Soteriology & the Imago Dei

God is a triune spirit, infinite, eternal, & unchangeable as to being, wisdom, power, justice, holiness, goodness, & truth — ie GLORY


Does Romans 1:18 - 32 have anything to say about concepts bound up with doctrinal matters like Soteriology?  After all, the text is an indictment of us all for suppressing the truth about God’s existence, invisible attributes, & authority by way substituting our own, human image & other images drawn from the created order, like those of animals, & then doing theology, philosophy, & ethics/ethical reasoning accordingly. 


Some Christians deny the doctrine of Total Depravity (the idea that people who are able to sin are unable to do any spiritual good accompanying their salvation, particularly the exercise of saving (ie justifying) faith & saving (not just civil) repentance).


They object on the basis that it is unjust &/or unfair for God to demand that we exercise saving faith & repentance if we not constitutionally able to do either by virtue of our created moral abilities (Semi-Pelagianism) or because of the application of Universal Prevenient Grace (Arminianism) as a byproduct of the Cross.   


On this view, then, human ability delimits & limits human moral responsibility.  Incidentally, this is the premise is what lays behind the concept of libertarian free will (LFW), also known as Contra-Causal Freedom.  


Let’s look at the thought process that lays behind the objection that human ability delimits & limits human moral responsibility.     


Romans 1 very clearly states that created beings in general & those able to sin in particular are guilty of suppressing God’s existence, INVISIBLE attributes, & authority & substituting their own VISIBLE attributes &/or the VISIBLE attributes of other created beings or objects then doing theological, philosophical, & ethical reasoning accordingly —- and that we are supposed to reason from God’s INVISIBLE  attributes & authority.    


By way of contrast, the objection looks to the human image then reasons accordingly.   In addition, we are talking here about how sinners in particular tend to reason, & sinners are chronically in the habit of seeking to justify themselves to God & each other & at times seek to portray themselves in a more favorable light than perhaps they should. 


Let’s look at this issue from the perspective of God’s invisible attributes.  


For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  (Romans 8:7–8, ESV)


Being

  • God:  GOD exists, but His mind is not fleshly/earthly.  Nor is He able to sin.   God always looks to Himself first & His own attributes then reason accordingly.
  • Man:  Man exists, but his mind, especially the unregenerate mind, is set on the flesh.   Unless God temporally or permanently restrains him, he will love Himself first & therefore refuse to lay down his works righteousness (especially at its root).

Wisdom

  • God:  In the OT, Proverbs defines wisdom as knowing, understanding, & living out the Law (& Gospel)
  • Man:  Man, especially unregenerate man, refuses to do so. 

Power

  • God:  God has both the authority & power to accomplish whatever He pleases. 
  • Man: Man might or might not have that ability.    Unregenerate man is said to be constitutionally unable to please God (Romans 8:7).

Justice

  • God: Unable to sin & omniscient, God’s thoughts, words, & deeds are always righteous. 
  • Man: Able to sin, man (unregenerate man in particular) reflexively seeks to justify himself based upon his own morality & moral ability. 

Holiness 

  • God:  Unable to sin & omniscient, God’s thoughts, words, & deeds are always just & holy. 
  • Man: Able to sin, man (unregenerate man in particular) reflexively seeks to justify himself based upon his own morality & moral ability, which are tainted with self-righteousness, &tc. 

Goodness 

  • God:  Unable to sin & omniscient, God’s thoughts, words, & deeds are always just, holy, & good. 
  • Man:  Able to sin, man (unregenerate man in particular) reflexively seeks to justify himself based upon his own morality & moral ability, which are tainted with self-righteousness, hypocrisy, &/or wickedness. 

Truth 

  • God:  Unable to sin & omniscient, God’s thoughts, words, & deeds are always just, holy, & good.  He never lies about Himself & the moral condition of His offspring. 
  • Man:  People able to sin chronically in the habit of seeking to justify themselves to God & each other & at times seek to portray themselves in a more favorable light than perhaps they should.   They lie to God, each other, &, to one degree or another to themselves. 


When we reason from God’s invisible attributes & compare & contrast them to our own, especially to those of people able to sin, we see that God is justified when He says “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  (Romans 8:7–8, ESV).”

Regeneration precedes faith.  It can be no other way. 

O LORD, Hear our prayer(s)!

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