What is reprobation?

Answer

“Reprobation” is the term used to describe those who, by default, are left in their fallen human nature to sin and be eternally damned. It can be the only possible consequence if, as Scripture declares, God has foreknown and chosen others for eternal life through His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 9:24-25). In Acts 13:48, we read, “And all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” From this, we see that the decree of reprobation is a result of unbelief or, rather, the decree of reprobation results in unbelief. Some theologians declare from Scripture that God foreknew some and reprobated others before the Fall of Adam. This is called supralapsarianism, from the Latin supra meaning “above” and lapsus, meaning “fall.” Others maintain that foreknowledge and reprobation were decreed to happen as a consequence of the Fall, and this is termed “infralapsarianism.”

The existence of the state of reprobation can be deduced from the Scriptures in many places, such as Proverbs 16:4 and Jeremiah 6:30, just to name two. Although it describes the fact that God has rejected some, there is a sense in which those whom He has rejected still serve His purposes, despite their willful rebellion. The best example is the raising up of Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Here was a man who clearly refused to obey God, despite Moses’ repeated petitions to let the Israelites leave the land of Egypt. But the thing we note about Pharaoh is that, despite his willful obstinacy, God was nevertheless glorified through him. Reading Exodus 9:13-16, we note that God says He could have wiped out the whole of Egypt and Pharaoh were it not for His wish to demonstrate His power and make His name known throughout the earth «And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and IWill be honored upon Pharaoh and all his host, so the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so. », (Exodus 14:4,31) «And Israel saw the great work that the LORD did upon the Egyptians, and the people feared the LORD, believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.», (Exodus 14:4,31). Clearly, God will fulfill all His eternal purposes, both through those whom He has foreknown «For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. », (Philippians 2:13) and through those whom He has rejected—the reprobate «What if God, willing to show His wrath and make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction: », (Romans 9:22). In both cases, God will receive the highest honor and glory.

Finally, the question that remains is whether we can declare anyone to be reprobate in this life. Clearly, we cannot. The doctrines of grace as purported by John Calvin are both the hub and very essence of reformed theology, but sadly, some have taken them to the extreme. Hypercalvinism, for example, dares to declare that taking the gospel to the world is unnecessary if God has already decreed those He would or wouldn’t save. However, John 3:16 would not say “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” if indeed we were privy to such secret things as those who are reprobate. Our responsibility is to preach the gospel to all men everywhere, pleading with them to be reconciled to God «Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s st

“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s st
ead, be ye reconciled to God.” , (2 Corinthians 5:20).