Comments on: without money and without price http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/without-money-and-without-price/ mostly traditional scottish presbyterian calvinism Tue, 14 May 2013 16:38:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: cath http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/without-money-and-without-price/#comment-5159 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:34:30 +0000 http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/?p=1931#comment-5159 Um, in an attempt to clarify –

the perceived problem is that God only loves the elect with a saving love, so how can you justify proclaiming the gospel to everyone (elect and non-elect).

The suggested (and non-optimal) solution is to say that God does love everyone with a love of benevolence, and that’s why the preacher/evangelist can invite everyone to believe.

The problem with this is not the statement that ‘God loves everyone with a love of benevolence,’ because that’s true, but that this is the reason given for inviting everyone to believe.

The connection between God’s saving love and the sinner’s saving faith is that faith is included in the package of salvation which God’s saving love provides for that sinner. There’s no connection between God’s benevolence and any sinner’s faith. So it doesn’t make sense to tell someone that they’re welcome to believe because (ie on the grounds that) God loves them benevolently.

On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense for someone to think that they’re only welcome to believe on the grounds that God loves them savingly. It isn’t possible to know whether God loves you savingly unless and until you believe.

So the grounds for believing the gospel have nothing to do with any kind of love which God might have for you, but rather the plain and certain word which he makes known to you. That is the offer of the gospel extended to everyone indiscriminately, that anyone who believes will be saved.

Believe, not because you think God might love you, but because his word is true.

(Even: believe the God of love, not because he might love you, but because his word is true.)

]]> By: cath http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/without-money-and-without-price/#comment-5158 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:00:30 +0000 http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/?p=1931#comment-5158 Someone had been at a conference where a much-loved preacher had said that these two things are paradoxes – God’s universal love (aka benevolence) and the free offer. But the free offer only makes sense when the context is *not* a doctrine of universal love. Preach “everyone must repent and believe” – that’s quite right – but that’s not the free offer, that’s just the plain fact of human responsibility (where Calvinists and Arminians agree).

]]> By: cath http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/without-money-and-without-price/#comment-5157 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:56:52 +0000 http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/?p=1931#comment-5157 In ma heid! Or I’ll recall the dinner guests and we’ll record it for youtube.

]]> By: M http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/without-money-and-without-price/#comment-5156 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:11:54 +0000 http://ninetysixandten.wordpress.com/?p=1931#comment-5156 Where can I find yesterday’s discussion?

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