Unconditional Reprobation: Scriptural, Rational, Confessional

D. Scott Meadows

“Unconditional election” is one of the five doctrines of grace affirmed by Calvinists. Briefly stated, it is “God’s choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely upon His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response or obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc.” (The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended and Documented, Steele, Thomas, and Nicole, pub. 1963, P&R, p. 16). It is not controversial at all among those in the Reformed tradition.

“Unconditional reprobation,” however, provokes reservations among some. They argue that some are reprobated (not chosen for salvation) on account of God’s knowing beforehand that they would sin, and in some cases, that they would reject the gospel offered to them, and so forth.

One reason we would stress the unconditional nature of both election and reprobation is to glorify God’s absolute sovereignty and to enhance our wonder and gratitude as believers that He has not “appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5.9). When we behold the vast multitude of reprobate sinners on Judgement Day about to be cast into the lake of fire, we will truly feel, “There, but for the grace of God, go I,” and He will have all the glory for our salvation. R. C. Sproul taught a form of “double predestination” and explained,

In contrast with the foreknowledge view of predestination, the Reformed view asserts that the ultimate decision for salvation rests with God and not with man. It teaches that from all eternity God has chosen to intervene in the lives of some people and bring them to saving faith and has chosen not to do that for other people. From all eternity, without any prior view of our human behavior, God has chosen some unto election and others unto reprobation. The ultimate destiny of the individual is decided by God before that individual is even born and without depending ultimately upon the human choice (Chosen by God, R. C. Sproul, pub. 1986, Tyndale House Publishers, pp. 136, 37).

We must reject any notion of “conditional reprobation” as against Scripture, against reason, and against the Second London Confession of Faith (2LCF).

1. Unconditional Reprobation Is Scriptural. The notion of “conditional reprobation” is inconsistent with Scripture, for example, insofar as Scripture teaches that the destinies of human beings rest solely upon God’s good pleasure and are the consequence of His eternal decree. This precludes its being conditioned upon anything about us. Paul explains God’s word, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau I have hated,” to be based solely upon God’s purpose according to election, upon Him who calls (i.e., God), and not in any way upon the works of Jacob and Esau, or their doing “any good or evil” in their lives (Rom 9:11-13). More scriptural evidence exists, but this much suffices here.

2. Unconditional Reprobation Is Rational. By “rational,” we mean that it is consistent with true reason. Unconditional reprobation is rationally implied by the truth of unconditional election, for example. If there is no condition in the ones chosen for salvation, there cannot be a condition in the rest who are rejected, for this would necessarily entail that those chosen did not meet the same condition of the reprobate, which means that their election was not unconditional. That conclusion is irrational, a real contradiction of the established truth of unconditional election, and therefore, that conclusion is impossible and erroneous. One objection some raise is that reprobation involves punishment for sin, and is not sin, then, a condition of it? We answer that this conflates reprobation and damnation which are not the same thing. Reprobation is a rejection of some for God’s eternal favor, owed to none. Damnation, by contrast, is the punishment of sinners for their sins. It is, indeed, conditioned upon their being guilty. Eternal reprobation is not so conditioned.

3. Unconditional Reprobation Is Confessional. That unconditional reprobation is taught in good confessions of faith like 2LCF does not necessarily prove it is true, since confessions are fallible (i.e., may possibly err). However, as the greatest confessions are centuries-old consensus documents of great and godly scholars of our Christian faith, they are not to be lightly dismissed.

Let us consider the testimony of 2LCF which teaches unconditional reprobation explicitly without using that particular phrase. Chapter 3, “Of God’s Decree,” speaks directly to it.

3.1. God hath decreed in himself, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever comes to pass . . .

This general declaration about the nature of God’s decree dismisses any possibility of conditional reprobation, for 1) He decrees “in Himself,” a very strong statement of absolute sovereign prerogative and action, without any consideration of creatures as the basis for the decree. The unconditional nature of God’s decree concerning everything is further strengthened by stating that 2) He decrees “from all eternity,” that is, to speak figuratively, “before the world began” (2 Tim 1.9). As Paul argues in Romans 9.11, the eternal decree by its very nature does not hinge upon temporal creatures in any way. Further, 3) God decrees “all things, whatsoever comes to pass,” not merely the conspicuous blessings of creation history, but its dark and miserable events as well, including sinners who perish eternally. 2LCF 3.2 makes the point of 3.1 even more pointedly.

3.2. Although God knoweth whatsoever may or can come to pass, upon all supposed conditions, yet hath he not decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.

To interpret this language as applying only to election and not also to reprobation would be a violation of it, since it insists that God has not “decreed anything” because He foresaw it as future, and this must include the sin and unbelief and perdition of those not elected to salvation. 2LCF 3.5 applies this specifically to election.

3.5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto.

Compare the further insistence upon this point in 2LCF 8.8. The same truth applies to the doctrine of reprobation, as the very notion of “any . . . .thing in the creature as a condition or cause moving [God]” to do anything is abhorrent to this grand confessional declaration. Creatures do not move God; God moves creatures. God is not dependent upon creatures; creatures are totally, perpetually, and effectually dependent upon God for our very existence, movements, and destinies.

Let the reader understand the incontrovertible proof of unconditional reprobation, and then receive it sincerely, trust the Savior heartily, and wonder gratefully and adoringly over his not being appointed by God to wrath. Amen. Ω