The order of the 5 elective decrees - lapsarianism; Part 2 John 15:16.Title: The order of the 5 elective decrees - lapsarianism; John 15:16.
The 5 elective decrees. Lapsarianism.
Supralapsarianism [heresy] 1. The decree to elect some to be saved and reprobate all others (double predestination) 2. Provide salvation for the elect through a limited atonement. 3. Create mankind, both elect and non-elect. 4. Permit the fall 5. Apply salvation to the elect.
Sublapsarianism is moderate Calvinism. 1. The decree to create all mankind. 2. The decree to permit the fall. 3. The decree to elect those who believe in Christ and to leave in just condemnation those who do not believe in Christ.
This is sometimes stated the decree to elect some out of fallen mankind and leave the others to their misery. But that has a question mark by it since it intimates a limited atonement.
4. The decree to provide salvation for the elect which could be construed as limited atonement. 5. The decree to save the elect through faith in Christ, sometimes stated the decree to apply salvation to those who believe.
Infralapsarianism: 1. Decree to create all men. 2. Decree to permit the fall. 3. Decree to provide salvation for men. 4. Decree to elect those who do believe and to leave in just condemnation all who do not believe. 5. Decree to apply salvation to those who believe.
Decrees 3 and four are reversed in sublapsarianism, hinting at a limited atonement. So infralapsarianism is more or less Biblical and correct.
Arminian lapsarianism is the other heretical view. The Arminians have mixed truth with error and therefore distort. 1. The decree to create all mankind. 2. The decree to permit the fall. 3. Unlimited atonement. 4. Salvation by foreseen human virtue plus faith plus obedience — hence, the blasphemy of salvation by works. 5. Election as an act of God in time.
5 is not correct because it ignores the portfolio of invisible assets as God elected in EP.
What many theologians can’t seem to get through their thick heads is that:
The decree of God is Sovereign, but it is also permissive, allowing for the free will of man and the results of man’s decisions. All of the secondary results of choice are in the decree.
Man’s destiny is the outworking of his own thinking, his motivation, his decisions, and his actions, all of which God knew simultaneously in eternity past. Man’s volition or self-determination is the immediate cause. But God knew in eternity past what this decision would be and what our thoughts and motives that preceded it would be, and what the actions that followed it would be. That is omniscience. The decree of God removes no man from what within the sphere of his own experience is the outworking of his own choice, acting from his own judgment — based on his own desires, his own motives, his own thoughts and his own circumstances. Whatever free will choice anyone makes on a given occasion in time is the execution of the divine decrees. There are no surprises to the omniscience of God. No decree itself, therefore, opposes human freedom.
And so we append infralapsarianism with one more decree as is revealed in Eph 1:3. This is Thieme lapsarianism.
1. To create all mankind for the purpose of bringing many sons into glory, Hebrews 2;10, and resolving the angelic conflict.
2. To permit the fall of mankind and the extension of the angelic conflict to the human race thereby.
3. To provide salvation for all mankind, unlimited atonement.
So far this is technically infralapsarianism, but the next point is different
4. The first primary asset: The decree to provide a portfolio of invisible assets for every believer by depositing escrow blessings for every believer for time and eternity.
5. The second primary asset: The simultaneous decrees of election and predestination, Ephesians 1:4,5.
6. To apply salvation to those who believe in Christ in time.
What is decreed in eternity past, election and predestination, become the primary assets for those who believe in time. Those believers who capitalize on their primary assets move on to enjoy secondary assets, like the production of divine good, reception of escrow blessings, function of the spiritual gift, undeserved suffering and evidence testing, and blessing by association.
Salvation is not arbitrarily doled out to persons based on God’s whim or pleasure due to His +S. Yes, God is Sovereign, but He is also fair, just, and righteous.
Ps 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before Thee.
If we are going to understand what you have been elected to we must understand what you have been created for.
Selection: God imputed human life to your body at birth. God also imputed Adam’s original sin to your genetically formed old sin nature.
God selected every member of the human race. But due to the fall all of us are born spiritually dead and separate from God; not from our person sins, rather from our position in Adam.
Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man [Adam] sin [imputed sin] entered into the world, and death [spiritual death] through sin [imputed sin], and so death [spiritual death] spread to all men, because all sinned [in the same way as Adam]
This is the genius of God. Allowing the fall gave God carte blache over all fallen creatures. Either they would die in what they did not do or they would be saved through the immaculate display of God’s grace. In one way we all fall into the pit, but in another way, we all have an opportunity to accept God’s deliverance. God chose to take all our sins upon Himself. And this, He made a public display of so that all of us could see it. His love was opened to the eyes of the whole world through a sacrifice and death that superabounded beyond anything that any person could do.
Rom 5:13 for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Personal sins were never imputed to anyone. They were imputed to Christ. Therefore, after selection the issue becomes Christ. Faith in Him guarantees election.
If we were all born perfect, it would be up to us to maintain our perfection for all of our lives as well as all of eternity. God removed this burden from us. This is why allowing the fall is a genius act of God. God took the burden of sin upon Himself in the form of Christ and so through one act of non-meritorious faith a person is elected forever.
Any member of the human race is either in Adam or in Christ. Personal sin, genetic issues, and environmental hindrances are not in view here, just two men. |