A Sanctuary for Biblical Logic

A Quote from David J. Engelsma Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints: An Exposition of Psalm 73 (brackets mine) The argument of Psalm 73 contends that, although it seems God is good to the wicked (reprobates), in fact He is not good to them - not at all. God is not good to those who are not (elect) Israel. They are those persons who do not have a clean, that is regenerated and sanctified heart (v1). They are those who are foolish (v3), wicked (v3), proud and violent (v6), corrupt blasphemers of God and slanderers of God’s people (v8,9), ungodly (v12), and far from God (v27)….. They are those men and women whom God has eternally appointed to destruction (Jude 4). For them Christ did not die…. God is not good to these ungodly and wicked by having a favourable attitude toward them. He is not good to them by blessing them. He is not good to them in this life with regard to their comfortable circumstances and abundant possessions. With these circumstances and possessions, God neither intends...

First Thought Romans 8:28 makes impossible the distinction between common grace and particular or saving grace. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ——— Common Grace, as defined in 1924 by the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), is God's general favor to all creatures. The essence of the position is contained in the following three points: 1. In addition to the saving grace of God, shown only to those who are elected to eternal life, there is also a certain favor, or grace, of God shown to his creatures in general. 2. Since the fall, human life in society remains possible because God, through his Spirit, restrains the power of sin. 3. God, without renewing the heart, so influences human beings that, though incapable of doing any saving good, they are able to do civil good. Source: https://www.crcna.org/.../position-statements/common-grace ——— There is no denial to point 2 and 3 that God restrai...