The Value of the Reprobate To God

 The Value of the Reprobate To God

The reprobate have value to God as scaffolding is valuable to a builder. They are used by God as a means to help build up and support His church throughout the ages. 

For example, unbelieving (and perhaps reprobate) daughter of Pharaoh, who was used by God to take Moses out of the Nile river, and also the unbelieving (and perhaps reprobate) teachers and instructors who were used by God to raise up that young child in all kinds of earthly wisdom and knowledge, in order to bring him to the position he got to in Egypt.

It’s the same in our age and experience: God providentially raises up many unbelievers (the majority of which are reprobate) who are used by Him to build church buildings, do the electrical installations, tarmac the driveway, and set up security systems. Also, there are many unbelieving parents raise up offspring, some of which are God’s elect (some of which are even reading this article!) who later come to repentance. An unbelieving spouse also supports a believing spouse in driving them to church (even though the unbeliever hates the gospel and never goes into the building on the Lord’s Day). 

All men are valuable to God in various ways, but not all have equal value. God is sovereign in His love and mercy: 

“[He has] mercy on whom he will have mercy” (Romans 9:15).

“I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee” (Isaiah 43:3).

An illustration in nature is seen in the corn plant—the most important part being the kernel. But the kernel is sustained and supported by various things: the roots, the stem, the leaves, and the chaff—all of which are “rejected” and burned by the farmer on the day of harvesting. The farmer only has his eye on the kernels of corn or wheat, etc.   In the same way, God has His eye of grace and salvation only upon the elect in the world that He made. He loves them only and causes all things in the earthly creation to grow, mature, and revolve around them alone:

“... for no other reason does he [i.e., God] sustain the world than to collect from it the number of the elect ...” (Francis Turretin, “Institutes of Elenctic Theology,” vol. 3, p. 42).

“The reprobate are for the purpose of the elect, as scaffolding is necessary for building the temple of God (Eph. 2:20-22). Even Cyrus, ungodly king of Persia, is called God’s ‘shepherd’ in Isaiah 44:28. Though he was a reprobate, God used him to bring Judah’s captive people back to Canaan at the end of 70 years.” (Herman C. Hanko, “Covenant Reformed News,” vol. 17, no. 2 [February 2020]).

God providentially supports and sustains the existence of the reprobate in the world through various things—sunshine, rain, families, knowledge, science, inventions, etc.—but only for the purpose of using them in His greater plan that He has for His elect church.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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