Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim RickardTuesday, April 26, 2012 Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. John 17 The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord! John 17:20-26 Jesus Prays for the Church! John 17:21, That they all may keep on being one (the Church) just as You (God the Father) are in Me (Jesus Christ), and I in You, that they also may keep on being in Us, so that the world (unbelievers) would believe that You sent Me. Divine Decree There is one comprehensive plan in which all things have their place and by which they proceed. Westminster Catechism: His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. It includes: The divine purpose, Eph 1:11, Determinate counsel, Acts 2:23, Foreknowledge, 1 Peter 1:2; cf. 1:20, Election, 1 Thes 1:4, Predestination, Rom 8:30, The Divine will, Eph 1:11, The Divine good pleasure, Eph 1:9. Acts 15:18, Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world. 1 Peter 1:20, He (Jesus Christ) was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times. The Decree of God is His eternal and immutable will, regarding the future existence of all events which will happen in time and the precise manner and order of their occurrence. The Decree of God is broken down to two aspects; 1) His Efficacious work, and 2) His permissive will, which allows for secondary actions, i.e., human volition. Lapsarianism is the study and debate of the five points of Gods Divine Decrees related to man. Lapsarian means, One who believes in the doctrine that man is a fallen being. These five points are also known as the Five Points of Calvinism, credited to John Calvin, ( ). Yet, developed by his student Theodore Beza, ( ). They include the Decree to: 1) Provide salvation for men. 2) Create all men. 3) Permit the fall of men. 4) Elect some to salvation and leave others to their just condemnation. 5) Apply salvation to men. They include the Decree to: 1) Provide salvation for men. 2) Create all men. 3) Permit the fall of men. 4) Elect some to salvation and leave others to their just condemnation. 5) Apply salvation to men. The five points are: The five points are: a) All-Comprehensive; They all go together and are held together perfectly. The five points are: b) Eternal; The decrees always existed; God knew all the decrees at all times. The five points are: c) Perfect; God is perfect therefore His decrees are perfect. The five points are: d) Unchangeable and Certain; Nothing can possibly occur to necessitate a change. The five points are: e) The free choice of God; God determined all future events from His sovereign will in eternity past. They have been refined into 4 various interpretations; the first three being classed as Calvinistic: 1. Supralapsarianism 2. Infralapsarianism 3. Sublapsarianism 4. Arminian Supralapsarianism: Ultra Calvinist, begins the decrees with election for some to be saved and reprobate for all others. 1. Elect some to be saved and to reprobate all others. 2. Create men both elect and non- elect. 3. Permit man to fall. 4. Provide salvation for the elect, limited atonement. 5. Apply salvation to the elect. This says God declared to have elected men to their destiny before they were created, before the fall and before having free will to choose or reject Gods provision for salvation. Infralapsarianism: Moderate Calvinism. The decree to elect some and to leave others in retribution follows the fall. This glorifies God revealing His infinite, wise, holy and righteous will. 1. Create all Men. 2. Permit man to fall. 3. Provide salvation for men, unlimited atonement. 4. Elect those who believe and leave in just condemnation all who do not. 5. Apply salvation to those who believe. Compare to: John 15:19; Rom 11:5-7; Eph 1:1-15; 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:1-2 John 15:19, If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Eph 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, April 26, 2012 Tape # Doctrine of Divine Decree Lapsarianism Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 95 John 17:21; 15:19; Eph 1:1-14; 2:8-9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012