[Between the Lines]

This predestination to judgment is not one in which God actively works sin into the hearts of the reprobate. As Luther argued, God does not have to place "fresh evil" (Luther's term) into anyone's heart-there's enough there already! God works actively to save his elect, changing their hearts to make them love him. But he does not work actively to turn the reprobate against him-they do that on their own.

Passive Predestination? I don't think so.

By using the term "they do it on their own" this paragraph argues that the reprobate have free will while the elect do not.

[HarleyD]

Hmmmm...good point.

I don't think the author is arguing the reprobates have free will while the elect doesn't. I believe the author is saying, unless their nature is changed, the reprobates will always rally against God. This doesn't mean this rallying isn't within God's control.

[PetroniusMaximus]

(Off Topic)

Between the Lines,

I like your tag...

"Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

I've been thinking alot about how to get this same idea across to people using different terminology. My concern it that "personal relaionship" is a over-used and time worn phrase. I believe it has been in steady use since B Graham popularized it in the 50s (guessing here). I think some people switch off when they hear it.

What I've come up with is the term "interactive" as is "Do you have an interactive relationship with Jesus?" I like the idea because it gets across the fact that Biblical Christianity is a relationship with a real, living person (not just someone you've only read about) but I'm not sure of the phrase.

Any thoughts?

(I've posted this to you because, having read your tag, I know you've given some thought to this very issue.)