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Old 07-08-2009, 01:59 PM
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Gord Gord is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Burlington, Ontario
Posts: 171
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The gifted Bible teacher, scholar, desiring to grow in knowledge of the Bible, Pink immigrated to the United States to study at Moody Bible Institute. He died in 1952. He once began a sermon by
saying this, "I am going to speak tonight on one of the most hated doctrines of the Bible, namely that of
God's sovereign election,"

He was right. It is a hated doctrine at least it seems around here.


He later wrote these words, and I find them very insightful, "God's sovereign election is the truth
most loathed and reviled by the majority of those claiming to be believers. Let it be plainly announced
that salvation originated not in the will of man but in the will of God that were it not so none would or
could be saved. For as the result of the Fall man has lost all desire and will unto that which is good and
that even the elect themselves have to be made willing and loud will be the cries of indignation against
such teaching." Then he says, "Meritmongers will not allow the supremacy of the divine will and the
impotency of the human will. Consequently they who are the most bitter in denouncing election by the
sovereign pleasure of God are the warmest in crying up the free will of fallen man,"


What he's saying is it's hard for some people to accept the biblical doctrine of sovereign election.
It's hard for man to acknowledge the fact that his salvation is an act of God. In his fallenness he wants
to assume some responsibility, even if it's a small responsibility, for having believed. He wants some
credit desperately for having made a right choice.


Furthermore, the doctrine of election seems repulsive to some because by our standards it seems unfair
that God should out of all the world of human beings choose some at His own discretion to be saved
and not the rest. But you understand, don't you, that the reason man so desperately wants to have a part
is because in his fallenness he wants to exercise his pride.

And so we can eliminate pride as a real issue,
it only is an expression of fallenness. What about the part about being unfair? Is God unfair? No, God
is never to be measured by any human standard, certainly not by the human standard of fairness which
is also a reflection of man's fallenness, or sin if you will.

Are we so foolish as to assume that we who are fallen
sinful creatures have a higher standard of what is right than an unfallen and infinitely and eternally holy
God? What kind of pride is that? Therein lies the real problem.

Arthur Pink again said, "The only reason anybody believes in election is because he finds it taught in
God's Word. No man or number of men ever originated this doctrine. Like the doctrine of eternal
punishment, it conflicts with the dictates of the carnal mind and is repugnant to the sentiments of the
unregenerate heart and like the doctrine of the holy trinity and the miraculous birth of our Savior, the
truth of election must be received with simple unquestioning faith."

That is enough for me, I don't understand the Trinity, but I believe it, Virgin birth, I don't understand it, but I believe it, so I will continue to pray and study this for the truth. As brother George said, one of us is right, one of us is wrong, like him I don't want that to be me who is wrong.

I also pray that everyone would take the time to look within, and make sure you don't let your pride make the choice for you. Do not let your preconceived ideas stop you from taking the time.