Reply to a comment on big subjects

A comment regarding this post on the Mosaic Covenant as republication:

“On certain sites on the internet the Mosaic Covenant is being discussed…”

Hey CT, I’d be most interested in these discussions you mentioned. Addresses?

“…the first and second Adam parallel isn't pulled into the discussion”

Appreciate what you’re saying here, man. I too understand the Two-Adam dynamic to be so crucial. As you mentioned this generally doesn’t factor in, and I’m left asking myself if possibly I’ve missed something by my finding the T-A-D (federalism) to be nuclear to both understanding Scripture and deriving a sound theology from it?

Gotta another question…

Often the assumption seems to be that, the Reprobate are yet to be condemned for something committed by them individually. Wouldn’t Scripture answer this in its revealing the fact that all the wicked were/are condemned by ADAM’s one transgression, not by failing to keep some aspect of the moral will of God revealed after the Original Sin? No doubt individuals can/do sin against the will of God, but this would be the fruit of ONE transgression, Adam's.

Thoughts?

If you don't mind...I'd like to quote some of your comments over on my own blog (http://mjmorizio.blogspot.com)?

Hi.

When I wrote this post I had been reading the PuritanBoard. Here's one of the threads:

http://www.puritanboard.com/showthread.php?t=18535

There's probably references to other discussions within that thread. R. Scott Clark's blog and website discusses covenant theology:

http://dannyhyde.squarespace.com/the-heidelblog/

http://wscal.edu/clark/covtheology.php

Feel free to quote anything of mine (my intemperate language aside)...

YOU WRITE:
"Often the assumption seems to be that, the Reprobate are yet to be condemned for something committed by them individually. Wouldn’t Scripture answer this in its revealing the fact that all the wicked were/are condemned by ADAM’s one transgression, not by failing to keep some aspect of the moral will of God revealed after the Original Sin? No doubt individuals can/do sin against the will of God, but this would be the fruit of ONE transgression, Adam's.

Thoughts?"

The Puritans were conscious of this in the fact that if you're not in the Kingdom of God you're by default in the Kingdom of Satan. Yes, by the fact of original sin all are in the fallen state despite the fact we may not have committed active sins in our lives just yet, which happens rather quickly and easily as it is anyway.

On reprobation - the difficult doctrine - my thoughts are this: the Bible teaches it and it needs to be accepted for that reason alone. What it does is it forces you to see and accept original sin and your own dire condition. Also your dire condition without a Saviour. It teaches you you can't save yourself, and that your condition NOW is as a condemned criminal. Sound unfair? Maybe, in some ways, yet it is the way God gets you to, when you do (He does it, you do it as He does it, whatever) reorientate from vanity, worldly pride, and rebellious self-will to faith, repentance, and real - or God's - will.

The doctrine of reprobation also teaches that there are consequences in God's Plan (consequences stemming from the fall in the Garden, for instance), and that there is real necessity for a Saviour. All the catch-22s of predestination and election and reprobation are nothing if you're practical and see it as God's Plan and as necessary for God to accomplish His will for His creation. From our end we either are effectually called or we're not. If we are we're grateful. If we're not we continue to mock and rebel and live in bondage to sin and death. Maybe some people remain asleep to it all merely and don't do anything actively one way or another. God is in control though. We can't judge God. We will, prior to regeneration and conversion, but He becomes the judge of us - we see that - once saved and getting real understanding of it all in time.

The question of who is reprobate is answered by the Bible by the fact that there is only one unforgiveable sin, and it's not murder or any other of the most horrible crimes one can imagine. Anybody can be saved. And anybody can remain, willfully in rebellion to God.

I came across a saying in a Calvinist book once: there won't be anybody in hell who doesn't want to be there. I see simplifying truth in that statement. How God saves is above us (even in terms of time and how we perceive time in our limited way), so even if a person seems to be lost, even after they die, God may not be through with them. God acts from eternity. The Holy Spirit applies redemption from eternity. God is not constrained by time as we perceive time. That's not to say we have second chances, it's just to say that God is in control regarding individual salvation. A single life seems linear - birth to death - from our perspective. From God's perspective it is probably more of a living 'now' that God can access at any point, anytime. We just have to accept what He says, and accept it on His terms. This is understanding and wisdom for us.

Those are my thoughts.