claim that these contradictions are just divine mysteries:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
There is certainly no shortage of mysteries and enigmatic doctrines when it comes to the God of the Bible and we need to be willing to accept that we will not be able to fully grasp many spiritual things on this side of heaven. But if our understanding of a doctrine creates contradictions, the ubiquitous appeal to "mystery", "tension", or "paradox" to avoid having to deal with unresolvable doctrinal conflicts only produces frustration in the sincere seeker of truth.
Back to the Basics
When our understanding of a doctrine or the nature of God leads to contradictions, we should be thinking error on our part, not contradiction on God's part. When our understanding of a doctrine creates in us a nonchalance toward the lost, or an un-Christ-like demeanor toward others - we need to reconsider the validity of that doctrine. I suggest that we need to be sure we are constructing our theology on the firm foundation of scriptural truth.
Next Post: This completes our examination of six vexing questions that challenge the traditional views of the doctrine of election. For the next post we'll pause, breathe, and take a moment to seek rest and perspective. Here's a link to the next post:
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