Wednesday, May 6, 2009

By this my Father is glorified

For a number of years, I've been bothered by a strain in Puritan and Reformed thinking (which probably doesn't quite rise to the level of a "school of thought") which argues God is glorified to an equal extent in both reprobation (passing some people over unto their damnation for their sins) and election (choosing some for salvation in Christ). While I grant God is glorified both by making and executing all his decrees, it seems to me the overwhelming testimony of Scripture is that he is much more interested in the glory gained by displaying his grace to sinners.

I bring this up because I've been working on John 15:1-8, in which the topics of reprobation (15:2, 6) and preservation of the elect (15:2-5, 7) are dealt with together. If these two matters were of equal value to God, this would be an excellent place to make that note. Instead, Jesus particularly emphasizes that the Father is glorified when his people persevere in grace and obedience (15:8).

As Paul argues, "What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy which he has prepared beforehand for glory– even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?" (Roman 9:22-24)

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