On July 31, 2012 Roger E. Olson wrote an article called “Why is Jonathan Edwards considered so great?” My purpose is not to say whether or not Olson has represented the heretic Edwards accurately, but just to make observations on some of Olson’s objections to the sovereignty of God. Olson writes:
“The question that naturally arises is: from where did the first evil inclination come? Edwards claims a creature formed it; it arose from a creature’s (Lucifer’s and later Adam’s) own nature. God simply ‘left ’em to themselves’ so that sin and evil followed inevitably or necessarily. That is to say that God withdrew or withheld the grace creatures needed not to sin. God rendered the fall and all its horrible consequences inevitable or even necessary. And yet, creatures are to blame for sinning even thought they could not do otherwise” (Roger E. Olson).
Olson articulates the Reformed and facinorous figment that creaturely axes by “virtue” of “restraining grace” are able to lift, swing, and chop apart from the active causation of the Divine Woodsman (cf. Isaiah 10). And despite this Reformed/Calvinistic softening and dilution of the sovereignty of God Olson enunciates the common objection of the natural God-hating man: Why does He yet find fault? For who resists His will?
A few more comments later, the Lord willing.
Agrammatos 