13 – The Contrast
Between Calvinism & Arminianism – The Providence of God – Conclusion
The Providence of God – Conclusion
In all deference to
my Arminian brothers, I must conclude with Grudem:
. . . Arminians must
leave unanswered the questions regarding God’s knowledge of the future, why
would he allow evil when it is against his will and whether he will certainly
triumph over evil. Their failure to
resolve these questions tends to diminish the greatness of God – his
omniscience, his omnipotence and the absolute reliability of his promise for
the future. . . Moreover, by denying that God can make creatures who have real
choices that are nevertheless caused by him, the Arminian position diminishes
the wisdom and skill of God the Creator.
. . . Calvinists
would say that the answer is somehow to be found in an awareness of God’s
infinite greatness, in the knowledge of the fact that he can do far more than
we could ever think possible. So the
effect of these unanswered questions is to increase our appreciation of the
greatness of God. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 351
Doug
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