God Is Patient

Since I have started an overall topic of the anti-Calvinism crusade among Southern Baptist Church leaders, I figured I'll just keep going. The Dividing Line was playing some clips of Adrianne Rogers speaking to a college group about the dangers of Calvinism. The idea that God wants to save every person ever, but He just can't because man has a "will" which is assumed to be free (Rogers uses 2 Peter 3:9). The moment someone attempts to debunk this man-made, philosophical idea, he is immediately charged with making God to be a mean and evil tyrant, who is unloving at best.

Emotionalism begins to take over many conversations when dealing with God's Sovereignty. I remember several years ago a pastor and his wife used the 2 Peter 3:9 argument to show that God desires every person ever to be saved and is waiting and hoping for us to come. When I used the text itself and showed what the text really meant, I was seen as a mean Calvinist that doesn't want to share the love of God. So in essence, personal, emotional, man-made philosophies and traditions took over the conversation.

It is true that God commands men everywhere to repent and believe in Jesus. This is God's will of command. Dr. Rogers uses emotionally driven examples of rape being against God's will. Therefore men have the ability to resist God's Will. Therefore God's will can be frustrated. Is 2 Peter 3:9 really about God commanding men?

I suggest that the text itself argues against that point. In fact, if you simply follow the pronouns "us" verses "them", you will see that this is not God hoping men will be saved, but God actually being patient with His people. This is showing that God uses means to bring about the salvation of His people, and this takes time.

It also shows that God has people from every generation, from every language, from every nation and tribe and people that He desires to save. He will not fail to do so. I thank God He was patient with me. Perhaps He may be patient with many we are praying for as well.

God accomplishes everything He sets out to do. That is His Will. Do men resist His will of command? Yes. Do men resist His secret purposes? No. Did God command men to murder His Son? No, He did not. Was it His secret will that the Cross should happen? Yes, it was. So the Adrianne Rogers of the SBC need to be a little more careful before they go emotionalizing texts. God is the Creator of everything, including every event in history. That is His Will.

Soli Deo Gloria