Mr.Hays I have another question which is more controversial among reformed Christians. Which is whether God desires the salvation of the reprobate. You've said in previous post that you agree with Helm that he doesn't . So, in 1 Thes. 4:3 we have God willing that they abstain from sexual immorality. But we know men stumble and things happen. So, if God can desire the Thessalonians to follow his command and while he has predestined they won't. Is it (in light of that) possible for God then to desire the salvation of the reprobate and determine it won't come to pass?
I doubt 1 Thes 4:3 is using God's "will" in the rather recondite, specialized sense required by this debate. I expect that's just a way of referring to Christian duty or morality. God's "law".
Moreover, there's the whole issue of anthropopathy in Scripture. Open theists appeal to representations of God changing his mind; expressing surprise, regret, or disappointment; exhibiting ignorance, flying off the handle. We have passages in which God is represented as a jilted lover or cuckold husband. That's only literally possible on a pagan view of God, a la Zeus. So I don't put much stock in that kind of language.
As I've said before, if God can only instantiate a single timeline, then even an omnipotent God might genuinely regret the fate of the lost. But I have no reason to think God suffers from that restriction.
Mr.Hays I have another question which is more controversial among reformed Christians. Which is whether God desires the salvation of the reprobate. You've said in previous post that you agree with Helm that he doesn't . So, in 1 Thes. 4:3 we have God willing that they abstain from sexual immorality. But we know men stumble and things happen. So, if God can desire the Thessalonians to follow his command and while he has predestined they won't. Is it (in light of that) possible for God then to desire the salvation of the reprobate and determine it won't come to pass?
ReplyDeleteI doubt 1 Thes 4:3 is using God's "will" in the rather recondite, specialized sense required by this debate. I expect that's just a way of referring to Christian duty or morality. God's "law".
DeleteMoreover, there's the whole issue of anthropopathy in Scripture. Open theists appeal to representations of God changing his mind; expressing surprise, regret, or disappointment; exhibiting ignorance, flying off the handle. We have passages in which God is represented as a jilted lover or cuckold husband. That's only literally possible on a pagan view of God, a la Zeus. So I don't put much stock in that kind of language.
As I've said before, if God can only instantiate a single timeline, then even an omnipotent God might genuinely regret the fate of the lost. But I have no reason to think God suffers from that restriction.