Yearly Archives: 2011

The Glory of God is Primary

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“In this system of theology [the doctrines of grace], the glory of God is central. As every planet revolves around the blazing sun, every truth of sovereign grace rotates around this one fixed point – the glory of God. The unrivaled pre-eminence of God stands at the focal point of this theological universe. That God is to be the chief object of praise in the display of His grace is what energized this solar system of truth. As the compass always points north, so the doctrines of grace constantly point upward the lofty heights of the glory of God.” – Steve Lawson, Foundations of Grace, A Long Line of Godly Men, Volume 1, page 31.

I believe the second generation of Protestant Reformers really understood this truth and that is why they went as far as they did in the Synod of Dordt to respond to the Remonstrants by calling Arminianism heresy – because they saw it as the first steps on the road that leads to Rome and away from the “true north” of giving glory only to God for salvation.

If God Wills Disease Why Should We Try to Eradicate It?

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I read this short article by Dr. John Piper today and thought it was well worth passing on:

This question arises from the biblical teaching that all things are ultimately under God’s control. “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isaiah 46:10). “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Psalm 135:6). “He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?'” (Daniel 4:35). “[He] works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).

This means that God governs all calamity and all disease. Satan is real and has a hand in it, but he is not ultimate and can do nothing but what God permits (Job 1:12-2:10). And God does not permit things willy-nilly. He permits things for a reason. There is infinite wisdom in all he does and all he permits. So what he permits is part of his plan just as much as what he does more directly.

Therefore this raises the question: If God wills disease why should we try to eradicate it? This is a crucial question for me because I have heard Christians say recently that believing in the sovereignty of God hinders Christians from working hard to eradicate diseases like malaria and tuberculosis and cancer and AIDS. They think the logic goes like this: If God sovereignly wills all things, including malaria, then we would be striving against God to invest millions of dollars to find a way to wipe it out.
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