Theodicy

1
Theodicy A Summary

• God is sovereign over all creation (Col.
  116-17).
• That God is sovereign over all creation means He
  is also sovereign over all evil and all evil
  people (Gen. 5020 Ex. 916 Is. 455-7 Lam.
  337-38).
• God was sovereign over the most wicked event of
  all time (Acts 223 427-28 Jn. 1712).
• While sovereign over all evil, never does God
  sin, nor tempt, nor command anyone to sin (Js.
  113 Hab. 113).
• When men sin, even within the providential hand
  of God, they alone are responsible for their sin
  (Hab. 212, 15ff Is. 663-4 Rom. 124ff 39ff
  919-20).
• God has sovereignly decreed by His permissive
  will for sin to exist so that men will glorify
  Him more greatly for His gift of salvation (Rom.
  35 58 828 922-23).

2

• we have to come to the point where we confess
  that we do not understand how it is that God can
  ordain that we carryout evil deeds and yet hold
  us accountable for them and not be blamed
  himself We can affirm that all of these things
  are true, because Scripture teaches them. But
  Scripture does not tell us exactly how God brings
  this situation about or how it can be that God
  holds us accountable for what he ordains to come
  to pass. Here Scripture is silent and we have to
  agree with Berkhof that ultimately the problem
  of Gods relation to sin remains a mystery.
• Grudem, Systematic Theology, p. 330.

3
HOW WAS SIN IMPUTED TO ALL MEN FROM ADAM?

• Imputation of sin means that sin is universal.
• We sin because we are sinners (born with original
  sin) and we are sinners because we sin (our own
  sin condemns us).
• If there is no imputation of Adams sin to us,
  then neither can there be an imputation of
  Christs righteousness to us (Rom. 518). If
  Adam cannot sin on our behalf, then neither can
  Christ offer His righteousness on our behalf (1
  Cor. 1522).

4
WHY DO CHRISTIANS STILL SIN?

• Believers have been saved from the power of sin
  so they no longer have to sin (1 Jn. 21).
• Believers still have indwelling sin (Rom. 717,
  18, 20, 21), though they are freed from its
  power.
• The sources of conflict for the believer are (1
  Jn. 216)
• the world the system that is under the control
  of Satan which is hostile to God.
• the flesh the old nature and man indwelling
  sin
• the devil Satan and his angels who seek to
  devour Christians (1 Pt. 58).

5
WHAT IS THE PROVISION FOR THE BELIEVER?

• the Word of God (Js. 15)
• the intercession of Christ (Heb. 725)
• the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit (Rom.
  89 Gal. 516ff)
• the redemption of sin through confession and
  forgiveness (1 Jn. 19)

6
WHAT IS THE HOPE FOR THE CHRISTIAN WHO SINS?

• Our sins do not affect our legal standing with
  God.
• Our sin does disrupt our fellowship with God
• Our sin is redeemable and is able to be used as
  an instrument of growth by means of appropriating
  afresh the truths of the gospel.

7
WHAT ABOUT UNBELIEVERS?

• Unregenerate men remain guilty because of imputed
  sin.
• Unregenerate men are born with original, in a
  state of death, separated from God.
• Unregenerate men are guilty because of their own
  acts of personal sin against God.
• Unregenerate men live under sin, with no ability
  to escape apart from Gods grace.
• Unregenerate men remain under the blinding
  influence and authority of Satan.

8
Soteriology How Are Men Saved?

• A Study of
• the Doctrine of Salvation

9

• Our method of proclaiming salvation is this to
  point out to every heart the loving Lamb, who
  died for us, and although He was the Son of God,
  offered Himself for our sins...by the preaching
  of His blood, and of His love unto death, even
  the death of the crossto name no virtue except
  in Him, and from Him and on His account, to
  preach no commandment except faith in Him no
  other justification but that He atoned for us no
  other sanctification but the privilege to sin no
  more no other happiness but to be near Him, to
  think of Him and do His pleasure no other self
  denial but to be deprived of Him and His
  blessings no other calamity but to displease
  Him no other life but in Him.
• Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf
  (1700-1760).

10
AN OVERVIEW OF SALVATION

• Salvation is the result of the past work of God.
• Salvation is the present process of God.
• Salvation is the future goal of God.

11
AN OVERVIEW OF SALVATION

• For I am confident of this very thing, that He
  who began a good work in you will perfect it
  until the day of Christ Jesus.
• (Phil. 16)

12
THE WORK OF SALVATION CHRISTS DEATH

• Substitution
• Redemption
• Reconciliation
• Propitiation
• Forgiveness

• God has forgiven and removed sin.
• There still remains a daily need for cleansing
  for the purpose of fellowship.

13
THE WORK OF SALVATION CHRISTS DEATH

• Substitution
• Redemption
• Reconciliation
• Propitiation
• Forgiveness
• Justification

14
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONMans Responsibility

• Faith involves the intellect.
• Faith involves emotion.
• Faith involves the will.
• Faith involves a correct object.

15
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONMans Responsibility

• Faith involves a correct object.

• The gospel was planned by God beforehand.
• The gospel is an objective physical event in
  history.
• The gospel is an objective accomplishment.
• The gospel is an offer to be made to all that
  what Christ accomplished is free and my be had
  only by faith in him.
• The gospel is an application through faith to
  specific people of what Christ accomplished.
• The gospel is an eternal and infinitely happy
  future destiny.

16
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONMans Responsibility

• Faith involves the intellect.
• Faith involves emotion.
• Faith involves the will.
• Faith involves a correct object.
• Faith produces transformation.

17
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONMans Responsibility

• Faith involves transformation.

• Not all who profess Christ have been converted by
  Christ.
• Those who have been converted by Christ will
  produce fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Believers will produce differing quality and
  quantity of fruit.
• There will be some believers in glory who may
  give little demonstration of fruit now.
• An individual may be saved, though he gives
  little evidence of that salvation, but he will
  have no genuine assurance of that salvation

18
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONGods Provision

• The work of God the Father.

• Election
• Predestination
• Adoption

• The work of Christ.
• The work of the Holy Spirit.

19
THE REALIZATION OF SALVATIONGods Provision

• The work of God the Father.
• The work of Christ.
• The work of the Holy Spirit.

• Conviction
• Regeneration
• Baptism
• Indwelling

20
THE BLESSING OF SALVATION SECURITY

• Security is given to accomplish the sovereign
  purpose of God.
• Security keeps us by the power of God.
• Security is a demonstration of the love of God.
• Security is produced by the justification in
  Christ.
• Security gifts us with the intercession of
  Christ.
• Security is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit.
• Security results in Christ presenting us
  faultless before Himself.

21

• The gospel is not only the most important
  message in all of history it is the only
  essential message in all of history. Yet we
  allow thousands of professing Christians to live
  their entire lives without clearly understanding
  it and experiencing the joy of living by it.
• Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace.