Well, does that mean that God causes their deaths and everyone else's death is random? What about this idea? :
Ps 139:13 : For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
Do you suppose that knitting included congenital birth defects, abnormally strong heart muscles, below average immune systems, etc.? Or, do you suppose that we are made physically equal and everything after that happens by chance? If our time of death is irrelevant to God, then wouldn't it have to be the latter?
Did not Adam live to be over 900 years old? His soul died the day he ate the fruit (as the Lord said it would), but his body lived in sin for a long time, longer than any other human being I think.
I don't think we can have any idea how long Adam lived in sin. He might have repented an hour after he got chewed out by God. Who knows? We have some evidence that Eve repented, but we just aren't told about Adam.
FK: "I would fully agree that physical death is certainly no punishment for the elect."
Then why don't they celebrate when someone dies? Why don't they lead lives that promote brevity of life on earth, or just have somebody shoot them?
In my church we DO celebrate the lives of the departed. Of course, we also feel sorry for ourselves at our own loss. That is what mourning is supposed to be I think, and it is a Biblical practice. When a Christian I know dies, I don't feel sorry for him, only myself and the person's loved ones.
We are not to commit suicide because it breaks a Commandment. God obviously wants His children here for a time for His reasons. One of which is to fulfill the Great Commission. If we're all dead, then who is going to do the work? :) Plus, we have to stay alive long enough to make more future Christians. When enough have been made, He will let us know. :)
If it was good enough for Adam, it's good enough for the Protestant "elect." You have Adam's nature, it's called mortal. We all die because Adam sinned.
I forgot what the answer to the paradox was. Here, mankind benefits from the commission of sin, since if we never die, no one goes to be in Heaven with God. But mankind also benefited from the crucifixion. Are you sure God has no control over whenever sin happens? :)
***Then why don’t they celebrate when someone dies?***
What? He’s never been to an Irish wake?:>)
That's certainly a reasonable assumption. We are not here to stay, so to God the time we spend on earth could be irrelevant. Since what we do does not affect our salvation or perdition, it is what happens afterwards that matters.
Whether you take a fast train or a slow train is irrelevant. Those who were "predestined" to believe will believe; those who were not will not, right? The reprobate will remain reprobate whether they live 1 day or 100 years according to your Reformed theology.
Ps 139:13 : For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. Do you suppose that knitting included congenital birth defects, abnormally strong heart muscles, below average immune systems, etc.?
Does God make retarded people? God doesn't "make" us. Parents make us following God's laws of procreation. Thus whatever corruption the parents have they give it to their offspring.
Or, do you suppose that we are made physically equal and everything after that happens by chance?
God created the world good. Whatever imperfcetion and evil exists in it is because our ancestral parents rejected the Good and became evil.
I don't think we can have any idea how long Adam lived in sin
His entire life, of course. His sin changed his nature and made it mortal. Mortality (death) is evidence of sinfulness. It's not only what we do and think, it's our nature or essence. Even if he didn't sin any more, he wanted to. And Christ tells us that even a lustful thought is a sin.
In my church we DO celebrate the lives of the departed. Of course, we also feel sorry for ourselves at our own loss
Somewhere in the NT it says we should not love the world. Obviously so many seem to disregard it. We love God but we love our world too, sometimes more, don't we? True Christians should be delighted at their loss! We should be celebrating the departure of the loved ones, because if you love your neighbor as yourself you would delight in their heavenly rewards, and the joy of their loss would pale any residual sorrow for their absence.
I would venture to say that our sorrow is a seed of doubt we all have but are afraid to admit. It is also an indication of how much we love the world.
God obviously wants His children here for a time for His reasons
Pure speculation. God could be completely dispassionate as regards our stay here. In fact, the eastern Church teaches that God is indeed dispassionate when ti comes to mankind.
One of which is to fulfill the Great Commission
Oh yeah? So how much of your free time do you spend evangelizing non-Christians? Or do you try to "fit" it in your busy schedule of other "fun things to do?" What priority in your life does the Great Commission take in your free time? First, second, third, after the football game, after BBQ; do your vacations go all towards the Great Commission...c'mon FK, you know what I mean. It's all talk and feel-good stuff. We put God on the back burner all the time. But a Pharisee would make it sound like he lives, drinks and talks nothing but God.
If we're all dead, then who is going to do the work?
God doesn't need us to do the work. He already did everything. The world is turning around all by itself.
Plus, we have to stay alive long enough to make more future Christians
I though God made all the elect from before foundation of the world according to your theology. We can't make Christians! And if He wants more, He certainly can make more. We could all be engaged in populating the earth 24/7/365!
Here, mankind benefits from the commission of sin, since if we never die, no one goes to be in Heaven with God
I thought God created us for His pleasure in your theology. Who cares if we benefit or not? It's not about us, or is it on Tuesdays and Thursdays?