Churchwork
11-28-2008, 10:50 PM
No Christian who believes that man has the power of choice sovereignly bestowed by God upon him as a moral agent imagines that this power has been given to man so that he could become righteous enough to merit salvation or even to contribute to his salvation in any way.
The very fact that righteousness comes by the law indicates that man has some power to choose to keep the law, and to actually do so in some respects. Nor could he otherwise be held accountable.
Paul does not deny that man can do good works; he denies that good works can justify a sinner. Luther is clearly confused.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16.31).
How would proving that man cannot choose to believe (if that were indeed the case) encourage him to believe in the gospel?
A. W. Tozer wrote, "...the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it....Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so. Within the broad field of God's sovereign, permissive will...there is freedom to choose which side we shall be on but no choice to negotiate the results of the choice once it is made...Our choice is our own, bu the consequences of the choice have already been determined by the sovereign will of God, and from this there is no appeal."
The very fact that righteousness comes by the law indicates that man has some power to choose to keep the law, and to actually do so in some respects. Nor could he otherwise be held accountable.
Paul does not deny that man can do good works; he denies that good works can justify a sinner. Luther is clearly confused.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16.31).
How would proving that man cannot choose to believe (if that were indeed the case) encourage him to believe in the gospel?
A. W. Tozer wrote, "...the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it....Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so. Within the broad field of God's sovereign, permissive will...there is freedom to choose which side we shall be on but no choice to negotiate the results of the choice once it is made...Our choice is our own, bu the consequences of the choice have already been determined by the sovereign will of God, and from this there is no appeal."