Free Agency Concluded - Consistant With Certainty — John Murray

Let us pray. O Lord, our God, enable us constantly to walk before Thee with humility, with a sense of Thine complete dependence upon Thy wisdom, Thy power, and Thy grace. And may life, therefore, be to us a great joy in the midst of all tribulation, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope.

And hope makes not a shame, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through the voice that is given unto us. And do Thou grant that in all our studies we may advance in knowledge, in understanding, in devotion, so that we may be good stewards of the mysteries of God, and faithful in our total witness unto Him who died and who rose again, that we might have life and have it more often.

In His name, amen. ...subject to the agency of man, to the agency of man. And I have just observed at the close of last hour that when we use the proposition that the power of contrary choice is not of the essence of true agency, we are referring simply and solely not to the necessities that arise from the determinate counsel of God from foreordination and foreknowledge, but we are dealing simply with the necessity that arises from our state of confirmed unholiness.

Free Agency Without the Power of Contrary Choice

And the proposition has reference simply and solely to the fact that in a state of confirmed unholiness, or in a state of confirmed holiness, the removal of the power to the contrary does not in the least degree interfere with the reality of fleet -free agency.

Original Probation and Human Natural Liberty

Now the anthropological importance of this proposition appears in certain particulars. First, it must be borne in mind that the prelapsarian power of contrary choice was not given to man as a necessity of his free agency, of his natural liberty.

It was given to him by God. These alternatives were left open to him by God, namely the alternatives of contrary choice were left open to him by God for purposes of probation. If man had been confirmed in his original holiness and blessedness, he would still have been a free agent.

The feature of this doctrine is that the total inability for good belonging to man in his unregenerate fallen state is recognized, and yet that there is no impairment of natural liberty or free agency in accordance with his character, his volitions, his dispositional complex.

And then third, in the state of grace, confirmation of man in that which is good that he cannot, again, that is unto death, enjoy, that confirmation consummated in the state of glory brings his natural liberty of his free agency in a way that is consonant with his creation, with the highest degree he can enjoy.

Free Agency Consistent With Certainty

The principle that free agency is consistent with certainty. That's the title. Free agency is consistent with certainty. It is stated in the other direction, compatible with free agency. And to state it is, may be futurition of occurrence, and nevertheless free as to the mode of its occurrence.

This concerned principle reiterated again and again, and providence of reality of his subordinate agency. In his subordinate reality of his free agency, in the sense defined, namely, that God can use the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, but in the absolute necessity of nature, determined to good or evil.

Now, I'm not going to develop that eighth point, because it is developed in text form, and again, any notes that you want to, or personal notes, derive them from the text. I know perfectly well that there are many questions you want to raise and discuss in connection with this topic.

I know that if you have not been acquainted with this position, there are many difficulties for you. But I have no time to devote in the class to discussion at this moment. And if you want to discuss the matter with me in detail as a group, you can do so.

I cannot spend the time of the class. I devoted the whole hour a week ago to this question of sin. But I cannot spend another hour on this subject of free agency. But you are welcome to discuss it. You better make some appointment to that effect, rather than just grab me after class, because oftentimes, immediately after class, I have other appointments, which I cannot very readily omit.

From Hamartiology to Soteriology

Now, the next topic which we are going to deal with is that plan of salvation. Now, this is dealing with focus in systematic theology. We have been dealing with anthropology. It's called martyrology, doctrine of man, doctrine of sin.

This subject of free agency had to be thrown in at the end of our discussion of the doctrine of sin, because it was really a place at which to discuss it. You have to take into account man's sinfulness when you discuss this topic.

But it doesn't belong strictly to the field of martyrology or the doctrine of sin, because it covers the whole field of theology and martyrology and soteriology. But we just have to throw it in there, because I don't think there's any more convenient place.

If we postponed it later, then it wouldn't be convenient to discuss. But we have dealt with anthropology and with martyrology, and now, of course, the next broad locus in systematic theology is soteriology.

Salvation as the Object of Divine Forethought

Soteriology. And obviously, the first topic for discussion in soteriology is the plan of salvation. But if there is salvation, there must be a plan behind it. Even if man makes the offer of his salvation, he must do rational dealing or do anything intelligently without forethought.

If something was forethought, we do it according to a plan. If salvation is a fact, it must be the forethought, therefore the plan in accordance with which it is executed. Man must help when he's on the scene.

This would be true. The subject of salvation is so, so momentous, that even on a naturalistic kind of fact in life, it would require more forethought, intelligent planning. It's obvious that the first topic in soteriology is the plan of salvation.

Instead of reading the chapter in a textbook on the plan of salvation, I've described cordially by D .D. Warfield the plan of salvation. Warfield, the plan of salvation. And that is described greatly because I am not able to cover the whole field in the way in which D .D. Warfield does.

God's Counsel and the Historical Execution of Salvation

First of all, what do we mean by the plan of salvation? What do we mean by it? We are reading now that God orders the naturalist. That means that it's God's order for the salvation of man. The salvation that takes effect in the sphere of human existence.

In the temporal, historical realm. The sphere of the temporal and historical and from eternity. That is clearly stated by Paul in Ephesians 1 .11. That he does all things according to the counsel of his will.

Paul, it may very well be that Paul is using all things there restrictively in the sphere of salvation according to the preceding verses. And he may be speaking there all inclusively. He may be speaking the whole course of history in its broadest extent and in the mootest detail.

In any case, he says that he does all things according to the counsel of his will. To Ephesians 1 .11. The world that they should be holy. The foundation of the world. That is a clear index. All things according to the counsel of his will.

The Manifold and Maximal Scope of Salvation

The concerns of the council of God. The decree of God. From many elements and factors. Diversity or multifarity. Need is manifold. It has respect to sin. Its implications. It has respect to the misery arising from sin.

It has respect to death. As the wages of sin. If salvation exists at all. As diverse. Must be a model of need. We're not providing for salvation. Incomplete. But he exists. Because the salvation God has provided.

Is not a minimal salvation. Aspect of our need. We're not providing for salvation. Incomplete. As diversity exists. Because the salvation God has provided. Is not a minimal salvation. Salvation merely from sin.

And its consequences. But it is a maximal salvation. It expresses the riches of God. Beneficence. Goodness. Wisdom. Power. Grace. Love. It is salvation too. Salvation. It is salvation to a prevalent and death.

Highest conceivable. Prevalent and death can be highest conceivable. Simply the highest conceivable by man. But the highest conceivable by God. It is not blasphemy. Not blasphemy to say. No higher destiny for man is conceivable.

And that he should be conformed to the image of God's own son. So that he may be the firstborn among many brethren. Gentlemen bear that in mind. It is a salvation that shows forth the exceeding riches of grace.

His loving kindness. In Christ Jesus. It is salvation manifold. Then the eternal counsel. The eternal counsel. Have designed these diverse elements. Have designed them all. Is this necessary for us to take account of this diversity.

Predestination and the Elements of Salvation

Of this quantity. This manifoldness. In the actual execution. We have a visit to that very author. That very pastor. In Ephesians 1, 4, and 5 again. Even as he chose us in him. Only for the foundation of the world.

That we should be holy. And without blame before him. His love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children. By Jesus Christ unto himself. These two verses. They clearly demonstrate. The forward foundation.

Where God has designed. The various elements of this. We have an index to the diversity. Of deformity in the divine. Counsel. The first. The elements of salvation. As executed in time. Temporal historical realm.

Ordered Relationships in the Execution of Salvation

Every element. Realized. In the sphere of human existence. Related to one another. In an orderly manner. Related occurrences. Necessary for us. When we are dealing. With salvation as actually accomplished.

And executed. That we seek to discover these relationships. Study the doctrine of salvation. And set forth in scripture. It is inevitable. That we discover to some extent. These relationships. Which obtain.

Between the various aspects. These elements. Of execution. Not only diversity. But relationships. Forward in a certain sequence. Also be true. In the eternal counsel. In God's execution. In time. In God's execution.

These all relations. Must have been designed. Designed of course. From eternity. These distinct elements. Of salvation. And they break in the eternal plan. Related to one another. The way that the relationship.

That they sustain to one another. In actual execution. These various elements. Ingredients. These various elements. And they are embraced in the eternal plan. Of the law. Of the distinct. Decrees. Elements.

The counsel. Distinct decrees. In relationship with one to the other. That they are not unrelated. Have passive dependency. Then we might speak about these various elements. A way back in the counsel of God.

As distinct decrees. And therefore the order of the elements. In the eternal counsel. Would simply be the same thing. As the order of the divine decree. Now it is natural. That we should have a lot of difficulty.

The Difficulty of Thinking About God's Eternal Counsel

With this topic. For two reasons. A great deal of difficulty. Is it for two reasons. First of all we are dealing with. The eternal counsel of God. The order of the divine decree. We are thinking about objects.

The question of this topic. Is irrelevant. Presumptuous. Because thereby we are trying to impose. The categories of history. On the thought of God. Transcends history. Transcends time. Oh you see these are the objects.

Biblical Warrant for Eternal Predestination

But. I think I can give you. Biblical warrant. Biblical warrant for. God. Eternal thought of God. In one time. In one time. In love of having predestination. The adoption of children. So the very mention of predestination.

Takes us away back. Into the eternal thought of God. That is expressly. Instilled. In Ephesians 1 .4. Even as he chose us in him. Before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy. And without blame.

Before him. Certainly focus attention. On Ephesians 1 .5. God has revealed to us. What is true. In his eternal counsel. And that's what we must think. We can't think eternal. Think eternal. Predestination is determined.

You have in that text. You put one nothing more than that one text. A vindication. Of what God has revealed to us. A vindication of our discretion. Because God has revealed to us. To her death. In his.

In the destiny of man.