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These three theological terms are from Calvinist thinkers and deal with God’s predestination of certain individuals to be saved. The word lapsarian is related to the English word lapse; mankind’s fall into sin was seen as a “lapse” in that it was a “slip” or a “falling” from their original state of innocence. The focal point of infralapsarianism (infralapsarian), sublapsarianism (sublapsarian), and supralapsarianism (supralapsarian) is sequence—the order in which God determined things to happen.
The question is then in what order did God create humanity, allow the fall, elect some to salvation, and provide salvation for humanity? These are issues that we are incapable of fully understanding. It does not matter what order God decreed what to occur. What matters is that God created humanity, humanity sinned, and God has provided salvation through Jesus Christ.
God preserves us through his sovereign will, keeping us alive and all things together.
God has always had a plan. Lucifer whom God created began the cycle of sin we find ourselves in now.
Isaiah 14:12-14
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;[c]
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
Pride made Lucifer fall, he was the first sinner. He was cast down to earth and started sinning again by deceiving Eve. We see additional explanation in the Book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 28; 11-19
11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me:
12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him,
Thus says the Lord God:
“You were the signet of perfection,[a] full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire,[b] emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings.[c] On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you;[d] you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you,[e] O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.”
So the question of the Tree of Good and Evil is answered by the knowledge that God from before the beginning of creation new every answer, had an ongoing perfect plan from beginning to end. there are no surprises.
This overarching sovereignty and providence includes our lives as well. Jude 24 offers assurance.
Jude 24-25 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
For more of Dr. John Barnett's Bible teaching messages go to: https://discoverthebook.org/