For those who say that all do evil by free will and never do good, it is not honouring God to say this (though not the ultimate blasphemy of Calvinism). The idea that, if given free choice, no one would choose God? How on earth can someone think such an idea is glorifying to God?

It is rather astonishing, when God gives freedom to people, that anyone would commit sin - it is the one truly mysterious thing that exists, the one thing that is unnatural, the only thing causeless and pointless: the existence of sin cannot be reasoned, because by definition it is unreason.

With sin existent at all, it is not so surprising that everyone has it to struggle with, from conception. And not at all surprising that, if indulged, the path of unreason leads to every abomination. "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips..." Ro 3

What is inconceivable is the idea that anyone would have no good in them - though some (especially before the flood) may eventually cease to follow the good in them at all. Some also cease to follow the evil in them at all. Most are, of course, in the varying degrees between. "of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Lk 6

All have both: sin, utterly without reason; and good, because who, when given the choice, would not glorify our great Creator? And who would dare to deny this?

#sabbathposts 2024/03/16