MacArthur on the problem of evil

[charliejunfan]

Macarthur softened on his view of God and evil I think, at least that is how it sounds in his book the truth war. The way he describes it sounds like the implications carried out by Infralapsarianism. My grandpa tried to use the book to show me that Arminian free will is correct, but I showed him that Macarthur seems to reveal the implications of an Infralapsarian. He would say that God wills evil by Negation rather than action. It seems as if he is writing his books in more general terms now so as not to offend, but I have great respect for the guy(and got a book signed by him!) since my dad used him to first introduce me to Calvinist soteriology, then I just took it to the next level .

 

[OPC'n]

Good afternoon Sarah. I hope you are having a blessed Lord's Day. I have some thoughts on your post and maybe, if I am misunderstanding you, you can correct me. I completely agree with the idea that God doesn't have to harden our already hard hearts (from conception). But I believe this to be only one side of the story. In other words, the ultimate cause of reprobation is not our sin (which is a fully legitimate cause for reprobation and indeed men go to hell for their sin), rather, it is God's decrees. It seems to me that if Paul had been thinking along the terms that you have set forth (which again, are legitimate) he would not answer the question of "who can resist His will?" (Rom. 9:19) with "Who are you o man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to the molder..." (v. 20-23). Rather, he would have answered the question "who can resist His will?" with "Who are you O sinful man to demand that God save you? You hate Him because of your depraved heart." But he doesn't do that. He answers the question by appealing to God's decretal will, not man's sin. So, I see the accuracy and legitimacy of your points, I just don't think that it is the whole story.

And this post is probably too far off topic...

I think you are speak of two different aspects here...which are good ones. First one is "causation" and the other is "purpose".

The cause of a hard heart is definitely sin. We have to ask ourselves "What does it mean to have a hard heart?" The answer would be rebellion/hatered against God's laws. Hebrews 3:13 "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." I believe that we all believe that we are totally depraved at conception. We are that way because we are sons of Adam who plunged us into rebellion against God.

What happens when we receive a soft heart....regeneration where we now love His laws and desire to obey them. Ezekiel 11:18-20 "18And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. 19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God."

Now we come to the purpose of having a hard or soft heart. Romans 9:22 " What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?" So God made the unelect who are born with hard hearts (they were allowed to be born according to God's will) so that they could be sent to hell in order that He might be able to show His glory when He gave His mercy to His children.

So we are to be blamed for our own hard hearts not God. God doesn't cause anyone to sin. God doesn't put into our hearts sin so that He can harden it. He only withholds His grace from the unelect so that they stay in their hardened condition in order for Him to fulfill His purpose of sending them to hell.

I think it helpful to remember that although we are totally depraved we are not utterly depraved. Some people exhibit their depravity more than others (Hitler) and some show less of their depravity than others (Mother Teresa). Hitler showed more of his depravity because he had less grace upon him. Teresa showed less because she had been given more grace than Hitler. Were it not for the common grace of God upon mankind, all would show their utter depravity here upon this earth. So when God wants to harden someone's heart He just removes some of His common grace upon them. They then show more of their depraved nature. When He wants to soften their hearts, He gives them more grace. He is in control of hardening and softening their hearts, but He doesn't use sin to do this He uses grace. Hope that's clearer.