I grew up Arminian family and attended similar churches for most of my life, and so the notion that God might not actually want to save everyone was something that seemed to grate hard across my environment, though as a very thoughtful and logical Bible reading child, I couldn't help but see it in the scriptures, or at least logically deduce it at some point. Having read a plethora of reformed theology in the last few years, it seems that what I saw in my Bible as a youngster was not so odd after all.
That God elects individuals based solely on his eternal purpose and pleasure is clear. If "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18) and "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) then there is simply no other option.
But for the reprobate I have a question.
Would it be accurate to say that seeing as they are born under Adam's sin, the justice of God must necessarily shut them off from him? So that aside from their unwillingness and inability to come to Christ, there is a very real sense, and I think a much weightier sense even, that they are prevented by an active and divine principle of ever doing so? That God prevents them, they are not permitted, to come to Christ? Not only is there an inability on Man's side, but an inability that they should come to Christ from God's side?
I've read a lot about the total depravity of man, and how man is subject to God's wrath; but not much about them being held back from Christ by God. Held off from Christ by sin, satan, self, yes, but actively held back by God?
Is that taking things a bit far? Or is that on the mark?
That God elects individuals based solely on his eternal purpose and pleasure is clear. If "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18) and "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) then there is simply no other option.
But for the reprobate I have a question.
Would it be accurate to say that seeing as they are born under Adam's sin, the justice of God must necessarily shut them off from him? So that aside from their unwillingness and inability to come to Christ, there is a very real sense, and I think a much weightier sense even, that they are prevented by an active and divine principle of ever doing so? That God prevents them, they are not permitted, to come to Christ? Not only is there an inability on Man's side, but an inability that they should come to Christ from God's side?
I've read a lot about the total depravity of man, and how man is subject to God's wrath; but not much about them being held back from Christ by God. Held off from Christ by sin, satan, self, yes, but actively held back by God?
Is that taking things a bit far? Or is that on the mark?