Reformed doctrine of predestination - Boettner - XII - Chapter 17

Required reading
Reformed Doctrine of Predestination by Loraine Boettner (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example).  Read Chapter 17 (That it makes God the author of sin).

My summary
Now Boettner looks at another objection to the doctrine of predestination: it makes God the author of sin.

Firstly Boettner looks at the problem of evil and the way that God uses evil for good.

Then follows a discussion of the fall and God's involvement in it.

Then it is stated that God is perfectly in control of evil and this is backed up with Scriptural proofs.

Finally we see how grace is increased through sin and that Calvinism offers the best understanding of the problem of evil.

What grabbed me
Boettner started the Chapter off well: 'To begin with, we readily admit that the existence of sin in a universe which is under the control of a God who is infinite in His wisdom, power, holiness, and justice, is an inscrutable mystery which we in our present state of knowledge cannot fully explain. As yet we only see through a glass darkly. Sin can never be explained on the grounds of logic or reason, for it is essentially illogical and unreasonable.'

But there were a number of statements in the chapter that seemed to go further than Scripture goes when we probe into God's sovereign control over sin: 'Hence God Himself is ultimately responsible for sin in that He has power to prevent it but does not do so, although the immediate responsibility rests on man alone God is, of course, never the efficient cause in the production of sin.'

Another example: 'Calvinism can give a fairly adequate explanation in that it recognizes that God is ultimately responsible since He could have prevented it; and Calvinism further asserts that God has a definite purpose in the permission of every individual sin having ordained it "for His own glory."'

I think Boettner is allowing logic to run away with him when he says God is 'ultimately' responsible for sin. 

Scripture teaches that man is always responsible for his sin.  Whereas God is light and in him there is no darkness.

I don't think I'd dare say that God is 'ultimately' responsible for my sin.  Would you?

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 18 (That it discourages all motives to exertion) and 19 (That it represents God as a respecter of persons, or as unjustly partial).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.