First, it is colossal pride and vanity to presume that one sees from God's point of view.
Second, even if one were to admit 'double predestination' as a correct description of God's foreknowledge, the doctine is corrosive of good morals, ascetic discipline, prayer, and all other aspects of the Christian life. To call His foreknowledge, 'predestination' makes God a tyrant, the author of damnation which is, in fact, freely chosen by the damned. To tell people that they are already 'predestined' to salvation or damnation creates fatalism and spiritual sloth.
Doggone it! I don't want to be arguing FOR doulbe whatever, but I don't see evidence on the ground of what you say.
I disagree with those who believe in DP and who claim to possess the "blessed assurance", but I would never describe the ones I know personally as slothful. Manic, yes; untiring busybodies, some of them certainly. But while the RCs are represented way beyond their proportions at our small southern town's ministry to the hungry, them thar Babdisd's are energetically involved.
I know that's not spiritual as such, but it ain't hay either. The Pastor and I used to meet monthly or so for prayer and conversation: no sloth there, not on his part. I personally am VERY slothful, or, as I like to put it, thoughtful and deliberate, just as soon as I get dressed.
First, it is colossal pride and vanity to presume that one sees from God's point of view.
= = =
NOT IF
God goes to the trouble to pointedly IMPART HIS POV TO AN INDIVIDUAL.
THEN, it's colossal pride and vanity to avoid seeing from God's point of view.
LOL! I see. Should we just leave it to yet another mystery then? :) My suppositions are only based on what God DOES tell us in scripture. Elementary reason is also used. For example, I said: "Yes, from GOD'S POV I would say the elect are saved before they are created." This is based on simple Biblical principles. God is sovereign. God is omniscient. God predestinates the saved. If you believe the Bible provides for all of these, then it is easy to suppose that the elect are, for all intents and purposes, saved from the beginning. It is God's POV because of His omniscience and sovereignty.
Second, even if one were to admit 'double predestination' as a correct description of God's foreknowledge, the doctrine is corrosive of good morals, ascetic discipline, prayer, and all other aspects of the Christian life.
Would you care to say how? :)
To call His foreknowledge, 'predestination' makes God a tyrant, the author of damnation which is, in fact, freely chosen by the damned. To tell people that they are already 'predestined' to salvation or damnation creates fatalism and spiritual sloth.
I'm not following you at all. First of all, Reformers do not call God's foreknowledge "predestination". In fact, that is my understanding of the Catholic view, along with Arminian Protestants. Reformers, OTOH, say that predestination is based on specific action by God, wholly independent of His foreknowledge. Secondly, we Reformers don't tell anyone that he or she is predestined one way or the other. We can't know which for anyone other than ourselves. Therefore, we preach that ALL are potentially of the elect. This is what scripture teaches. In addition, Reformers do not teach any sort of "sloth". That is unbiblical. God tells us clearly in scripture what our work is to be about. That's what we teach.