God’s Grace That Damns

Grace is Good

Grace is the center of biblical theology, expressing itself continually throughout redemptive history. One could even say that if it were not for God’s grace then this creation would be destroyed, leaving nothing in existence except God. Every covenant between God and man has some measure of grace, since the creation does not have any merit to use to defend self-existence. The creatures and the creation have no autonomous merit whatsoever; it is solely by God’s grace that we exist in history and the universe.

Many times Protestants equate God’s grace with regeneration, but the Bible uses the concept of grace in many different fashions. Without a biblical understanding of God’s grace Christians will continue creating a false dichotomy between law and grace. We’re saved by grace, God’s law is grace, and rain is grace. The understanding we Christians need to have is how God’s singular (not plural) grace is expressed in history. Salvation, law, rain, sunshine, life, all things that are good are an expression of God’s grace and can be called grace. Sure, we can say, “Rain is a grace”, which isn’t wrong or inaccurate to say that theologically speaking, but biblically speaking, if we’re going to use terms the way the Bible uses them, then we would say “It is by God’s grace that He has sent the rain to water my crops. Rain IS grace, not a grace.”

For example, we’re not saved by “a” grace, we’re directly saved by grace. The Bible never creates the differences of grace that theologians have, instead employs a consistent use of expressions rather than types. Instead of the Bible saying, “For by a grace are you saved” it simply says, “For by grace are you saved”. Grace is not just salvation, grace is a lot of things.

Now again, I cannot stress enough, because this seems to be the barrier that my Reformed brothers cannot hurl over, that I’m not condemning the use of theological distinctions of grace, rather I am using the word like the Bible would use it, and the way the Bible uses it is by expressing grace in different ways, not talking about different kinds of graces that accomplish different events in history.

Does God Favor Satan?

The definition of grace is vital, since there needs to be a discussion using the word, and since I’m speaking against another view that differs on what the term means and how it is used. Grace is commonly thought to be God’s unmerited favor; that it is an attitude God has towards men, even though they don’t deserve the attention. However, if grace means favor and God shows this to all creatures, then God would show favor to Satan and the host of demons.

“The Bible does not indicate that God in any way favors the unregenerate. It says the opposite. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shal not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”. The wrath of God abides on the unbeliever in the present. But as we shall see, this wrath takes the form of favors (not favor) shown to the unbeliever in history.”

“What are we to make of the Bible’s passages that have been used to support the idea of limited favor toward creatures (including demons) in general? Without exception, they refer to the gifts of God to the unregenerate. They do not imply God’s favor.” -Gary North, Dominion and Common Grace

God in no way shows an attitude of favor towards sinners,; the mistake that Arminians have made. God is not a being in the sky that cannot help Himself. He hates the lawbreaker because man is in covenant with God, and since they have broken His covenant He hates them. Perfect hate is found in the law of God, not in the emotions of man.

“Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.” Psalm 139:21-22

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36-37

What some would make out to be two opposing and contradicting passages are resolved in the law of God. Love and hate are not opposite in the law of God, since the law of God has a twofold effect in history, dependent upon the recipient and context, dictating which side he experiences. We love our enemies by showing mercy to them, just as God does, but we also hate them because in doing so they must answer for rejecting God after He has showered them with many gifts. Again the issue is covenantal. If God knows who the reprobate are, and yet gives them grace then they must answer for it. God gave them grace knowing that they would burn hotter for it in eternity, thus expressing His hate to the individual in time and eternity. If the covenant breaker is able to sin and not receive punishment on earth, then there is no covenant. The world does not function in accordance with what humanism teaches; that good and bad things happen depending on luck or chance. Nor does the universe work in ways that the non-covenantal Christians believe it to be, that Satan and God are perpetually battling, and that sometimes you just get the worst of things. All actions, reactions, and events in history occur within a covenantal context.

Grace Turns to Curse

The reprobate receives rain from God, but since he is reprobate and never repents he suffers in hell worse. Why is this? That is the nature of the covenant, for men must answer for all of God’s gifts they have denied.

“But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Luke 12:48

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21

Jesus and Paul took very seriously the covenant terms, that some people would suffer greatly for their sins and for receiving the gifts of God through His people. When Christians love their neighbor as themselves they create many different effects; effects which are a product of the covenant terms. When we give food to our enemies we heap coals on his head, why? Because he received more in his life from God and yet still lived a God-hating life. Even though this grace was received and enjoyed on earth, the eternal consequences were negative.

Another example of Jesus upholding the covenantal effects is during His ministry.

“And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” Matthew 10:14,15

Whether or not this passage refers to AD 70 or to the final judgement, the covenant language is the same. Had the actions of the people of that town been different than what Jesus spoke of, then the effects of their actions would have been much different. It would have been “more bearable on the day of judgement”. So we see that covenant sanctions, or blessings and curses, are contingent upon the actions of those in the covenant.

If we want to know how the world works, then covenant theology holds the answer, since it outlines how blessings and curses originate and what man can do to avoid God’s curses and inherit His blessings. Ever wondered why bad things happen? Covenant theology has the answer, because men are in covenant with God, in which God has outlined how all of mankind is to behave. God commands all men to repent, and turn towards His law, not just the elect.

God’s Law is Grace

A fight over terminology is usually a lousy fight and eventually someone gets sucker punched, giving the illusion that someone actually won the fight. Again, having nothing against theological phrases and terminology, such as “a grace” or “means of grace” etc, my use of the term is a biblical use, not purely systematical. As was stated God’s law is both a blessing and a curse, unlike what most Reformed folks are declaring today. A true application of this recognition is found in the theonomist camp, who understands that God’s way are the best ways and that it is an act of grace that He give us His law so that we may avoid His wrath in history, while we live our life according to the covenant terms (His law), and restrain wicked men that live among us.

The first objection Protestants usually have against this thesis is based on the dichotomy previously stated, that God’s salvation by grace is different than God’s provision of food by grace. There is no difference between these graces, except only in how they are expressed and are played out in history. The same grace that saves us is the same grace that sustains the life of a wicked civil magistrate, the difference is the effect of this grace in time and eternity. The grace has the same source it’s just what the grace is and how it’s expressed. In this way, because God’s law is twofold, God’s law is grace (biblically speaking).

“Biblical law is both a means of grace (common and special) and a means of curse (common and special). Men’s responses to the terms of biblical law bring temporal blessings and temporal cursings (Deut. 28); these responses also bring varying eternal blessings (1 Cor. 3:11-15) and varying eternal cursings (Luke 12:47-48).” Gary North, Dominion and Common Grace, pg. 62

In systematic theology, the words “special” and “common” in conjunction with the word “grace” is meant to create the distinction of how God’s grace expresses itself and it’s purpose in eternity and in time. Using this terminology, God’s “special grace” is given to the elect while God’s “common grace” is given to every individual. Biblically speaking there is no use of the words “special” and “common” in describing God’s grace. While the concept and systematic is correct, the term is biblically unheard of. The reason I draw this point is to shatter this dichotomy of God’s law and His grace. God’s law is grace. How gracious of God to show man a way to avoid His curses, so that we may deter from destruction. The reason nations collapse is for a lack of God’s law. Societies do not collapse for no reason, neither do they fall solely because of high debt, destruction, disease, famine, etc. Nations, societies, any institution that fails and ceases to have a legacy or is mortally wounded is because they have broken the covenant.

We see the same thing with America, the covenant breaker. We have made our silver become dross and our wine diluted with water (Isa. 1:21-26) by inflating our fiat currency (the dollar), we have approved of homosexuality and fornication (Rom. 1:32), we love war (Deut. 17:16,Pro. 1:11-16) and the churches have become apathetic in their duties. (Hos. 4:6, Matt 5:13)

“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:6-7

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