Last week rc took on a favourite hottopic among christians predestination. There is a symmetry that exists between election and reprobation. He applies vital truth about gods sovereignty, grace, justice, and mercy to help us grasp the sweetness of gods choice in. There have been centuries of debate over the churchs understanding of the doctrine of the lords supper.
Sproul was ordained to the gospel ministry by the pittsburgh presbytery upusa on july 18, 1965. Jue stated that he participated in the westminster faculty panel at the conference and that he made a. Our goal today is to take a fresh look at the concept of predestination and work to strip away many of the human opinions to see what gods word has to say about this topic. Without the holy spirit, no one comes to salvation. The point sproul is making, and that anyone who endorses predestination as a legitimate biblical concept must make, is that concepts such as single predestination are nonsensical if the premise applies to the framework that gods divine elective purpose in salvation is, both, established in his choice of who to elect and necessary for. Sproul, author, pastor, founder of ligonier ministries, and dear brother in christ, passed away on december 14, 2017. Before we survey the critical issues involved, we need to understand that the main reason why the argument continues, and at times. Four years ago, desiring god asked sproul to record john pipers the calvinist, a poem that captures gods sovereign intersection with the life of a sinful man. Sproul, what could be more insignificant than the fact that the lord of glory, the savior of your soul, the lord god omnipotent, has commanded you to be involved in evangelism. Sproul is a contemporary classic on predestination, a doctrine that isnt just for calvinists, says sproul. In another article he shows how single predestination is logically inconsistent. They feared lest one of the nonelect might slip in and be converted. The bible does not contain the doctrine of double predestination, although in a few isolated passages it seems to come close to it. The following sermons lectures are in mp3 format unless otherwise noted.
Macarthurs plan of salvation is so complicated and difficult, that he says, there is no such thing as a childhood conversion. The importance of holiness youtube the trauma of holiness. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through jesus christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious. Rc sproul will or should go down as one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century. In this updated and expanded edition of chosen by god, sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesnt create a whimsical or spiteful picture of god, but. Sproul takes an infralapsarian double predestination view, which is the majority view of the reformed in history. And no, sproul does not teach double predestination.
Our stop today is in the most significant passage that deals with this topic, romans chapter 9. Predestination 10part mp3 lecture series monergism. Jue, wrote of his experience at this years together for the gospel 2016 tgc16 conference. Sproul excerpted from a longer dissertation the doublepredestination distortion the distortion of double predestination looks like this. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible with the unvarnished truth of gods word.
Listen to or download a digital audio version of one of these messages or receive them via our podcast and feed. With nearly 200,000 copies sold in its 25 years, chosen by god by dr. Sproul was founder of ligonier ministries, an international christian discipleship organization located near orlando, fla. He was senior minister of preaching and teaching at saint andrews chapel in sanford, florida, where he. We have bought s of dollars of resources by him to equip the saints who listen to and watch the resources.
The holy spirits work in calling and regeneration by herman bavinck 18541921. Renewing your mind about archive stations partnership questions contact menu. From all eternity, before we ever live, god decided to save some members of the human race and to let. With all of the controversy surrounding predestination, isnt there common ground on which we can all stand together. Sproul 19392017 was known for his ability to winsomely and clearly communicate deep, practical truths from gods word. He was founder of ligonier ministries, founding pastor of saint andrews chapel, first president of reformation bible college, and executive editor of tabletalk magazine. Predestination is a doctrine in calvinism dealing with the question of the control that god. On april 21, 2016, the provost and executive vice president of westminster theological seminary, jeffrey k.
He is the minister of preaching and teaching at saint andrews chapel in sanford, florida and has. Gods call is the only thing powerful enough to pierce our hard hearts. Predestination, however, is first and foremost a biblical doctrineone that serious christians cannot ignore. I fought against it tooth and nail all the way through. What predestination means, in its most elementary form, is that our final destination, heaven or hell, is decided by god not only before we get there, but before we are even born. See more ideas about rc sproul, reformed theology and christian quotes. Rc sproul says, we must reject the neutralwill theory not only because it is irrational but because, as we shall see, it is radically unbiblicalsproul 1986,53. Too often, even in evangelical churches, sermons are delivered that did not have as their starting point the word of god. He explores what the word means and how it differs from foreknowledge.
Sproul discusses key scriptural texts that deal with the. The following sermonslectures are in mp3 format unless otherwise noted. In this updated and expanded edition of chosen by god, sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesnt create a whimsical or spiteful picture of god but. Most denominations and the greatest theologians have wrestled with this issue and have formulated careful statements regarding it. To get a handle on the puzzling relationship between predestination and free will, we must first define free will p. In this teaching session we have a look at an introduction to the doctrine of predestination. What you have described, i believe, is what rc sproul calls double predestination, which is double, but not symmetrical in sharp contrast to the caricature of double predestination seen in the positivepositive schema is the classic position of reformed theology on predestination. Sproul argues against this position on the basis that it implies god actively intervenes to work sin in the lives of the reprobate. The bible clearly teaches that only the grace of god can save us from spiritual death. Whenever the topic of predestination is brought up, there is sure to be a division in the house.
Youll write powerful and fresh messages every week with our. To define predestination as gods choice in salvation, made before the foundation of the world. I think the greatest weakness in the church today is that almost no one believes that god invests his power in the bible. Very few men of our time have done as much as he did to advance the gospel and teach very in depth biblical principles and doctrines in a way that the laymen could not only understand but retain much of what they heard. Sproul introduces us to the doctrine of predestination and explains that. Exploring what the word means and how it differs from foreknowledge, he applies vital truth about gods sovereignty, grace, justice, and mercy to help us grasp the sweetness of gods choice in election. Sproul, arminianism, and semipelagianism many years ago, as i was emerging out of my fundamentalistpentecostal cocoon into the larger world of evangelicalism during seminary studies at an. Also, john macarthur teaches the lie that jesus precious blood is not sprinkled on the heavenly mercy seat. Where there is smoke there is fire, and where there is predestination, there is controversy. But why did god choose to save some and not others.
Rc sproul jr grateful husband of lisa, sinner saved by. It teaches that our ultimate destiny is in the hands of god. Sproul endorses the protestant heresy of faith alone on his website. To download, right click and save to your hard drive. He teaches that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of. He set forth the socalled reformed view of predestination. Everyone is looking for power in a program, in a methodology, in a technique, in anything and everything but that in which god has placed ithis word. Sprouls commitment to reason above scripture via the classical apologetics of thomas aquinas has prejudiced him against the plain teaching of scripture in regards to both the absolute deity of jesus christ and the absolute predestination of god and his decrees. Many years ago, as i was emerging out of my fundamentalistpentecostal cocoon into the larger world of evangelicalism during seminary studies at an evangelical baptist seminary i was helped by the writings and teaching of several leading reformed evangelical. February, 1939 december 14, 2017 was an american theologian and ordained pastor in the presbyterian church in america. Straight talk about predestination keep believing ministries. God works in the same way and same manner with respect to the elect and to the reprobate. Scripture very plainly uses the word predestined in reference to the salvation of gods people. Sproul examines justification the way in which we are declared righteous by god as he explains the biblical teaching regarding justification.
Even rc sproul agrees that we have a free will, and we are not robots without one of anykind. Demonstrating that christs righteousness is reckoned to us by faith alone, dr. The doctrine of predestination has not only been at the center of much. Sproul, reformed theologian who founded ligonier ministries late pca leader influenced generations of christians by filling the gap between. What does predestination do to the task of evangelism. In theological circles there are two main camps when it comes to the doctrine of predestination. My struggle with predestination began early in my christian life. He was also copastor of saint andrews chapel in sanford, fla. We do not start out deciding to teach on predestination, but we pitch our tents in those places where predestination is front and center. In the past, many strict baptist chapels have disdained even the simple notice board outside the chapel. Nowhere does sproul say that god simply or merely passed over the reprobate. Paul dives head first into the icy waters of predestination. The bible clearly teaches that we contribute nothing to our.
Rc sproul is highly esteemed at my church and in the library there are tons of videos and audio sermons by him. Sproul discusses key scriptural texts that deal with the doctrine of predestination and addresses common objections to it. Rc sproul on predestination art of the christian ninja. The bible teaches that all salvation is based on the eternal election of god in jesus christ, and that this eternal election springs wholly and entirely from gods sovereign freedom. Welcome to keep believing ministries audiopodcast library. I knew a professor of philosophy in college who was a convinced calvinist. Predestination is most likely one of the most controversial topics in christian circles today, and yet undoubtedly one of the most vital. To those who are not wonderfully confused about the creatorcreature distinction it is not puzzling in the least. We do not start out deciding to teach on predestination, but we pitch our tents in those.