Speaking of God’s Love - Part 4
New Christians approaching Reformed Soteriology can often become baffled after being told that the word “all” does not always mean “everyone without exception.” The reason for this is simple: Pre-conversion, many of us got our ideas and belief from anywhere but the Bible. We listened to our hearts and leaned on our own understanding because we were “foolish, disobedient, deceived…” (Titus 3:3). The problem is that even after conversion we still trust in our own hearts, which is a foolish thing to do: “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” (Proverbs 28:16). This is why the mind needs to be renewed. A lot of things don’t make sense to an unsanctified mind, and there is a danger in trying to make them make sense via philosophies and tradition of men (cf. Proverbs 16:25).
Back in Part 1 of this series, I made the point that our message should be that God loves “the world” and that Christ died “for sinners,” instead of looking straight at the sinner and say, specifically, that God loves “you” and He died “for you.” On the surface, this seems like hairsplitting but if you read the entire series you’ll understand why the distinction is needed and is backed by Scripture.
Naturally, the objection to that would be something like this, “Do you believe there is an ‘individual’ who is not a sinner?” But as always, we must turn to the Scripture. Jesus says in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Now let me ask: Don’t sinners believe or see themselves as righteous, and that they’re not sick? If so, isn’t Christ splitting hair here with the unnecessary distinction? For Reformed Soteriology, this distinction is necessary because even though Christ died for sinners, the Non-Elect don’t see themselves as sinners in need of saving. This is why for Calvinists it makes biblical sense to say that Christ died for sinners, and the Elect will respond, while the Non-Elect see it as foolishness (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18). Yet both Elect and Non-Elect are sinners, but only the one given by the Father will recognize that they’re sinners.
When we turn to the Scripture, we see that God’s love is Sovereign. Consider these passages:
22 Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name—and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land—before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods? 24 For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever; and You, LORD, have become their God.
—2 Samuel 7:22-24, NKJV
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
5 For I know that the LORD is great,
And our LORD is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
—Psalms 135:4-6, NKJV
19 He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
Praise the LORD!
—Psalms 147:19-20, NKJV
As the Sovereign One, He will have “mercy on whomever” and “compassion on whomever” (Romans 9). He chose Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure… because “Whatever the LORD pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.” His love is sovereign.
“Some men cannot endure to hear the doctrine of election. I suppose they like to choose their own wives, but they are not willing that Christ should choose his own bride, the church.” —Spurgeon