Comments on: Hoping in the God of Hope (Part 3) http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:26:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: John http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40793 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:59:21 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40793 edit: Not the same "allowance," rather the same word "allow" is what I meant edit: Not the same “allowance,” rather the same word “allow” is what I meant

]]> by: John http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40792 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:57:56 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40792 @ Mike, Yea that's a question that just keeps coming back and bugging me even after I hear a great answer (well its prb cuz i forget...) Well, I heard it explained this way. God in essence yes "allows" and foreordains everything, but take heaven/salvation and hell/reprobation for instance. He allows both, but if we stop using the word "allow" we see that it is by 2 completely different mechanisms. In salvation, the Father graciously and actively sends His Son for us, who dies on our behalf, and the Spirit regenerates us. In reprobation, God's doesn't give His grace (remember grace is unmerited and by definition no one deserves it) to some and people are judged (fairly and justly might I add) for what they do in this life. These are 2 completely different ways for the same "allowance" and foreordination of God. (See Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology for a good and quick explanation). I'm just glad that God can keep evil in check and even use it for His glory. @ Mike,

Yea that’s a question that just keeps coming back and bugging me even after I hear a great answer (well its prb cuz i forget…)

Well,

I heard it explained this way. God in essence yes “allows” and foreordains everything, but take heaven/salvation and hell/reprobation for instance.

He allows both, but if we stop using the word “allow” we see that it is by 2 completely different mechanisms.

In salvation, the Father graciously and actively sends His Son for us, who dies on our behalf, and the Spirit regenerates us.

In reprobation, God’s doesn’t give His grace (remember grace is unmerited and by definition no one deserves it) to some and people are judged (fairly and justly might I add) for what they do in this life.

These are 2 completely different ways for the same “allowance” and foreordination of God. (See Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology for a good and quick explanation).

I’m just glad that God can keep evil in check and even use it for His glory.

]]> by: Ronnie http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40649 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:04:49 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40649 Hi Nate, Thanks for your encouraging posts! I'll be preaching from Lamentations 3:1-24. Verse 21 tells us "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” In this case I think the "this" in verse 21 is God's steadfast love, His mercies and we are reminded that His faithfulness in those is great! I thought they went well with your posts! Thanks again! Ronnie J Hi Nate,
Thanks for your encouraging posts! I’ll be preaching from Lamentations 3:1-24.
Verse 21 tells us “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

In this case I think the “this” in verse 21 is God’s steadfast love, His mercies and we are reminded that His faithfulness in those is great! I thought they went well with your posts! Thanks again!

Ronnie J

]]> by: Mike http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40610 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:24:02 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/07/26/hoping-in-the-god-of-hope-part-3/#comment-40610 I have a question about what God "allows" and how people usually phrase things like that. Doesn't He do more than allow something to happen? Because for some outside agent to come and ask God's permission to do something, there'd have to be some force other than God who is the wellspring of all things. Do you see what I mean? If nothing ever escapes God's foreordaining, how can He be approached from some extra-God source of action that asks His permission? Even if that does happen, as with Satan and Job, doesn't God have to even foreordain that meeting and that request? MIKE I have a question about what God “allows” and how people usually phrase things like that. Doesn’t He do more than allow something to happen? Because for some outside agent to come and ask God’s permission to do something, there’d have to be some force other than God who is the wellspring of all things. Do you see what I mean? If nothing ever escapes God’s foreordaining, how can He be approached from some extra-God source of action that asks His permission? Even if that does happen, as with Satan and Job, doesn’t God have to even foreordain that meeting and that request?

MIKE

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