The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Question on WCF chapter 3

John,

That's basically it. The "language" can be rather confusing at times to be sure. But theologically, "foreordained" is used as a synonym for "decree"; what God has determined to be without qualification, i.e., all things. Predestination does consider the end of all men; election to salvation and reprobation. HOW God works with, in, and through these two groups is often referred to, as you read in Sproul's article, as "positive" and "negative". Positive in that God actually changes the nature of the elect to make them able and willing to be joined with Christ and thus ultimately saved. Negatively, in that God does not change the nature of the individual but rather simply uses the wickedness that already exists to serve His own purpose and justly condemns them to eternal punishment.

Because of this difference, many are reluctant to use the word "predestination" to refer to the reprobate as it many times is thought to mean that God forces men to sin, etc.. you know, the old "puppet, robot" strawman? Thus, you will read other words used, e.g., foreordained, permitted, etc. As long as you understand that God foreordained all things, predestinated some to salvation and some to damnation, and that God actually intervenes to change the elect but doesn't do so in the reprobate, you will be fine. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,