The Sovereignty of God The Sovereignty of God My Will be done or Thy Will be done?

Does God Control All Things? God : knows everything about everyone is never taken by surprise is in control of all that happens (?) plans / planned all that happens Did not send Jesus as “Plan B” after Adam sinned is the Author of our salvation. (Not us!) Can we do anything to save ourselves? at times acts in ways we cannot understand knows who will be saved Did Jesus die for all, whether believe on Him or not?

A bit of History  Early  Early church – very simple doctrinal views  Errors  doctrinal statements  Pelagius, (5 th C. Briton) : obligation implies ability – God doesn’t command impossible  Augustine recognised heresy  Pelagius condemned by Council of Carthage : A.D. 412, confirmed A.D. 418  A.D. 431 Eastern Church also censured Pelagians in General Synod at Ephesus

The Problem  Does  Does God cause events or just foreknow them?  What’s  What’s the difference?  What  What do we mean by predestination?  Are  Are some people destined to be saved / lost?  How  How much free will does man really have?

Calvin & Arminius  John  John Calvin ( ) – French theologian, worked in Geneva to reform Church  Influenced  Influenced by Augustinian doctrine – famous for teaching on predestination  Jacobus  Jacobus Arminius (Jakob Hermanzoon), ; professor at University of Leyden  Arminius:  Arminius: "the grace sufficient for salvation is conferred on the Elect, and on the Non-elect; that, if they will, they may believe or not believe, may be saved or not be saved."

Calvinism & Arminianism Arminianism 1.Sinner, 1.Sinner, can do good & respond to God 2.God 2.God elects on basis of foreseen faith 3.Christ 3.Christ died for all 4.Man 4.Man can resist God 5.Believer 5.Believer may lose salvation Calvinism Man Man unable of self to respond to God God God elects according to His good pleasure Christ Christ died for Elect Irresistible Irresistible election Elect Elect can never lose salvation

TULIP – 5 points 1.Total 1.Total Depravity - Original sin means all human beings are incapable of being good. 2.Unconditional 2.Unconditional Election - God chooses people on His own grounds. (Predestination) 3.Limited 3.Limited Atonement - Jesus died to redeem only those God chose to save 4.Irresistible 4.Irresistible Grace - God causes those whom He chooses to accept His grace 5.Perseverance 5.Perseverance - Once someone has been saved by God, he cannot lose his salvation.

Roses & Lilacs R=Radical R=Radical Depravity O=Overcoming O=Overcoming Grace S=Sovereign S=Sovereign Election E=Eternal E=Eternal Life S=Singular S=Singular Redemption L=Limited L=Limited Depravity I=I I=I Choose Christ L=Limitless L=Limitless Atonement A=Arrestible A=Arrestible Grace C=Carnal C=Carnal Security

The Good, Bad & Ugly  Good:  Good: Salvation not up to us – God’s doing  Bad:  Bad: Confused with fatalism & excuse for laziness  Ugly:  Ugly: Often leads to name-calling & fights  God  God doesn’t play with scales! sees no-one as righteous apart from Jesus – all fallen short; all deserve hell!

Objections  What  What about free will & “making a decision”?  God can accomplish whatever He desires  Foreknowledge  Foreknowledge better than predestination?  If  If God knows, it’s as certain to happen anyway  Human  Human Responsibility versus Election  Cf.  Cf. both ideas in same chapter – John 6.  “It’s  “It’s not fair!”  Paul’s  Paul’s response in Rom 9: – see also Isa. 45:9; Jer. 18:1-12

Additional Thoughts  2 truths of this mystery often side by side  Believe because elected / elected because believe  John 6 shows divine sovereignty in verses 37, 44, and 65  Human responsibility is emphasised in verses 29, 35, 40, & 47