Im back from a hiatus, and returning to the trendy SOTHblog scene. I was predestined to take a break and predestined to return. Nothing could have prevented either.
Well, actually, the predestination talk above is nothing more than a segue into this week's Wesleyan wisdom:
In this sermon, Wesley presents counter arguments to the idea of predestination, also referred to as "election," "preterition," and "reprobation." These all give name to a school of thought that essentially states that God has selected, as per His will and His will only, some people to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and others He has chosen to bar from the gates of Heaven forever. It is a predetermined list which cannot be added to or subtracted from.
Wesley takes vehement opposition to this theology. While he lists several reasons with support in the sermon, I will directly address only a chosen few (get it?!):
1) Wesley states that if "one part of mankind are infallibly saved, and the rest infallibly damned" then "all preaching is vain" because it is "needless to them that are elected...and useless to them that are not elected." This hinges on his premise that the end or ultimate goal of preaching is "to save souls." So folks like Adam and I would be out of a job. There is a written note (Im assuming of Adam's) in the margin of the book I am reading these sermons from that reads "Calvinists preach'n helps elect see implications and obligations." But given Wesley's argument, even this is non-sensical and ultimately pointless, for the elect have no need to fear falling out of favor whether they are aware of the implications or meet any obligations thereto associated with being an elect.
2) It takes the passion and activity out of our relationship to God. He writes: "For if a sick man knows that he must unavoidably die or unavoidably recover, though he knows not which, it is not reasonable for him to take any physic at all. He might justly say (and so I have heard some speak, both in bodily sickness and in spiritual), 'If I am ordained to life, I shall live; if to death, I shall die. So I need not trouble myself about it." Essentially, our relationship to God is moved out of the loving father realm and into a relationship that more nearly resembles the one shared between the young child with a magnifying glass and the ants below him on a sunny day. Or, for those interactive learners in the crowd, its just like this game: http://www.addictinggames.com/godsplayingfield.html. Yeah, I went there.
3) Wesley argues that the supporters of such a theology pull their ideas from a select number of verses while seemingly ignoring the greater number of verses that directly contradict the former. He lists these among them (emphasis is Wesley's; no translation listed):
"The Lord is loving unto every man, and his mercy is over all his works." Psalm 145:9
"He is the Savior of all men." 1 Timothy 4:10
"He gave himself a ransom for all." 1 Timothy 2:6
"He tasted death for every man." Hebrews 2:9
As Methodists, as followers, then, of Wesleyan theology, we do not subscribe to the idea that there is a chance that we do not and can not find favor in the eyes of God. By that statement, I do not intend to submit that we, as Methodists, believe we are all "elect," either. We believe instead that all have access to God's graces because He so freely gives them. As Wesley exclaimed in his opening statement:
"How freely does God love the world! While we were yet sinners, 'Christ died for the ungodly.' While we were 'dead in sin,' God 'spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.' And how 'freely with him' does he 'give us all things'! Verily, free grace is all in all!"
- Adkins
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