Romans 9:19 (KJV)

19. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

1. The doctrine of reprobation does not mean that God purposed to take innocent creatures, make them wicked, and then damn them.

   Scripture says, "God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions" (Ecclesiastes 7:29). God has not created sinful creatures in order to destroy them, for God is not to be charged with the sin of His creatures. The responsibility and criminality is man's.

   God's decree of Reprobation contemplated Adam's race as fallen, sinful, corrupt, guilty. From it God purposed to save a few as the monuments of His sovereign grace; the others He determined to destroy as the exemplification of His justice and severity. In determining to destroy these others, God did them no wrong. They had already fallen in Adam, their legal representative; they are therefore born with a sinful nature, and in their sins He leaves them. Nor can they complain. This is as they wish; they have no desire for holiness; they love darkness rather than light. Where, then, is there any injustice if God "gives them up to their own hearts' lusts" (Psalm 81:12)!

2. The doctrine of reprobation does not mean that God refuses to save those who earnestly seek salvation.

   The fact is that reprobates have no longing for the Saviour: they see in Him no beauty that they should desire Him. They will not come to Christ -- why then should God force them to? He turns away none who do come -- where then is the injustice of God fore-determining their just doom? None will be punished but for their iniquities; where then, is the supposed tyrannical cruelty of the Divine procedure? Remember that God is the Creator of the wicked, not of their wickedness; He is the Author of their being, but not the Infuser of their sin.

   God does not (as we have been slanderously reported to affirm) compel the wicked to sin, as the rider spurs on an unwilling horse. God only says in effect that awful word, "Let them alone" (Matthew 15:14). He needs only to slacken the reins of providential restraint, and withhold the influence of saving grace, and apostate man will only too soon and too surely, of his own accord, fall by his iniquities. Thus the decree of reprobation neither interferes with the bent of man's own fallen nature, nor serves to render him the less inexcusable.

3. The doctrine of reprobation in nowise conflicts with God's goodness.

   Though the non-elect are not the objects of His goodness in the same way or to the same extent as the elect are, yet are they not wholly excluded from a participation of it. They enjoy the good things of Providence (temporal blessings) in common with God's own children, and very often to a higher degree. But how do they improve them? Does the (temporal) goodness of God lead them to repent? Nay, verily, they do but "despise His goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering, and after their hardness and impenitency of heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath" (Romans 2:4,5). On what righteous ground, then, can they murmur against not being the objects of His mercy and kindness to leave the entire body of the fallen angels (II Peter 2:4) under the guilt of apostasy; still less can it clash with the Divine perfections to leave some of fallen mankind in their arms and punish them for them.

4. The doctrine of reprobation should never lead to trying to determine who the reprobates are in this world.

   It is utterly impossible for any of us, during the present life, to ascertain who are among the reprobates. We must not now so judge any man, no matter how wicked he may be. The vilest sinner, may, for all we know, be included in the election of grace and be one day quickened by the Spirit of grace. Our marching orders are plain, and woe be unto us if we disregard them -- "Preach the Gospel to every creature." When we have done so our skirts are clear. If men refuse to heed, their blood is on their own heads; nevertheless "we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are a savor of death unto death; and to the other we are a savor of life unto life" (II Corinthians 2:15,16).

5. The doctrine of reprobation is a barrier against teaching regarding God. - - "What His sould desireth even that He doeth" (Job 23:13)!

   Once more we would avail ourselves of the language of Calvin "In all ages there have been impious and profane men, who have virulently opposed this doctrine. But they shall feel the truth of what the Spirit long ago declared by the mouth of David, that God 'is clear when He judgeth' (Psalm 51:4). David obliquely hints at the madness of men who display such excessive presumption amidst their insignificance, as not only to dispute against God, but to arrogate to themselves the power of condemning Him. In the meantime, he briefly suggests, that God is unaffected by all the blasphemies which they discharge against heaven, but that He dissipates the mists of calumny, and illustriously displays His righteousness; our faith, also, being founded on the Divine Word, and therefore, superior to all the world, from its exaltation looks down with contempt upon those mists" (John Calvin).

   Adapted from Chapter 5 of the book "The Sovereignty of God" by A.W. Pink, friend of Fred Cherry, grandfather of Wade Burleson