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But the truth remains that if God loved all men with the saving grace with which He sacrificed His Son on the cross, all men surely would be saved.

That's not what MacArthur said though.

And to deny Christ's particular redemption is to deny the predestining will of God, something with which MacArthur says he's in complete agreement.

I didn't see MacArthur denying Christ's particular redemption either.

All MacArthur is saying is that God has some measure of love for ALL men. MacArthur was very explicit and clear though that the love He has for the elect is not the same as the love He has for other men.

With concessions like this one, John MacArthur is well on his way to becoming the Bill Frist among the Reformed.

I don't think MacArthur is making any concessions beyond conceding that some Reformed folk do indeed go to far in their insistence the God does not in any way, shape or form have any sort of love for the non-elect. I happen to agree with him.

A good summation of my understanding can be found here.

Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, The love of God
"He loves His rational creatures for His own sake, or, to express it otherwise, He loves in them Himself, His virtues, His work and His gifts. He does not even withdraw His love completely from the sinner in his present sinful state, though the latter's sin is an abomination to Him, since He recognizes even in the sinner His image-bearer...At the same time He loves believers with a special love, since He contemplates them as His spiritual children in Christ."

It sounds like Berkhof agrees with MacArthur.

It isn't MacArthur's distinctions that I disagree with so much, but his finding it necessary to slam fellow Reformed believers.

He's set up a straw man, reviled it and then labeled that straw man as some fellow Reformed believers.

No one, Reformed or not, disagrees with the fact that the sun shines on the saved and the reprobate alike.

But salvation is ordained by God for His elect, determined by Him and not determined by the creature. That is the "agape" RnMom spoke of. And it is different. An eternity of difference.

IMO MacArthur's just trying to salvage his reputation after standing tall on Larry King. There are worldly powers who insist we all bow at the altar of inclusiveness.

Get up, John. You're going the wrong way.