Posted on 11/13/2017 5:18:59 AM PST by Gamecock
God’s decretive will is sometimes described as the sovereign, efficacious will by which God brings to pass whatever He pleases by His divine decree. An example of this may be seen in God’s work of creation. When God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), He issued a divine imperative. He exercised His sovereign, efficacious will. When He did so, it was impossible for the light not to appear. It appeared by the sheer necessity of consequence.
The decretive will can have no other effect, no other consequence than what God sovereignly commands. He did not request the light to shine. Neither did He coax, cajole, or woo it into existence. It was a matter of absolute authority and power.
No creature enjoys this power of will. No man’s will is that efficacious. Men issue decrees and then hope they will bring about their desired effects. God alone can decree with the necessity of consequence.
Coram Deo
Read Genesis 1, observing how God repeatedly exercised His sovereign, efficacious will in creation.
Passages for Further Study
Colossians 1:9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 Peter 4:1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the but for the will of God.
Ping
The very first sentence of Comprehending the Decretive Will of God
“God’s decretive will is sometimes described as the sovereign, efficacious will”
I had to look up both decretive (spell check doesn’t recognize it either) and the word to describe decretive, efficacious.
Now this tells me a lot about the author. He is trying to impress his readers with his vast vocabulary and knowledge. I’m sure Jesus didn’t speak to sinners in this manner. No, Jesus was humility.
The second thing it tells me is not to bother reading past the first sentence. So I didn’t.
Sometimes, theologians talk like theologians. There is a precision needed that sometimes requires an uncommon word. And while Jesus may not have used such a word, many rejected what he taught because it was incomprehensible to them.
Read it again and let your lips move. I do not say that to insult you but the mind gets ahead of the words. There is an important concept here that is worthy of reflection.
Author has some clarity issues to be sure as “Light” was not a ‘consequence’.....nor did it simply 'appear' as a consequence.......it appeared as the direct work of God in response. For God, who said, "Let light shine 'out of darkness'...
I think you and the author in agreement.
I didn’t remember the word decretive but knowing a little bit of English, ripped it apart...Decree?
Efficacious looks a bit like effect so I’m going to guess it might have something to do with that.
Was I right? Always learn something new every day. Otherwise, why want to go to heaven? (am I having a low-blood sugar event? Just had some great chocolate filled hazlenut stick things.)
I doubt the words were incomprehensible, perhaps the ideas were incomprehensible...
And that is why theologians talk like theologians. They use words that capture complex theological ideas in what amounts to a theological shorthand.
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