The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Gods Character??

But that is NOT the issue. Everyone here can agree that God "manipulates" man . . . but NOT by "compelling/forcing" man to do that which he does not will to do. The end of it all is that God works in such a way that EVERY decision that man makes is: 1) free and 2) in accord with his nature. It's not THAT difficult of a concept to wrap your brain around. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

This is decidedly a whole other subject which could be discussed and has been for centuries. The issue is "Supralapsarianism vs. Infralapsarianism". My personal stand is comfortably Infra as was the majority of those who worked on and signed the WCF. Supralapsarians tend to be hyper-Calvinists, e.g., the Protestant Reformed Church, John Gill, et al. So, being in the Infra camp I would assert that God's election was done "on account of the Fall" which He decreed, i.e., seeing the human race as fallen, God in His infinite mercy and grace chose to save a remnant of mankind in Christ for His own glory.

If you are interested in getting a further headache pursuing this subject, you can read these:

- Development of the Doctrine of Predestination, by Herman Bavinck
- Supralapsarianism and Infralapsarianism, by Herman Bavinck
- Double Predestination, by R.C. Sproul, Sr.

Further discussion on this particular topic should be done in its own thread. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

In His grace,