The Narrow Path Ministries

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your last answer.

Now we know that an aspect of the sin of the Fall was man desirous of being like God. Another question: Might the non-Calvinists display a similiar propensity in man, to be like God over his own end? Of course to any true Christian the thought of setting one's self up as God is repulsive. But is that not the effect, if men (presumed to be in error by Calvinists) teach that God has a hands off policy with regard to ultimate control over the eternal destiny of the souls of men? Are we not in teaching that man has ultimate control over his eternal salvation, teaching that man has now become as God?

Thanks,
Jude

Hi Jude,
The claim that a man has the final say about his own eternal destiny could only be construed as "making man out to be God" if there was some way to know that such a final say is distinctly a Divine prerogative and not within the range of legitimate, God-given, human powers. The Calvinist believes that God makes the final choice of salvation or reprobation for each man, but the scripture does not tell us that this is so. If we were to assign to man prerogatives that clearly belonged to God alone (as, for example, the authority to unilaterally forgive sins), then we would be dishonoring God in favor of mankind, which we might rightly regard as blasphemy.

In fact, man IS a lot more like God, in many respects, than is any other created being. To deny this is to dishonor God, who declared it to be so (Gen.1:26-27/James 3:9). The "image" of God in man does not seem to be restricted to characteristics of visual appearance, but rather seems to refer to the special rational abilities given to man enabling him to govern the creation (man's first assignment).

Why would it seem strange that a creature given the competence to govern the world and even to judge angels (1 Cor.6:3) might also have been endowed with the ability to determine much of his own behavior? For a man to rule his own spirit is normal and desirable (Prov.25:28). Attributing such competence to mankind only sounds heretical to ears trained in Augustinian thought. It goes against nothing in scripture.

If the Bible teaches (as I believe it does), that man has the power to make decisions which incur certain blessings or curses in his own life (e.g., Deut.30:11-15-19/ ch.28), is it a large step from this to the assertion that ultimate and eternal blessing or cursing may also result from his ultimate choices? Is it the non-Calvinist who makes man to be like God in this respect, or is it God Himself who does so?