My esteemed Canuck friend:Canuck BC schreef:quote bert:
"voorgesteld is, en niet, dat zij metterdaad tot alle mensen uitgestrekt wordt.
is displayed
and:
not that she indeed is extended to all"
I really think that things are made more difficult than they are. I don't think that God ever made a secret about something that he states so clearly in His Word. God says:
John 3 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
When God says He loved the world, he means literally every single person that He has made. It is so obvious and yet we as christians still have heated conversations about what this or that person has said. But I still think it's the word of God that counts, not the perception that people from whatever church have given to it. This doesn't mean that Calvin is wrong here. He says that it IS diplayed to all. Which means, in my opinion, that God showed and shows Himself a loving God for all men.
This doesn't mean all people accept that love. Because it's in their nature to chose against that love. And since they are not even ABLE to chose for that love, all men have to come to God through that same love. This may seem a paradox but through the love God displayed to all men, He offers them a chance to get to know Him as their Saviour. And that's true love for all men.
But, obviously, not every and each person gets to know God as his saviour. And THAT is what Calvin means by saying: it is not extended to all.
Because according to what you say, Mr Mulder, one could conclude that the display of love to all mankind doesn't count. In my opinion, you kind of emphasize the last part of that sentence though the first part is really there.
And since there's a lot more in the next verse (John 3:17) where God says He doesn't want to condemn the WORLD (which is in my opinion a word used to talk about all mankind) but to save the world. Isn't that a word of love? Does God here not tell us He wants the whole world to be saved? And don't we believe as NRC christians or reformed christians that Jesus' blood was enough to wash ALL the sins of the world? And since we believe that, don't we have to agree on general non-electing love, which in my opinion is a love for everyone, no limitation, NO ONE excluded.
This text deals with the love of God for the world, ie. the cosmos, in the first place.
In other words, God so loved His creation, that He gave His only begotten son. And His creation, the cosmos, will be redeemed in the new heaven and the new earth.
And that is possible because Christ suffered on the cross. And indeed is His redemption sufficient for the sins of the whole world, but nevertheless, Christ died not for all, but only for his Own. That is pretty clear from the words of Christ Himself during His earthly ministry. "I pray not for the world, but for those Thou hast given Me", etc.
Furthermore, in this text itself. "that whosoever BELIEVES in Me, shall not perish, but have everlasting life". Christ in this text is not promising universal redemption, but He is promising to save those who believe in Him. And how does one come to faith? Faith is a gift of God.
From your response seems like you are a member of the NRC. As a member of the NRC, you would certainly agree with what I have stated here (I hope)?