Quote

"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.

We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith.

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

~D.A. Carson~

Notes on Supralapsarianism & Infralapsarianism

There was a recent set of posts, comments, back and forth about this topic, with this page being shared.  I've been pondering upon the necessity of making this an issue which divides...while doctrine is EXTREMELY important...I'm wondering if we aren't spending more time counting beans in the barn, rather than out spreading seed in the fields.

Regardless of where you stand on this issue, or if you've never considered it, be exhorted and encouraged to spend time daily in HIS word...to be wholly submitted to HIS will where ever He has you during this season.  Bloom where you're planted.  May the peace of God, which passes ALL understanding, guide, direct and keep you as you seek to know Him more intimately with each passing day, hour and minute.

May the glorious thought of His return keep all of us actively, fervently preparing and warning of the Master's return. ~ Melissa

And if this is a repeat of something I've shared previously...well perhaps HE wants us to review!

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" (Romans 9:21).

Copyright ©  1998, 2000 by Phillip R. Johnson. All rights reserved.
(Special thanks to Larry Wing for encouraging me to put this on line.)

This page looks at four major ways of ordering the soteriological elements of God's eternal decree—with a particular focus on the difference between supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism. I have summarized the differences in a side-by-side comparison below. Explanatory notes follow.

Summary of Views

Supralapsarianism	Infralapsarianism	Amyraldism	Arminianism
Elect some, reprobate rest Create Permit Fall Provide salvation for elect Call elect to salvation	Create Permit Fall Elect some, pass over the rest Provide salvation for elect Call elect to salvation	Create Permit Fall Provide salvation sufficient for all Elect some, pass over rest Call elect to salvation	Create Permit Fall Provide salvation for all Call all to salvation Elect those who believe

The distinction between infralapsarianism and supralapsarianism has to do with the logical order of God's eternal decrees, not the timing of election. Neither side suggests that the elect were chosen after Adam sinned. God made His choice before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4)—long before Adam sinned. Both infras and supras (and even many Arminians) agree on this.

Read more -->HERE.

Ponder

I use this word, a lot...and while reading noticed it in this verse:


Pro_5:6  Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. 


Then a variation a few verses later:


Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.


Searching for just the word ponder brought up only Proverbs 5:6 and 4:26


Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.


Proverbs 5:6, 21 and 4:26 use the same Hebrew word.


H6424 -  A primitive root; properly to roll flat, that is, prepare (a road); also to revolve, that is, weigh (mentally): - make, ponder, weigh.


So...used elsewhere?


Psa 58:2  Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. 

Psa 78:50  He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; 

Isa 26:7  The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

Word Study Series offered:

A verb meaning to weigh out, to make level, to ponder. It means to calculate the weight of something. It is used figuratively of weighing out, pondering evil (Ps. 58:2[3]); and of the Lord's leveling or cleansing a path for His anger to pass over in judgment (Ps. 78:50). It means to guard, to watch carefully one's way of life (Prov. 4:26). It describes making one's way of life just, fair, level (Is. 26:7).

Unfortunately, they offered no synonyms; however, synonyms.com had these:

chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate, speculate
think, cogitate, cerebrate

Meditate...not in the worldly sense of meditation of emptying one's mind...but as we are admonished in these verses:

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 63:6  When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Psa 77:12  I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 

Psa 119:15  I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

Psa 143:5  I remember the days of old; I meditate (H1897) on all thy works; I muse (H7878) on the work of thy hands.

Which are all:

H1897 - A primitive root (compare H1901); to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication to ponder: - imagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, X sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

These verses:

Psa 119:23  Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.

Psa 119:48  My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. 

Psa 119:78  Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Which are all:

H7878 - A primitive root; to ponder, that is, (by implication) converse (with oneself, and hence aloud) or (transitively) utter: - commune, complain, declare, meditate, muse, pray, speak, talk (with).

Meditate in the NT:

1Ti 4:15  Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 

G3191 - From a presumed derivative of G3199; to take care of, that is, (by implication) revolve in the mind: - imagine, (pre-) meditate.

• G3199 - A primary verb; to be of interest to, that is, to concern (only third person singular present indicative used impersonally it matters): - (take) care.

May the Lord of Glory, fill your spirit, soul and mind with HIS goodness.

May HIS attributes continually be reviewed before you.

May you (and I!) ponder, think, muse and meditate upon Him and His word more and more each day.

Blessings ~ Melissa

Closing with this thought:

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7