The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Eternal Justification

Yankee,

Hanko's comments are in full agreement with those of Berkhof and many others. God did decree the elect's justification, but the decree is not the actual justification which is accomplished when the elect sinner believes upon Christ in time. God decreed ALL things, but the actualization of what He decreed must and will occur. For example, God decreed the time of your birth and your death. But you would be hard-pressed to say that you had no need of being born and/or you are now already physically dead. The death of Christ was decreed, prophesies where given of its sure coming, but Christ wasn't crucified in eternity; the Son of God (second person of the Trinity) took on human flesh in time and thus the Lord Jesus Christ came to be. It was this second Adam who was born, grew in stature, taught multitudes and shed drops of blood in contemplation of the NOT YET crucifixion.

My only criticism of Hanko is his typical paranoia when it comes to the "Free Offer of the Gospel". There was absolutely no need to even mention that, but he was no doubt compelled to do so, since the PRC has continued to make this one of the two issues (which was the basis for breaking away from the CRC) which they seem to want to be known for. One can proclaim there is free justification in Christ to all who believe, universally, without any contradiction of the doctrine of the eternal decree(s) of God. His position is without merit and always has been. And the opposite is erroneous too; e.g. the "gospel" of the majority of Evangelicals and para-church organizations, e.g., Billy Graham Ministries, Campus Crusade, Promise Keepers, etc., etc., which all say that God loves everyone, Jesus died for everyone, and thus all you have to do is raise your hand, repeat a little prayer and you will be a Christian.

In His Grace,