Conversational Calvinism

Listen to this post:

 

If you want to spark a debate on Facebook, just mention Calvinism. 

(At least in the circles that I operate in.)

Actually, you don't even have to mention that word, just quote a passage of scripture that emphasizes God's sovereignty, or share a Pastor's quote that is emphasizing the doctrines of Grace... and soon to follow, the free-will police will arrive to point out all of the "whosoever's" in the Bible. 

I get it. A God that is absolutely sovereign over the entire universe can be alarming to our American sensibilities. It is disconcerting for many, the first times they encounter these passages and contemplate, not their implications, but simply what the texts are actually saying. Of course, as I have embraced these passages, they have led me to some of the most humbling and deeply satisfying and peace saturating realizations in my life. But it isn't that way to everyone. 

In this blog post, I would like to share with you two of the biggest misconceptions about Pauline Theology (a.k.a. Calvinism, a.k.a. The Doctrines of Grace) that I have encountered. I want to share these misconceptions, not because I want to belittle anyone and I definitely don't want to give off an air of intellectual superiority. It is just that 99% of the debating that I have encountered when dealing with this topic, are wayward conversations that fail to tackle any of the actual issues. (In other words, most that attempt to debunk will use passages and phrases that don't debunk anything and are, quite frankly, points that I am in total agreement with, but I can tell that my debating "opponent" believes they have delivered a fatal blow in one fell swoop to my stance.)

One more clarifier before I begin sharing these two misconceptions: I am not attempting, in this post, to persuade anyone to believe anything. You will not see in this post an abundance of scripture, because that is not the purpose of this post. I simply want to address these two misconceptions, in such a way that might be helpful in clarifying any further discussions. 

Misconception Number 1

The first misconception might be apparent in the previous paragraphs. Here it is: many assume that any teaching on the Sovereignty of God goes against man's responsibility. Sure, there are those that might teach that (a.k.a. hyper-Calvinism), but that is not the teaching that carries the nickname of Calvinism. I am personally drawn to "The Doctrines of Grace" because it is the only systematic way of tackling scripture that is genuinely humble in its approach. Calvinism (for lack of a better word) says that God is Sovereign and Man is Responsible - both are true. There is no attempt to reconcile these two realities in any way that will diminish the truth of the other one. 

I consider this one of the biggest misconceptions concerning this particular belief system because those that are confused will tend to throw scriptures about man's responsibility and the free offer of salvation to all... as if they denounce the passages that literally state God's choice and His Election. Calvinism is the only system of belief that I have encountered that simply embraces both without attempting to explain how these truths tie together in eternity. Every other system (on either side) tends to go at least one step beyond what the scriptures say and will delve into some version of implication on those verses, and they will let one passage supersede another instead of letting them complement each other. 

(If you need examples of this, I would be happy to give some in the comments section of this post.)

If you want to unseat the concept of election, in a conversation with me, then you will not be able to do that by telling me that Christ came to save all or that Christ came for the world. I won't disagree with you. All of your mic-drops when you speak about the necessity of faith will land on a pillow of my agreement: Faith is necessary - People must believe to be saved - and anyone can do this! I can say that and also say that God chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, and that He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will (See Ephesians 1:4-5) without batting an eye. They are both true because that is what the scripture says. 

It is confusing for many, sort of like trying to explain what light is. Physicists will tell you that there are aspects of light where it must be treated as a wave. There are also aspects of light that demand it be treated as a particle. Particles can't be waves and waves can't be particles. The physicist will tell you that there is an explanation that ties these both together, but that has eluded them, for now. In the meantime, they must simply accept the realities as they are revealed. 

Misconception Number 2

On the tails of this first misconception comes the second one: the second misconception finds it's roots in temporal snobbery. (Temporal snobbery is what one might call the stance, intentional or not, that the thoughts and beliefs and teachings that are happening today have more weight in your mind than the 2,000 years of Christian thought that preceded us on the historical stage of the Church.)

Calvinism is simply a nickname for Pauline Theology... as I have alluded to previously in this post. It could also be called Augustinian Theology, but my favorite name for it is "The Doctrines of Grace." I mention this because the debates that occur over these things were previously heard and have been recounted for our edification. 

Many, many years before Calvin, this same debate came up between Pelagius and Augustine.  Pelagianism was deemed a heresy by that generation. Calvin's teachings are simply a rehashing of Augustine, and the Doctrines of Grace are only one part of that. I mention this because many will throw out there that Calvinism is heresy, but historically speaking, well... it isn't. 

There are deep veins of generations of truth. Hours, years, and whole lifetimes have been spent studying scripture, and to ignore the weight of previous generations of the Church (the body of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ) seems, well, petty.

To announce something as heresy, apart from a Biblically guided church council is ridiculous. The "rugged individualism" that our American Nation has fostered has left us crippled when it comes to the glorious unity of the Body of Christ, not only in this generation but in all previous generations. 

(For my thoughts on creeds, statements of faith, and the Christian heritage of the Church, see this page on my church's website.)

Summary

These are the two biggest challenges that I have encountered during any conversation on this topic or any of its branches. I share this here to attempt to be helpful, not in persuading anyone to adjust their systematic theology, but to foster a better conversation when addressing these talking points. 

Long before I began with Christ, He began with me.

"I must confess that I never would have been saved if I could have helped it. As long as ever I could, I rebelled, and revolted, and struggled against God. When He would have me to pray, I would not pray … And when I heard, and the tear rolled down my cheek, I wiped it away and defied Him to melt my soul. But long before I began with Christ, He began with me."

http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biospurgeon6.html  quoting W. Y. Fullerton, Charles H. Spurgeon: London's Most Popular Preacher. Chicago: Moody Press, 1966, pg. 32

you must have a doctrine

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul mentions predestination in close proximity to God's foreknowledge: "Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29) Christians who seek to be biblical in their thinking must have a doctrine of election and of predestination. These concepts were not invented by Augustine in his debate with Pelagius, or by Luther in his debate with Erasmus, or by Calvin in his debate with Pigius, or by Edwards in his debate with Chubb. These concepts of election and predestination are found in the text of Scripture. If you really want to be biblical as a Christian, it is incumbent upon you to hold to the biblical doctrine of predestination and of election and not some other construction. 

R. C. Sproul, St. Andrews Expositional Commentary on 1 - 2 Peter

The Calvinist by John Piper

The Calvinist by John Piper

See him on his knees,
Hear his constant pleas:
Heart of ev’ry aim:
“Hallowed be Your name.”
See him in the Word,
Helpless, cool, unstirred,
Heaping on the pyre
Heed until the fire.
See him with his books:
Tree beside the brooks,
Drinking at the root
Till the branch bear fruit.
See him with his pen:
Written line, and then,
Better thought preferred,
Deep from in the Word.
See him in the square,
Kept from subtle snare:
Unrelenting sleuth
On the scent of truth.
See him on the street,
Seeking to entreat,
Meek and treasuring:
“Do you know my King?”
See him in dispute,
Firm and resolute,
Driven by the fame
Of his Father’s name.
See him at his trade.
Done. The plan is made.
Men will have his skills,
If the Father wills.
See him at his meal,
Praying now to feel
Thanks and, be it graced,
God in ev’ry taste.
See him with his child:
Has he ever smiled
Such a smile before,
Playing on the floor?
See him with his wife,
Parable for life:
In this sacred scene
She is heaven’s queen.
See him stray. He groans.
“One is true,” he owns.
“What is left to me?
Fallibility.”
See him in lament
“Should I now repent?”
“Yes. And then proclaim:
All is for my fame.”
See him worshipping.
Watch the sinner sing,
Spared the burning flood
Only by the blood.
See him on the shore:
“Whence this ocean store?”
“From your God above,
Thimbleful of love.”
See him now asleep.
Watch the helpless reap
But no credit take,
Just as when awake.
See him nearing death.
Listen to his breath,
Through the ebbing pain:
Final whisper: “Gain!”

Here is this poem being read by many of my favorite authors and speakers...



The Calvinist from Desiring God on Vimeo.

What it Says... What you See?

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
(John 6:37 ESV)

What do you hear when you read this statement from Jesus?

The vast majority of Christians today... read the statement of Jesus this way: 'All who come to me the Father will give me.'

In other words... we come... we decide.

'Then the Father recognizes our decision and makes us gifts to his Son.' But that is not the way Jesus taught it. Jesus said, 'The ones whom the Father has given to Me will come to Me -- every one of them."

Sometimes the teachings of Jesus are difficult. Will you listen to them, re-interpret them, or just plain ignore them?

(I preached on this passage of scripture this past Sunday. More than one person walked away questioning... but what I loved was that they weren't questioning me... as far as I could tell... they were questioning Jesus. In a good way!)

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon - Book Review

The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon (Long Line of Godly Men Profiles) is the second book that I have read by Steven J. Lawson. The first one was The Expository Genius of John Calvin, which you can find my review of by clicking here.

When I was younger, reading biographies was not all that important to me. I enjoyed fiction, most specifically, science fiction and fantasy.  But as I have "aged" biographies, especially those focused on prominent people in church history, have begun to draw my attention and have brought me great encouragement. And Steven J. Lawson does an amazing job of bringing these individuals to life through his knowledge and study and by focusing on essential details and aspects of their lives.

In this book about Charles Spurgeon, I have used the "highlight" feature on my kindle more than any other book that I have read. Nearly every page had some quote from Spurgeon that I found either encouraging, thought provoking, or convicting.

The author begins this book by talking about the impact that Spurgeon had on him as a Pastor. After being confronted with the Biblical teachings on the sovereignty of God, he found himself wrestling with how to preach.  Then he says that Spurgeon showed him:

"In one hand, he (Spurgeon) held the sovereignty of God in man's salvation. With the other hand, he extended the free offer of the gospel to all. He preached straightforward Calvinistic doctrine, then, in the same sermon, fervently urged lost sinners to call on the name of the Lord. Having expounded the truths of predestination, he then warned his listeners that if the refused Christ, their blood would be on their own hands. In sermon after sermon, this prolific preacher expounded God's sovereign grace with unmistakable precision. Yet, he did it with a genuine passion for the lost." 

"I concluded that this was what it must look like to be consumed with the glory of God in the salvation of the elect and, at the same time, be filled with flaming zeal in reaching sinners with the gospel. There was no cold, clinical Calvinism here -- no dead orthodoxy, no 'frozen chosen' religion, no empty rehearsing of Reformed doctrine for people to take or leave as they might choose. Neither was there any shallow evangelism that portrayed God as pacing heaven, wringing His hands, desperate for someone to accept Him. Instead, here was what the Puritans described as a fire in the pulpit, yielding both the light of Calvinistic truth and the heat of evangelistic passion." 

"In Spurgeon, I saw a historical example of what God was calling me to be and do. I finally understood that my Reformed theology was not a hindrance but a launching pad for evangelism. Here was the best of both worlds. I already had come to see clearly how these twin truths meet in the Bible. Now I could see how they come together in preaching." 

"Tragically, many pulpits today are pulled toward on of two extremes -- the dead orthodoxy of Hyper-Calvinism or the shallow inconsistencies of Arminianism. In the former error, the doctrines of grace are upheld, but with little burden for the lost and no free offer of the gospel to all. In the latter error, there is soul-winning fervor, but the supreme authority of God in the salvation of men's souls is denied. Between these polar opposites stands the biblical Calvinism, claiming the high ground in both message and ministry."

There are so many other quotes and sayings of Spurgeon that I wanted to include in this review, but I believe that this quote from Lawson captures the importance of reading about Spurgeon, while at the same time revealing much of my own heart as well.

I highly recommend this book. Whatever the cost, it is worth every penny. Consider picking up the Kindle version on Amazon.

Killing Calvinism - Book Review

I just finished reading Killing Calvinism: How to Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology from the Inside. I found the title of this book to be alluring.  It snatched my attention from the first time that I heard of it.  It was on my watch list for books that I was hoping would go on sale eventually.  Strangely enough, when it did go on sale, it wasn't me that purchased it, but it was my wife who purchased this book. She saw it on the when she was browsing through the Kindle books and decided to pick it up.  I was surprised to see it listed with my books, but quickly started to read it.

Like I said, the title of this book is what drew me in, but what kept me reading was the openness and honesty of the author.  From the subtitle, How to Destroy a Perfectly Good Theology from the Inside, I could tell that this book was going to deal with the reality of people's reaction to, what is popularly called, Calvinism, and the difficulty of relaying that truth to others. There are so many knee-jerk reactions to salvation and the sovereignty of God that it is hard to get past all of that and into the actual teachings of Scripture.  The flip side to that coin is the pride, anger and arrogance that seems to go along with those who hold this view, whether that is a reality or not, many seem to detect a connection here.

Greg Dutcher shares a quote from John Piper regarding the anger:

When a person comes to see the doctrines of grace in the Bible, he is often amazed that he missed it, and he can sometimes become angry.  He can become angry that he grew up in a church or home where they never talked about what is really there in Romans 8, I Corinthians 2, and Ephesians 2.  They never talked about it -- they skipped it -- and he is angry that he was misled for so long.

I understand that sentiment.  There are so many passages of scripture that were never discussed or taught. I have seen this anger in me.  I don't want to do things that might hinder others from seeing and savoring the greatest aspects of God's amazing grace, and I definitely don't want my attitudes to dim their glory.  The author shared another Piper quote that really rang true:

I love the doctrines of grace with all my heart, and I think they are pride-shattering, humbling, and love producing doctrines.  But I think there is an attractiveness about them to some people, in a large matter, because of their intellectual rigor.  They are powerfully coherent doctrines, and certain kinds of minds are drawn to that.  And those kinds of minds tend to be argumentative. 

So the intellectual appeal of the system of Calvinism draws a certain kind of intellectual person, and that type of person doesn't tend to be the most warm, fuzzy, and tender.  Therefore this type of person has a greater danger of being hostile, gruff, abrupt, insensitive, or intellectualistic.

So I don't go into a Piper-quoting frenzy, I will stop there.  I do appreciate how the author, through these quotes and through personal experiences and confessions, displays the typical dangers that seem to cloud the  teachings of these doctrines.  I was stirred, again, by the author's love, not of Calvinism, but of the Lord, to keep in mind God's wonderful grace.

If you are a Calvinist, 5-point or no... I recommend getting this book.  I found it extremely helpful and encouraging.  I will end this book review by sharing another quote in the book, this one by R.C. Sproul.  This quote is on that I found to be extremely interesting and full of eye-opening encouragement.  I concerns Sprouls acceptance of the teachings of Calvinism:

The combination was too much for me.  Gerstner, Edwards, the New Testament professor, and above all the apostle Paul, were too formidable a team for me to withstand.  The ninth chapter of Romans was the clincher. I simply could find no way to avoid the apostle's teaching in that chapter. Reluctantly, I sighed and surrendered, but with my head, not my heart.  "OK, I believe this stuff, but I don't have to like it!" 

I soon discovered that God has created us so that the heart is supposed to follow the head. I could not, with impunity, love something with my head that I hated in my heart.  Once I began to see the cogency of the doctrine and its broader implications, my eyes were opened to the graciousness of grace and the grand comfort of God's sovereignty.  I began to like the doctrine little by little, until it burst upon my soul that the doctrine revealed the depth and the riches of the mercy of God.

If I know you and you are interested in reading this book, and you have a Kindle, I think that I can "loan" this book.  I have never tried this before, but I would be willing to give it a shot.  Let me know.

The Sovereignty of God in Evangelism and Prayer

Just watched this video from a blog called Finger Toe that is absolutely worth 8 minutes of your life.  If you need to, save it for Super Bowl Sunday and watch it instead of the commercials.  (Notice the new "watch later" button at the bottom of the video?)





He mentions a book titled Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer.  I read this little book a couple of years ago (during a summer vacation) and highly recommend it to anyone who has questions regarding God's sovereignty.

The New Calvinism

Time magazine (at least the online version) did an article about the top 10 ideas that are changing the world. Residing at number 3 is The New Calvinism.

Here is the first paragraph:

If you really want to follow the development of conservative Christianity, track its musical hits. In the early 1900s you might have heard "The Old Rugged Cross," a celebration of the atonement. By the 1980s you could have shared the Jesus-is-my-buddy intimacy of "Shine, Jesus, Shine." And today, more and more top songs feature a God who is very big, while we are...well, hark the David Crowder Band: "I am full of earth/ You are heaven's worth/ I am stained with dirt/ Prone to depravity."

Read the rest here.

[ht: Desiring God Blog]