Does the Bible teach REPROBATION???

[Leafrivermac]

The doctrine of election is clearly taught in the Word of God: "God hath from the beginning chosen you (believers in Christ) unto salvation" (2 Thess.2:13; compare also Eph. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:9; Col. 3:12; etc.). Since election is taught, men have wrongly assumed and reasoned that the opposite must be true also. In other words, if God has chosen some unto salvation then it must also be true that God has chosen others unto damnation. The opposite of election has been called "REPROBATION," the doctrine that certain people are foreordained to damnation or chosen ahead of time to damnation. To some this may appear reasonable and logical, BUT IT IS NOT BIBLICAL! Here are three examples from Scripture showing that REPROBATION is not a Biblical doctrine:
Romans 9:22-23. In verse 23 we are told that HE (God) prepared beforehand the vessels of mercy unto glory. If REPROBATION were true then we might expect verse 22 to read something like this: "the vessels of wrath which HE (God) fitted to destruction." This is not what the text says.
Compare Matthew 25:34 with Matthew 25:41. The kingdom was prepared by God for the righteous from the foundation of the world (v.34). If REPROBATION were true then we should expect the opposite to be stated in verse 41. We would expect to read, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared (by God) for YOU." No, the eternal fire was not prepared for man, but for the devil and his angels.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-13. Note that in v.13 we have a clear statement of the glorious doctrine of election (for which Paul gave much thanks). Verse 10 speaks of "them that perish." Why do they perish? If REPROBATION were true we would expect Paul to say, ". . .because God has not chosen them to salvation." This is not what verse 10 says. They are damned, not because they were chosen by God to damnation but because they "believed not the truth" (v.12). [/ol] C. H. Mackintosh, the highly esteemed Brethren writer, argues in a similar fashion:
It is deeply interesting to mark the way in which Scripture guards against the repulsive doctrine of reprobation. Look, for example, at Matthew 25:34. Here, the King, in addressing those on His right hand, says, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.""™ Contrast with this the address to those on His left hand (v.41): "˜Depart from Me ye cursed [He does not say 'of My Father'] into everlasting fire, prepared [not for you, but] for the devil and his angels." So also, in Romans 9. In speaking of the "vessels of wrath," it says "fitted to destruction"--fitted not by God surely, but by themselves. On the other hand, when speaking of the "vessels of mercy," it says, "which He had afore prepared unto glory." The grand truth of election is fully established; the repulsive error of reprobation, sedulously avoided

We need to be very careful not to embrace some teaching just because it might seem to make sense or be reasonable or logical. The only sure test of any doctrine is this: "WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?" (Rom.4:3). If it is Biblical then we are responsible to believe it, whether it makes sense or not, whether we understand it or not, or whether it seems reasonable or not. The Bible makes it very clear that THOSE WHO ARE SAVED AND HEAVEN-BOUND HAVE ONLY GOD TO THANK and THOSE WHO ARE LOST AND DAMNED HAVE ONLY THEMSELVES TO BLAME.
Those who are saved have only God to thank: See 1 Corinthians 1:29-31 (God must get all the credit); Ephesians 2:8-9 (there is no basis for boasting); Matthew 16:16-17 (Peter did not open his own eyes); John 6:44-45,65 (no one can come to the Saviour apart from supernatural enabling). Those who are lost have only themselves to blame: 1 Timothy 2:4 (God desires all men to be saved); Romans 10:12-13 (God is rich unto all that call upon Him); Matthew 23:37 (God was willing; man was unwilling); John 5:40 (the reason man does not have eternal life is because of his stubborn and sinful REFUSAL to come to the only Saviour); 2 Thess.1:8-9 (those who suffer eternal punishment are those who DISOBEYED the good news of the gospel). Man must take full blame and responsibility for his eternal destination.
The saved person thankfully says, "I"™M IN HEAVEN BECAUSE OF GOD!" The lost person must truthfully say, "I"™M IN HELL BECAUSE OF ME!" Those who are damned will never be able to blame God or say, "I"™m damned because GOD DID NOT CHOOSE ME!" Their damnation is based not upon God"™s rejection of them but upon THEIR REJECTION OF GOD: "He that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16). "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he bath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). "Of sin, because they believe not on Me" (John 16:9). "And still you are not willing (but refuse) to come to Me, so that you might have life" (John 5:40--Amplified Bible).
Man does not contribute to his own salvation. It is the work of God, "not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph.2:8-9). God does not contribute to man"™s unbelief. That is man's work. God alone must do the saving. Man must do the believing. God must get all the glory and all the credit. Unbelieving man must take the blame. "To God be the glory great things HE HATH DONE!" "Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I"™m constrained to be!"
Romans 9:24 Who are these vessels of mercy? "EVEN US!" The vessels of mercy are those whom God has called (see Romans 8:28,30). The CHURCH is God"™s CALLED OUT ASSEMBLY (ekklesia) made up of both Jews and Gentiles (compare Rom. 3:29).
Keep in mind the historical background. The book of Romans was penned by Paul about 56 A.D. which was about 25 years after the death and resurrection of Christ. The majority of Jews were not responding to the gospel (Rom.11:28). A very small minority of Jews had put their faith in Jesus as the Messiah, including Paul. When the church first began, the membership was entirely Jewish (Acts 2). In Acts chapter 10 the first Gentiles were saved and entered the church. As time went on more and more non-Jews (Gentiles) came to Christ, and before long the majority of Christians were Gentiles. Saved Jews soon became a minority group in the churches. Today a believing Jew is a rarity. In the days when Paul wrote to the Romans this posed quite a problem: If the Jews are God"™s chosen people (Romans 9:1-5), then why are so few being saved? "Has God cast away His people?" (See Romans 11:1.) In Romans 9:24 Paul is helping them to understand that in this present age God"™s chosen people are those whom He has called "not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles."
There are some who believe that the church is the "TRUE ISRAEL." However, notice that Paul did not say, "Even us, whom he hath called, the TRUE JEWS, the TRUE ISRAEL, made up of saved Jews and saved Gentiles." No, in God"™s Church there is neither Jew nor Gentile (see Colossians 3:10-11; Galatians 6:15
Romans 9:25-26 (these verses focus upon the Gentiles mentioned in 9:24) What right do the Gentiles have to be God"™s people? Why should they be included in God"™s special called-out assembly, the church? In the past the Gentiles have not been God"™s people. The Jews have been God"™s people. How can God let a people be His people when previously they had no real and right relationship to God at all?
Paul answers this by quoting from two places in the book of Hosea. See Hosea 2:23 (Rom.9:25) and Hosea 1:9-10 (Rom. 9:26). The prophet Hosea is referring to Israel, the ten northern tribes who had turned away from the Lord and who had embraced idolatry. Because of their unfaithfulness God disowns them and calls them "LOAMMI" (Hosea 1:9), a Hebrew expression which means "not My people." "For ye are not my people and I will not be your God" (Hosea 1:9). And yet we are amazed to learn that in the future Israel will once again be restored to God"™s favor and God will claim them as His own: "it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God"™ (Hosea 1:10 and see 2:23). These Jews turned away from God and went into an apostate, heathenish state, but God promised that one day these Israelites would be restored to His favor. Even though Hosea was referring to the Israelites, the principle applies to the Gentiles. The principle is this: God will mercifully bring a previously rejected people into a relationship with Himself. Paul applies this principle to the Gentiles: they were not God"™s people, but now they are! What is stressed in the Hosea quotes is the sovereign and pitying grace of God shown to those who (whether Jews or Gentiles) lack the right to consider themselves God"™s people (see 1 Peter 2:9-10).
Romans 9:27-29 (these verses focus upon the Jews mentioned in 9:24) "All right, we will let the Gentiles be part of God"™s people, but what about the Jews? Are not the Jews God"™s people? Why can"™t all the Jews be God"™s people? Why are the vast majority of Jews opposed to the gospel and enemies of the cross (11:28)? Why have so few Jews recognized Christ as Saviour and received Him by faith?"
Paul addresses these questions in Romans 9:27-29. His main point: Only a small remnant of Jews will be saved. Most will be lost and will perish. Paul quotes from the Jewish Old Testament Scriptures which clearly taught that this would be so. He quotes from Isaiah 10:22-23 and Isaiah 1:9.
"Crieth"=call out, cry out (indicates the urgent speech of the prophet). "As the sand of the sea" =an innumerable number (so many you can"™t count them all). "Remnant"=small part, small surviving group. Out of the millions and millions of Jews only a small number (a remnant) will be saved. The rest will perish. Compare Romans 9:6--out of the nation Israel (the Jews) there is a much smaller group known as true Israel or elect Israel or the godly remnant (see Rom. 11:5--"a remnant according to the election of grace").
Romans 9:28 speaks of God"™s judgment. God is going to trim and cut down the nation so that only a remnant is left. When God gets through judging there is little left over! ("Finish"=bring to an end, complete; "Cut short"=shorten, cut short, limit). Most of the Jews are "cut off" but a remnant will be saved. Compare "the time of Jacob"™s trouble" (Jer.30:7) when two thirds of the nation will be cut off and die (Zech.13:8).
Romans 9:29 seems to answer an objection: "It"™s not fair that only a few (small remnant) shall be saved. Why can"™t a majority of Jews be saved? Why are there only a few survivors?" But as we read the verse we should be thankful that there are ANY SURVIVORS! Thank God that any are saved! There were no survivors in Sodom! Not one citizen of Sodom escaped (Lot was not a Sodomite though he dwelt there). It was a TOTAL DESTRUCTION. They were destroyed UTTERLY. "Lord of Sabaoth"=a Hebrew expression meaning, "Lord of hosts" (Lord of armies, Lord of the universe, the Sovereign One, the Commander and Chief). "Seed"-this word should be connected to the word "remnant" in verse 27 (the imagery is perhaps the small portion of the harvest that is reserved for sowing; that is, most of the corn is destroyed by animals who use it for feed and by men who use it for food, but some seed is left over to plant the next crop).
Romans 9:30-31 "Followed"=to run after, to pursue, to chase after something trying to get it. The Gentiles were not chasing after God"™s righteousness but they ended up getting it by simply putting their trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22-24; 4:5; 5:1). The Jews chased after the law of righteousness and tried diligently to keep the law, but they never obtained God"™s righteousness because God"™s righteousness does not come by way of the works of the law (Rom.3:20; 10:3-4; Gal. 2:16). To attain and to obtain righteousness by the law a person would have to keep the law perfectly every moment of his life. No sinful Jew (or Gentile) has ever done this or could ever do this (Gal. 3:10-11). The Gentiles were not chasing after God"™s righteousness but they heard the gospel, trusted Christ and were freely and fully justified (at the time Romans was written multitudes of Gentiles had embraced Christianity). The Jews were chasing after God"™s righteousness but were trying to get it the wrong way, depending on SELF rather than on the SAVIOUR (Rom. 10:3). They did not attain or reach the righteousness which they looked for and so desperately needed. The Jews looked but did not find. The Gentiles did not look but they found! (Like a man looking for gold all his life and not finding it; another man not looking for gold at all digs a foundation for his house and finds a large vein of gold. Another example: a hunter hunts for deer all day and never gets it. Another man, who was not hunting at all, walks along at the right moment and in the right place and a buck happens to jump right into his path!)
Another illustration: Think of people on the dock at New York Harbor trying to jump all the way to London (broad jump). An absolute impossibility (just as it is absolutely impossible for sinful men to keep God"™s holy law). None of the jumpers make it though some jump farther than others. But all come far short of the distant London shore. Another person is not trying to jump at all. He is just standing there watching all the foolish jumpers. He happens to step onto a ship that is docked to see better and suddenly the ship leaves the harbor and takes him all the way to London. The jumpers were trying to do it on their own and they did not attain and did not reach their goal. The bystander made it to London (though he wasn"™t trying to get there) by virtue of the boat which did all the work. Compare 1 Peter 3:18.
Romans 9:32-33 Why didn"™t Israel get God"™s righteousness? Because they tried to get it the wrong way. And they rejected the very Christ whose death on the cross made it possible for them to be justified. Again Paul quotes from the Old Testament (see Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16). Think again of the ship illustration. The Jewish people are trying (in their own strength) to jump to London and none of them are attaining. Up pulls a ship (representing Christ who can bring them to where they need to be--1 Pet. 3:18). They resent this and are offended ("Get this ship out of our way. We are trying to jump!"). All they needed to do was to get onto the ship and let it do all the work carrying them to London (the ship represents Christ; getting on the ship represents faith; jumping represents trying to get to God by the works of the law, or by man"™s own religious efforts).
Compare Matthew 21:42-44. What is your relationship to the Stone, Christ Jesus? Three choices: 1) You can trip over the stone and be broken (1 Pet. 2:8); 2) You can have the stone fall on you and be pulverized. 3) You can stand firmly on the stone and be safe and secure (a picture of faith). Let's apply these same three choices to the ship illustration: 1) trip over the ship and get hurt; 2) jump in water and have ship run over you; 3) get onto the ship and let it take you to London.

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The opposite of election has been called "REPROBATION," the doctrine that certain people are foreordained to damnation or chosen ahead of time to damnation. To some this may appear reasonable and logical, BUT IT IS NOT BIBLICAL!

You are CORRECT

You see, select certain people were not chosen to face damnation, but rather ALL men were condemned by God to eternal damnation. Every person ever born was born under the wrath of God, and facing certain death for his sins.

However, it is through the Sovereign Mercy, and Choice of God, that some would be elected out of eternal death, and cleansed of their sins by His Own Blood.

Why does this trouble you?

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Compare Matthew 25:34 with Matthew 25:41. The kingdom was prepared by God for the righteous from the foundation of the world (v.34).

Very True.

If REPROBATION were true then we should expect the opposite to be stated in verse 41. We would expect to read, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared (by God) for YOU." No, the eternal fire was not prepared for man, but for the devil and his angels.

The actual Scripture reads.........Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

This scripture is clearly saying that God, by saying.... Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire...is sentencing the unbelievers into eternal death, because their sins were not cleansed by Jesus.

When God says.......prepared for the devil and his angels:, He is pointing out that they will reside with satan, who is their father.

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2 Thessalonians 2:10-13. Note that in v.13 we have a clear statement of the glorious doctrine of election (for which Paul gave much thanks). Verse 10 speaks of "them that perish." Why do they perish? If REPROBATION were true we would expect Paul to say, ". . .because God has not chosen them to salvation." This is not what verse 10 says. They are damned, not because they were chosen by God to damnation but because they "believed not the truth" (v.12).

While all men were born under the Wrath of God, those Who God Elected were made wise of His Word. The rest, the unbelievers were allowed to be blinded by Satan, so that the Gospel would be hid from them. ....2Cor 4:3-4. This is why so many in religion today are mislead.

In verse 11, of 2nd chapter 2Th, Gods says that He sent the unbelievers a "strong delusion", which is Satan , so that they would believe a lie.